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Sparganothis pilleriana (Denis & Schiffermüller)
Insecta, Lepidoptera, Tortricidae .

Long-palpi Tortrix, Leaf-rolling Tortrix

Description, Biology, Life Cycle, Damage, Common Names, Images

[R]Description
- Adult: 20 to 25 mm wingspan: brown head with 2 long labial palps directed anteriorly, forming a type of rostrum. Trapezoidal fore wings, straw yellow with 3 reddish brown transversal bands; uniformly slate grey and finely fringed hind wings (*) .
- Egg: at first emerald green, later brownish.
- Larva: the first-instar larva is 1.2 to 2.0 mm and the fully grown larva 30 mm. The head and the prothorax are shiny brown-black, the greyish, greenish or reddish body having fine bristles inserted on the clear pinacula. Very alert, the caterpillar allows itself to drop suspended by a silk thread if disturbed (*) .

[R]Biology
- Host plants: vines, Artemisia (Artemisia vulgaris), yellow bedstraw (Galium), bramble (Rubus), elm (Ulmus), hop, pear, plantain (Plantago), strawberry.
- Adult: the moth is active at dusk. The average fecundity is about 200 to 250 eggs.
- Eggs: deposited on the upper surface of the leaves, one beside the other, in egg-rafts formed of about 100 eggs at the beginning of the period and about 10 at the end (*) . Embryonic development lasts about 15 days.
- Larva: once hatched, it moves towards the trunk and takes shelter under the bark, in the support-stakes or under the grass inside a small silken cocoon, to hibernate (*) . In spring, it eats the buds, then the young leaves at the extremity of the branches keeping them together with silk threads.
It then attacks the young branches of grapes (*) . It also nibbles the peduncle of leaves which dry up and turn reddish.
- Pupa: in the fold of a leaf.

[R]Life Cycle
- 1 generation per year.
- The caterpillars emerge from their cocoons at intervals. They pupate towards mid-June. The flights occur from mid-July to the end of July according to the regions and egg laying takes place a few days later.
- After hatching, the young caterpillar enters into diapause until the next spring.

[R]Damage
In spring, damage can be extremely serious, the leaves of the extremity of vines can be totally destroyed.

[R]Remark/A>
This moth is a Tortrix. Very common in earlier days, it is, today, limited to the Bordelais, Champagne and especially Beaujolais regions. Infestations are sometimes checked by various natural enemies.

[R]Common Names
DE: Springwurmwickler ES: Piral de la vid FR: Pyrale de la Vigne IT: Tortrice della vite PT: Pirale da vinha GB: Long-palped tortrix, Leaf-rolling tortrix

[R] Images

  1. Sparganothis pilleriana (Denis et Schiffermüller) Moths on vine leaves On the female (left) the three transverse stripes are obviously less marked than on the male (right).
  2. Sparganothis pilleriana (Denis et Schiffermüller) Egg raft On the upper surface of the leaf and covered with a translucent secretion.
  3. Sparganothis pilleriana (Denis et Schiffermüller) Larva on vine leaf (Coutin R. / OPIE)
  4. Sparganothis pilleriana (Denis et Schiffermüller) Springtime damage on immature bunch The larva's head is visible (arrowed).
  5. Sparganothis pilleriana (Denis et Schiffermüller) pupa A strip of bark has been removed to display pupa.

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