Apocynum
Guides
Chrysochus auratus
Dogbane Leaf Beetle, Dogbane Beetle
Chrysochus auratus is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, notable for its striking iridescent blue-green coloration with coppery or golden metallic highlights. This beetle is strictly associated with dogbane plants (Apocynum spp.), feeding on leaves as adults and roots as larvae. It has evolved specialized physiological and behavioral adaptations to overcome the toxic cardenolide defenses of its host plants, including a modified Na+/K+-ATPase enzyme that allows it to process and even sequester these compounds for its own chemical defense against predators.
Cycnia oregonensis
Oregon Cycnia Moth
Cycnia oregonensis is a moth in the family Erebidae, subfamily Arctiinae. Adults are nearly uniform in color and pattern throughout most of their range, with forewings measuring 19–20 mm. The species has been observed feeding on Apocynum species as larvae. A distinct subspecies, C. o. tristis, occurs in a small area near Olympia, Washington and is markedly grayer with reduced patterning.
Marmara apocynella
Marmara apocynella is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae. The species is known from the eastern and midwestern United States, with records from Ohio, Maine, and Oklahoma. Its larvae are stem miners that feed on Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp), creating distinctive long, whitish, serpentine mines.