Ambrosia
Guides
Adaina ambrosiae
ragweed plume moth, ambrosia plume moth
Adaina ambrosiae is a small plume moth in the family Pterophoridae, recognized by its distinctive split-wing appearance. The species has a broad distribution across North America and extends into the Caribbean and Central America. Adults are active year-round in southern portions of the range. Larvae feed on multiple host plants in the Asteraceae family, particularly Ambrosia species, from which the specific epithet derives.
Calycomyza ambrosiae
Calycomyza ambrosiae is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae. The larvae create distinctive feeding tunnels within leaves of host plants in the Asteraceae family. The species name refers to its association with Ambrosia and related genera. It is known from the United States.
Chionodes mediofuscella
black-smudged chionodes moth
Chionodes mediofuscella is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, commonly known as the black-smudged chionodes moth. It occurs across much of North America from Nova Scotia to Florida and west to British Columbia, Colorado, Arizona, and northern California. The larvae feed on giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida).
Euaresta stigmatica
Euaresta stigmatica is a fruit fly species in the family Tephritidae. It is known from southern California, where it develops on ragweed plants (Ambrosia spp., Asteraceae). The species was described by Coquillett in 1902. Immature stages have been documented in detail.
Euarestoides
Euarestoides is a genus of true fruit flies in the family Tephritidae, established by Benjamin in 1934. The genus comprises six species distributed across the New World, from Canada through the Caribbean and Central America to South America. Species are associated with host plants in the Asteraceae family, particularly ragweeds (Ambrosia), sagebrushes (Hymenoclea), and related genera. The genus was revised taxonomically in 2019, with three new species described from Peru, Brazil, and Colombia.
Euarestoides acutangulus
Euarestoides acutangulus is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, one of six recognized species in the genus Euarestoides. It has the broadest geographic distribution of any species in the genus, occurring across much of the Americas from Canada to Chile. The species is associated with plants in the Asteraceae family, particularly Ambrosia (ragweeds) and related genera. Larval development occurs within the flower heads of host plants.
Exaeretia gracilis
Ambrosia Seed Moth
Exaeretia gracilis is a small moth in the family Depressariidae, described by Lord Walsingham in 1889. It is known from the central United States, with a wingspan of 16–20 mm. The larvae feed specifically on Ambrosia psilostachya (western ragweed), making it a specialist herbivore.
Frechinia laetalis
Amber Bantam
Frechinia laetalis is a small crambid moth found in western North America. Adults are active from March to October. The larvae are leaf miners that feed on Ambrosia species.
Gnorimoschema saphirinella
Gnorimoschema saphirinella is a small gelechiid moth described by V.T. Chambers in 1875. It is widely distributed across North America, with records from at least 14 U.S. states spanning the southern, central, and western regions. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in forewing length. Adults are active for much of the year, and larvae are specialized leaf miners on Ambrosia species.
Helcystogramma chambersella
Chambers' Twirler
Helcystogramma chambersella is a small gelechiid moth with a forewing length of 3.5–5 mm. The species is native to North America and has been recorded across a broad geographic range from Pennsylvania to California. Larvae feed on ragweeds (Ambrosia species), while adults are active from spring through late summer.
Microrhopala rubrolineata rubrolineata
A subspecies of hispine leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, Microrhopala rubrolineata rubrolineata is found in western North America. The species Microrhopala rubrolineata, along with the eastern M. vittata, belongs to a genus of leaf-feeding beetles that specialize on Asteraceae host plants. Adults and larvae both feed on their host plants, with larvae mining within leaves.
Schinia dobla
Schinia dobla is a noctuid moth first described by Smith in 1906. The species is known from the southwestern United States, specifically Arizona, California, and Nevada. Its larvae are documented to feed on Ambrosia dumosa, a desert shrub in the sunflower family. Like other members of the genus Schinia, adults likely rest on or near their host plant flowers.
Schinia rivulosa
Ragweed Flower Moth
Schinia rivulosa, the ragweed flower moth, is a small noctuid moth found across much of North America. It is univoltine, with one generation per year, and is tightly associated with ragweed (Ambrosia) as a larval host. Adults are active from July to October and are often observed visiting flowers for nectar.
Schinia thoreaui
Thoreau's Flower Moth
Schinia thoreaui, commonly known as Thoreau's Flower Moth, is a small noctuid moth native to North America. Adults are active during summer months and are associated with flowers of their host plants. The species was described by Grote and Robinson in 1870 and is one of approximately 123 Schinia species found in North America north of Mexico.
Zygogramma suturalis
ragweed leaf beetle
Zygogramma suturalis is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as the ragweed leaf beetle. Native to North America, it has been introduced to Russia (1978) and other parts of Europe and Asia as a biological control agent for common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia). The beetle exhibits strong host specificity, feeding almost exclusively on this plant. Despite establishment in introduced ranges, it has achieved only moderate biological success due to low population densities and limited impact on host plant populations.