Choreutis pariana
Encyclopedia
The Apple-and-thorn Skeletonizer or Apple Leaf Skeletonizer (Choreutis pariana) is a moth
of the Choreutidae
family. It is native to Eurasia
. It was introduced to New England
in 1917 and is frequently collected in agricultural areas in North America
where it is found along the west coast of the United States
and British Columbia
, Ontario
, New Brunswick
, Nova Scotia
, Prince Edward Island
and Newfoundland and Labrador
.
The wingspan
is 11-15 mm. The forewings are pale smeared brown, with a coppery sheen. The inner half and terminal area are usually darker brown. The antemedial line is dark brown and jagged and usually only distinctive in the upper two thirds. The postmedial line is less obvious, paler brown, jagged and usually only upper two thirds are obvious. Occasionally, the other lines are visible, but never as obvious as the antemedial line. There are four small whitish rectangles
visible along the costa at the antemedial line, median, postmedial line. The fringe is brown with two thin pale patches along the outer edge on either side of the middle. The hindwings are warm brown, but slightly darker towards the outer margin. The fringe is brown, but paler at the anal angle and apex. The body is dark brown.
In Canada, adults have been recorded from late July to late October. There are two generations per year in western Europe, with adults on wing in July and again in September, when it overwinters and may appear again in early spring
The larvae feed on Malus pumila, Crataegus
, Betula papyrifera, Salix, Prunus
, Sorbus
, Fraxinus, Rosa
and Alnus species. It is a solitary leafroller and colonial feeder. The larvae eat away the parenchyma from the upper surface of leaves of the foodplant, resulting in a skeleton leaf appearance. The larva lives under a silken web. Larvae have been recorded from June to early September in North America.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Choreutidae
Choreutidae
Choreutidae, or "metalmark moths," are a family of insects in the lepidopteran order whose relationships have been long disputed. It was placed previously in the superfamily Yponomeutoidea in family Glyphipterigidae and in superfamily Sesioidea. It is now considered to represent its own superfamily...
family. It is native to Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
. It was introduced to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
in 1917 and is frequently collected in agricultural areas in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
where it is found along the west coast of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
and Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 11-15 mm. The forewings are pale smeared brown, with a coppery sheen. The inner half and terminal area are usually darker brown. The antemedial line is dark brown and jagged and usually only distinctive in the upper two thirds. The postmedial line is less obvious, paler brown, jagged and usually only upper two thirds are obvious. Occasionally, the other lines are visible, but never as obvious as the antemedial line. There are four small whitish rectangles
visible along the costa at the antemedial line, median, postmedial line. The fringe is brown with two thin pale patches along the outer edge on either side of the middle. The hindwings are warm brown, but slightly darker towards the outer margin. The fringe is brown, but paler at the anal angle and apex. The body is dark brown.
In Canada, adults have been recorded from late July to late October. There are two generations per year in western Europe, with adults on wing in July and again in September, when it overwinters and may appear again in early spring
The larvae feed on Malus pumila, Crataegus
Crataegus
Crataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...
, Betula papyrifera, Salix, Prunus
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...
, Sorbus
Sorbus
Sorbus is a genus of about 100–200 species of trees and shrubs in the subfamily Maloideae of the Rose family Rosaceae. Species of Sorbus are commonly known as whitebeam, rowan, service tree, and mountain ash...
, Fraxinus, Rosa
Rosa
The name Rosa, Latin and botanic name of the flowering shrub Rose, could refer to:-Places:*223 Rosa, an asteroid*Rosa, Alabama, USA*Rosa, Germany, in Thuringia, Germany*Roşia Nouă village, Petriş Commune, Arad County, Romania-Other uses:...
and Alnus species. It is a solitary leafroller and colonial feeder. The larvae eat away the parenchyma from the upper surface of leaves of the foodplant, resulting in a skeleton leaf appearance. The larva lives under a silken web. Larvae have been recorded from June to early September in North America.