Ceanothus
Guides
Acronicta perdita
Pacific Dagger
Acronicta perdita is a noctuid moth species occurring along the Pacific coast of North America from British Columbia to California. Adults have a wingspan of 42–46 mm and are active from April to July. The larvae feed on Ceanothus and Purshia species.
Andropolia theodori
Andropolia theodori is a noctuid moth described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1878. It occurs in western North America from British Columbia to California, with three recognized subspecies corresponding to geographic regions. The species has a wingspan of 43–55 mm and is attracted to blacklights.
Aphis ceanothi
California Lilac Aphid
Aphis ceanothi is an aphid species first described by Clarke in 1903. It is commonly known as the California Lilac Aphid, reflecting its association with Ceanothus (California lilac) host plants. The species is currently accepted in taxonomic databases, though some sources list it as a synonym. As a member of the genus Aphis, it shares the characteristic pear-shaped body and cornicles typical of this large aphid genus.
Asphondylia ceanothi
Ceanothus Bud Gall Midge
Asphondylia ceanothi is a gall midge in the family Cecidomyiidae that induces bud galls on Ceanothus plants. The species was described by Felt in 1908. Like other Asphondylia species, it manipulates plant tissue to form a protective gall structure where the larva develops. The specific host plant association is with Ceanothus species, a genus of flowering shrubs in the buckthorn family.
Baliosus californicus
Baliosus californicus is a leaf-mining tortoise beetle (Cassidinae) in the family Chrysomelidae. The species is found in western North America and Mexico, where adults feed on various Ceanothus species. It was described by Horn in 1883 and is characterized by distinctive elytral punctation and costate interspaces.
Baris interstitialis
flower weevil
Baris interstitialis is a species of flower weevil in the family Curculionidae. It has been recorded from North America, with specific distribution records from Ontario, Québec, and Saskatchewan in Canada. The species has been documented on Ceanothus americanus, suggesting an association with this plant host. As a member of the genus Baris, it belongs to a group of weevils commonly known as flower weevils.
Brachycoryna hardyi
Brachycoryna hardyi is a small leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cassidinae. It measures 2.5–3.7 mm as an adult and exhibits variable coloration with reddish-yellow and black patterning. The species has been recorded feeding on three Ceanothus species and occurs across western North America from Canada to Mexico.
Enchenopa on-ceanothus-americanus
Enchenopa on-ceanothus-americanus is a treehopper species in the family Membracidae. The species epithet suggests a host association with Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey tea), though this relationship requires confirmation. Members of the genus Enchenopa are characterized by their enlarged, often elaborately shaped pronotum. The specific epithet format "on-ceanothus-americanus" follows a nomenclatural convention sometimes used for host-specific or host-associated insects, though the exact circumstances of this naming require verification from original taxonomic literature.
Enchenopa on-ceanothus-herbaceus
Enchenopa on-ceanothus-herbaceus is a treehopper species in the family Membracidae, tribe Membracini. The specific epithet suggests an association with Ceanothus herbaceus, a plant in the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae), indicating likely host plant specialization. Members of the genus Enchenopa are characterized by their enlarged, often ornamented pronotum that extends backward over the body. This species is part of a genus whose taxonomy is currently undergoing revision, with many Neotropical species expected to be reassigned to related genera such as Membracis.
Eupithecia nevadata
Nevada Pug
Eupithecia nevadata is a small pug moth in the family Geometridae, first described by Alpheus Spring Packard in 1871. It occurs in western North America, with recognized subspecies in Nevada, California, Utah, Colorado, and southern California. The species has been documented visiting apple flowers at night, contributing to nocturnal pollination services.
Filatima undescribed-species-on-ceanothus-herbaceus-one
An undescribed species in the gelechiid moth genus Filatima, currently recognized by its association with Ceanothus herbaceus. The species has not received formal taxonomic description but has been documented as a distinct entity based on host plant specificity and morphological differentiation from described congeners. It belongs to a genus of small moths whose larvae typically feed on various plant hosts, often developing within leaves or stems.
Hyalophora euryalus
Ceanothus silkmoth, Ceanothus silk moth
Hyalophora euryalus, the ceanothus silkmoth, is a large saturniid moth native to western North America. Adults lack functional mouthparts and do not feed, living solely to reproduce. The species is notable for its broad host plant range spanning multiple plant families. Larvae possess urticating hairs and scoli that can cause skin irritation. The moth has a single generation per year, with adults active from January through July depending on latitude and elevation.
Oligotylus ceanothi
Oligotylus ceanothi is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, described by Schuh in 2000. The species is associated with Ceanothus host plants, as indicated by its specific epithet. It occurs in western North America, with documented records from the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Like other members of the genus Oligotylus, it is likely a phytophagous insect feeding on plant tissues.
Recurvaria consimilis
A small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of 8.5–9.5 mm, recorded from the east-central United States. The larvae are leaf miners that feed specifically on Ceanothus americanus. First described by Braun in 1930.
Rhopalophora meeskei
Rhopalophora meeskei is a longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by Casey in 1891. The species has been documented in the southwestern United States and Mexico, with confirmed records from Arizona and observations in Guatemala and Honduras. Field observations indicate adults are active during summer months and are associated with flowering plants, particularly milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) and Ceanothus species.
Satyrium saepium
Hedgerow Hairstreak
Satyrium saepium, the hedgerow hairstreak, is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae endemic to western North America. The species exhibits significant geographic variation, with eleven recognized subspecies distributed across diverse habitats from coastal California to interior montane regions. Adults are active from spring through late summer and have been documented feeding on nectar from specific flowering plants. Larval development is tied to buckbrush (Ceanothus), a genus of flowering shrubs in the family Rhamnaceae.
Stigmella ceanothi
Stigmella ceanothi is a pygmy moth in the family Nepticulidae, first described by Braun in 1910 under the name Nepticula ceanothi. The species is endemic to California, United States, where it develops as a leafminer on host plants in the genus Ceanothus. Like other Stigmella species, the larvae feed internally within leaves, creating characteristic mines. The moth belongs to a large genus of minute leafmining moths that are ecologically significant as specialists on particular host plant genera.
Synanthedon mellinipennis
Ceanothus Borer Moth
Synanthedon mellinipennis is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae, commonly known as the Ceanothus Borer Moth. Like other sesiids, it exhibits wasp mimicry through transparent wings and hymenopteran-like body form. The species is associated with Ceanothus host plants, with larvae boring into stems or roots. Adults are diurnal and generally not attracted to light traps.
Xenolechia ceanothiella
Xenolechia ceanothiella is a gelechiid moth native to California. The larvae are leaf miners that feed exclusively on Ceanothus divaricatus, creating distinctive mines that begin linear and expand into blotches. Pupation occurs in a silk cocoon spun between two leaves. The species is known from limited records and appears to have a restricted distribution within its host plant's range.