Aspen-pest
Guides
Agrilus horni
aspen root girdler
Agrilus horni, commonly known as the aspen root girdler, is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. The species is a specialist pest of aspen (Populus tremuloides), causing damage by girdling the roots and lower stems of suckers. It is morphologically similar to Agrilus anxius (bronze birch borer) and Agrilus liragus (bronze poplar borer) but can be distinguished by its distinctive root-girdling behavior. The species has been documented in North America from Arizona, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Choristoneura conflictana
large aspen tortrix
Choristoneura conflictana, the large aspen tortrix, is a tortricid moth native to North America. The species undergoes periodic population outbreaks that can severely defoliate trembling aspen stands in parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Adults are active from May through August, with a wingspan of 25–35 mm. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1863 and ranges across the continent from Alaska to the Atlantic coast.
Oberea schaumii
Oberea schaumii is a cerambycid beetle that develops as larvae in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides). The species has a variable life cycle duration: most individuals require three years to develop, though some complete development in two years and others require four. Adults emerge from late June through July. The beetle occurs in the crowns of large aspen trees and shows competitive interactions with Saperda inornata.
Phyllocnistis populiella
common aspen leaf miner, aspen serpentine leafminer, Aspen Serpentine Leafminer Moth
Phyllocnistis populiella is a microlepidopteran leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. It has become common and abundant in western North America, where it feeds exclusively on Populus tremuloides (trembling aspen) and P. balsamifera (balsam poplar). Larvae create serpentine mines in the epidermal layer of leaves, with heavy infestations causing mid-summer defoliation. The species exhibits remarkable cold hardiness, overwintering as larvae in leaf litter with freeze tolerance to -40°C.
Pseudexentera oregonana
aspen leafroller
Pseudexentera oregonana is a tortricid moth commonly known as the aspen leafroller. It is recognized as an economic defoliator of aspen (Populus). The female sex pheromone has been chemically characterized, with Z8-14:Ac identified as the principal attractive component. The species exhibits reproductive isolation through species-specific pheromone communication.