(Photo: courtesy of the Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

The adult moth has brown patterned forewings and faintly patterned brown hindwings. The wingspan is about 0.5 cm. The species has several generations each year.

(Photo: courtesy of the Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

The species is found naturally in

The species was introduced into Australia deliberately from USA to control its foodplant which was invading pastures. The caterpillars were tested on 65 different plants. They walked away from the 64 other plants, and only fed on the Baccharis halimifolia. Attempts at mass rearing began in 1969, but failed. Rearing was begun again in 1984, and it was 1986 before sufficient numbers were obtained for release. It was released in 1986 and 1987 in

However later surveys showed that the species probably did not establish in Australia.

Further reading

G. Diatloff & W.A. Palmer,
The host specificity and biology of Aristotelia ivae Busck (Gelechiidae) and Lorita baccharivora Pogue(Tortricidae), two microlepidoptera selected as biological control agents for Baccharis halimifolia (Asteraceae) in Australia,
Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington,
Volume 90 (1988), pp.458-461.

Mic Julien, Rachel McFadyen, & Jim Cullen (eds.),
Biological Control of Weeds in Australia,
CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood (2012) p. 90.

Michael G. Pogue,
Revision of the genus Lorita Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylini), with a description of a new species,
Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington,
Volume 90 (1988), pp. 449-456, Figs. 2, 6, 9-10, 12, 26-47.

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(written 12 October 2012, updated 27 June 2019)