Amorbia emigratella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Alien (immigrant)

Larva		Pre-pupa (this is the same larva about a week later)
Adult

The larva is a leaf-roller. It is similar in habits and host range to Epiphyas postvittana, which is has become cosmopolitan. However, I reared no adult E. postvittana in the swamp.

Host plants recorded from the Alaka`i Swamp:

• Cryptomeria japonica* (Taxodiaceae) Sugi; Alien
• Dicranopteris linearis (Gleicheniaceae) Uluhe; Indigenous
• Rubus argutus* (Rosaceae) Blackberry; Alien
• Santalum freycinetianum (Santalaceae) Sandalwood; Endemic

This is known to be a wide generalist and was introduced accidentally over a hundred years ago, from Mexico or Central America (although it was described in Hawai`i). Along the mesic `Awa`awapuhi trail, A. emigratella is more common than in the swamp, and it is there I collected it from uluhe. I also collected it there from Antidesma platyphyllum (Euphorbiaceae), and it was extremely common on the endemic Dodonea viscosa (Sapindaceae).

Development time in the laboratory at 20°C:

• Larva: about 1 month
• Pupa: 2 weeks

Larval parasitoids recorded from the Alaka`i Swamp:

• Diadegma blackburni * (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae); Alien
• Meteorus laphygmae* (Hymenoptera: Braconidae); Alien

There may have been other parasitoids and host plants but I wasn't great at identifying the caterpillars, which are similar to other species such as crambids (I admit I didn't take the time to study separation of caterpillar species at more than the gross morphological and host-plant level).