Clearwing-moth
Guides
Synanthedon pini
pitch mass borer, Pitch Mass Borer Moth
Synanthedon pini, commonly known as the pitch mass borer, is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae. It is found in eastern North America, where it develops in the wood of pine and spruce trees. The larvae create pitch-filled tunnels in the inner bark and sapwood, causing defects in lumber but not killing host trees. Adults are active in mid-summer and have distinctive mostly clear wings.
Synanthedon polygoni
Buckwheat Root Borer Moth
A clearwing moth (family Sesiidae) whose larvae bore into the roots and crowns of buckwheat and related plants. Adults exhibit wasp-like mimicry with reduced wing scaling and are primarily diurnal. The species is found across western North America from the Great Plains to the Pacific.
Synanthedon proxima
dogwood borer
Synanthedon proxima, commonly known as the dogwood borer, is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae. It is native to North America and primarily associated with Cornus species. The species is recognized as a significant pest of ornamental dogwoods, particularly in urban and suburban landscapes. Adults exhibit wasp-mimicking appearance typical of the family, with transparent wings and often yellow or orange coloration. Larval stages bore into the stems and trunks of host plants, causing structural damage.
Synanthedon pyri
Apple Bark Borer
Synanthedon pyri, commonly known as the Apple Bark Borer, is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae. Adults are diurnal and exhibit wasp mimicry, with transparent wings and wasp-like coloration. Larvae are wood-borers that infest the bark and cambium of fruit trees, particularly apple (Malus spp.), causing damage to commercial orchards. The species is native to North America and has been documented as a pest of economic concern in apple-growing regions.
Synanthedon resplendens
Sycamore Borer Moth
A clearwing moth (family Sesiidae) native to western North America. Adults exhibit wasp-mimicry with yellow and black coloration and transparent wings. Larvae are bark miners, primarily infesting sycamore and oak trees. Despite extensive tunneling, damage is generally considered minor and trees tolerate infestation well.
Synanthedon richardsi
A North American clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae, distinguished by wasp-mimicking appearance and diurnal activity. Adults have reduced wing scaling that creates transparent areas, and males possess strongly bipectinate antennae. The species is rarely encountered due to limited attraction to artificial light sources.
Synanthedon rileyana
horsenettle borer, Riley's clearwing moth
Synanthedon rileyana is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae, notable for its effective wasp mimicry. Adults are diurnal and active from late spring through early autumn. The species is distinguished from similar clearwing moths by complete yellow banding on all abdominal segments and a red discal cell on the forewing. Larvae are borers in horsenettle (Solanum carolinense), a weedy plant common to sandy agricultural areas.
Synanthedon rubrofascia
Tupelo Clearwing Moth
Synanthedon rubrofascia, the Tupelo Clearwing Moth, is a North American clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae. Adults exhibit sexual dimorphism, with males possessing highly bipectinate (feathery) antennae. The species is diurnal and, like most sesiids, generally unattracted to light traps. It is associated with Nyssa (tupelo) host plants, though specific life history details remain poorly documented.
Synanthedon sapygaeformis
Florida Oakgall Moth, Florida Oakgall Borer Moth
Synanthedon sapygaeformis is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae, commonly known as the Florida Oakgall Moth or Florida Oakgall Borer Moth. A subspecies, S. sapygaeformis floridensis, has been documented in Florida with biological notes published in 1964. As with other sesiids, this species exhibits wasp mimicry through its transparent wings and hymenopteran-like appearance. The specific epithet 'sapygaeformis' references a resemblance to wasps in the genus Sapyga.
Synanthedon scitula
dogwood borer, pecan borer, Dogwood Borer Moth
Synanthedon scitula is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae and a significant pest of woody plants. Larvae tunnel into burrknot tissue and cambium of host trees, causing damage ranging from localized feeding to tree death. The species has one generation per year, with adults active from June through September. It is widely distributed across North America and has been recorded from numerous host species including dogwood, pecan, apple, and many other hardwoods.
Synanthedon tipuliformis
currant clearwing, currant borer moth, currant clearwing moth
Synanthedon tipuliformis, the currant clearwing, is a clearwing moth native to the Palearctic realm that has become invasive in the Nearctic and Australasian realms. Adults are diurnal wasp mimics with transparent wings scaled only along veins and margins. Larvae are internal feeders that bore into the pith of Ribes canes, causing significant damage to currant and gooseberry cultivation. The species is univoltine in temperate regions, with adults emerging in late spring to early summer.
