Acossus

Dyar, 1905

carpenterworm moths

Species Guides

Acossus centerensis(poplar carpenterworm)
Acossus populi(aspen carpenterworm)
Acossus undosus

Acossus is a of carpenterworm in the Cossidae, established by Dyar in 1905. The genus includes at least six described , most associated with Populus species as larval . A recently described species, A. boreocryptus, exhibits exceptional , the first documented case among New World Cossidae. Species are distributed across northern North America and northern Eurasia.

Acossus by (c) James Solomon, USDA Forest Service, United States, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Acossus centerensis by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Acossus populi by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Acossus: /əˈkɒsəs/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Distribution

Northern North America (including Vermont, USA, and Canada) and northern Eurasia (including Sweden and Norway).

Host Associations

Populus tremuloides - larval trembling aspen; documented for A. boreocryptus
Populus - larval poplar and aspen ; inferred from species epithets and for A. centerensis and A. populi, but specific documentation not verified in provided sources

Behavior

Males of at least one (A. boreocryptus) exhibit activity, exceptional among cossid and the first documented case in New World Cossidae. Males are attracted to synthetic lures containing (E,E) 3,5-tetradecadienyl acetate.

More Details

Diurnality in Cossidae

The 2024 description of A. boreocryptus established the first confirmed case of in New World carpenter- . This contrasts with the predominantly typical of the Cossidae.

Species discovery method

A. boreocryptus was discovered using synthetic originally formulated for A. centerensis, highlighting cryptic diversity within the detectable through chemical approaches.