About Paralobesia viteana (Clemens, 1860)
Paralobesia viteana, commonly known as the grape berry moth, is a moth species belonging to the family Tortricidae. It can be found in Eastern North America and western Colorado, where it is an important agricultural pest in commercial vineyards. The synonym Endopiza viteana is still frequently used in existing literature, but this species was reclassified to Paralobesia viteana by J.W. Brown in 2006. This moth is native to Eastern North America, where its ancestral host plant is wild grape. It has more recently been documented in western Colorado. In both of its recorded ranges, the primary host plant of Paralobesia viteana is grape (Vitis spp.), which includes both wild and cultivated grape varieties. There is also documentation of this moth feeding on other host plants, including sassafras and blackberry. Because larvae of this species damage grapes while feeding on grape berries and blossoms, Paralobesia viteana is considered one of the most damaging insect pests of grape berries in the Eastern North American bioregion.