Synanthedon viburni
Viburnum Clearwing Borer, Arrowwood Borer
A clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae that develops as a borer in viburnum shrubs. Adults are diurnal and wasp-mimicking, with transparent wings and dark bodies. The species is a documented pest of native arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) and European cranberry bush viburnum (V. trilobum), causing crown damage that can kill established plants.
Synanthedonini
clearwing moths
Synanthedonini is a tribe of clearwing moths within the family Sesiidae, characterized by wasp-mimicking appearance and larval boring habits in plant tissues. Members exhibit diverse host plant associations across multiple families including Lauraceae, Fagaceae, Rosaceae, Fabaceae, and Proteaceae. The tribe has been documented across North America, Central and South America, Taiwan, and other regions, with several species recognized as economically significant pests of ornamental and native plants. Molecular studies using COI barcoding support species-level identification but reveal phylogenetic complexities, including the atypical placement of some genera previously separated based on morphology.
Vitacea
Grape Root Borer Moths
Vitacea is a genus of clearwing moths in the family Sesiidae, commonly known as grape root borer moths. The genus contains four recognized species, including Vitacea polistiformis, a significant agricultural pest of grape vineyards in the eastern United States. Adults are wasp mimics with reduced wing scaling that gives them a distinctive transparent appearance. Larvae are subterranean root borers that feed on grapevine roots, causing economically important damage to cultivated grapes.
Vitacea admirandus
Vitacea admirandus is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae, first described by Edwards in 1882. As a member of the genus Vitacea, it belongs to a group of moths whose larvae are specialized borers in woody plants, particularly grapevines (Vitis spp.). The genus is notable for containing economically significant pests of cultivated grapes in North America. Adults are diurnal and wasp-like in appearance, a common mimicry strategy in this family.
Vitacea polistiformis
grape root borer, Grape Root Borer Moth
Vitacea polistiformis, commonly known as the grape root borer, is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae. It is a significant agricultural pest of grapevines (Vitis spp.) in the eastern and midwestern United States, where larval feeding on roots causes 'slow vine decline' that may take 5–10 years to become visible aboveground. Adults are Batesian mimics of Polistes paper wasps. As few as nine larvae can kill a mature vine with an 8-inch base circumference.
Vitacea scepsiformis
Lesser Grape Root Borer Moth
Vitacea scepsiformis, the lesser grape root borer moth, is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae. It occurs across eastern and central North America, where its larvae develop as root borers in grapevines (Vitis species). Adults are active from mid-summer through early autumn and are wasp mimics in appearance. The species is smaller than the related grape root borer (Vitacea polistiformis) and generally considered less economically damaging.
Zenodoxus heucherae
Zenodoxus heucherae is a species of clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae, first described by Henry Edwards in 1881. The species epithet references Heuchera, a genus of flowering plants in the saxifrage family, suggesting a possible host plant association. As a member of the subfamily Tinthiinae, it belongs to a group of sesiid moths often associated with herbaceous or shrubby hosts. The species is known from the Nearctic region, though detailed biological information remains limited.
Zenodoxus mexicanus
Zenodoxus mexicanus is a clearwing moth (family Sesiidae) described by Beutenmüller in 1897. The genus Zenodoxus belongs to the subfamily Tinthiinae, a group of sesiid moths characterized by their wasp-mimicking appearance and diurnal activity patterns. This species occurs in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions, with the specific epithet suggesting a Mexican distribution. Clearwing moths in this family are typically associated with woody plants, with larvae often boring into stems or roots.
Zenodoxus palmii
Zenodoxus palmii is a species of clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae, first described by Berthold Neumoegen in 1891 from specimens collected in the southwestern United States and Mexico. As a member of the subfamily Tinthiinae, it belongs to a group of sesiid moths often associated with monocot host plants. The species exhibits the characteristic wasp-mimicry typical of clearwing moths, with reduced wing scaling that leaves transparent areas on the wings. It is one of relatively few described species in the genus Zenodoxus, which is primarily distributed in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions.
Zenodoxus sidalceae
Zenodoxus sidalceae is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae, described by Engelhardt in 1946. The species epithet 'sidalceae' suggests a likely association with plants in the genus Sidalcea (mallow family, Malvaceae), though this relationship requires confirmation. As a member of the Tinthiinae subfamily, it belongs to a group of sesiid moths often characterized by wasp-mimicking appearance and diurnal activity. The species is poorly known, with limited observational records.