An emerging Platynota sp. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) on blueberry in Peru
Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is a relatively new crop in Peru. A survey was carried out in 2022 in the department of Lima to identify emerging pests. A species of Platynota was recorded as a significant pest affecting blueberry crops throughout the vegetative, flowering, and fruiting stage. Larvae scrape leaf and bud surfaces and penetrate the fruit, creating entry points for secondary fungal and bacterial infections. The pest could only be identified up to genus level Platynota by morphological and molecular tests. However, species-level identification remains unresolved due to the absence of closely related reference sequences.
Sources
Velasquez R, Leiva AM, Gil-Ordóñez A, Perez-Fuentes LS, Domínguez V and Cuellar WJ (2025) An emerging Platynota sp. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) infesting blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) in the central coast of Peru. Frontiers in Insect Science 5, 1593907. https://doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2025.1593907