Cranberry
Guides
Ematurga amitaria
Cranberry Spanworm Moth
Ematurga amitaria, known as the cranberry spanworm moth, is a species of geometrid moth described by Achille Guenée in 1858. It belongs to the family Geometridae, a large group of moths commonly called inchworms or spanworms due to their characteristic larval locomotion. The species is native to North America and has been recorded across Canada and the northern United States. Its common name references an association with cranberry plants, though specific ecological relationships require further documentation. The species is assigned MONA/Hodges number 6436 in North American lepidopteran classification systems.
Limotettix vaccinii
Blunt-nosed Leafhopper
Limotettix vaccinii is a leafhopper known as the blunt-nosed leafhopper, recognized as the primary insect vector of phytoplasma causing false blossom disease in cranberries. Nymphal development occurs on cranberry plants, with slower development but larger adult size on phytoplasma-infected hosts. Females preferentially oviposit on uninfected plants despite showing no detectable preference in olfactory attraction assays. The species has been recorded across northern and western North America.
Lotisma trigonana
Lotisma trigonana is a small moth in the family Copromorphidae, ranging along the Pacific coast of North America from Alaska to Costa Rica. Adults have a wingspan of 14–22 mm. The species has two recognized subspecies: the nominate form and L. t. durangoensis from Durango, Mexico. Larvae are known to feed on salal (Gaultheria shallon) and cranberry.
Sparganothis
Sparganothis fruitworm
Sparganothis is a genus of tortricid moths in the subfamily Tortricinae. Several species are significant agricultural pests, particularly of cranberries, blueberries, and grapes. The genus includes the economically important Sparganothis sulfureana, a major cranberry pest in North America, and S. pilleriana, a grape leaf-roller in European vineyards. Species exhibit bivoltine life cycles with larvae that feed on fruit and foliage, causing direct yield losses in commercial production systems.
Sparganothis demissana
Sparganothis demissana is a tortricid moth species described by Walsingham in 1879. It belongs to the genus Sparganothis, which includes several species associated with cranberry and other fruit crops. The species is documented from scattered localities in North America, primarily in the southern United States and Mexico.
Sparganothis taracana
Sparganothis taracana is a small tortricid moth described by Kearfott in 1907. The species is known from a limited number of records in the southeastern United States. Its larvae are suspected to feed on cranberry, based on the ecology of congeneric species, though direct observations remain sparse.
Sparganothis violaceana
Sparganothis violaceana is a small tortricid moth native to eastern and central North America. Adults are active in late spring, with a wingspan of 16–21 mm. The species is associated with Vaccinium host plants, placing it among the complex of insects that interact with blueberry and cranberry ecosystems. The genus Sparganothis includes several economically significant fruitworm species, though the specific agricultural impact of S. violaceana remains poorly documented compared to congeners like S. fruitworma.