Columbine
Guides
Erynnis lucilius
Columbine Duskywing
Erynnis lucilius, the columbine duskywing, is a small skipper butterfly (family Hesperiidae) native to northeastern North America. Adults have a wingspan of 21–29 mm and appear in shades of brown. The species is associated with rocky deciduous woodlands and ravines, where its larvae feed on columbine (Aquilegia) leaves. Two generations occur annually in eastern populations, with adults active from early May to mid-June.
Nasonovia aquilegiae
Dark-spot Columbine Aphid
Nasonovia aquilegiae is an aphid species in the family Aphididae, described by Essig in 1917. It is commonly known as the Dark-spot Columbine Aphid, indicating an association with columbine plants (Aquilegia). The species belongs to the genus Nasonovia, which includes several economically significant agricultural pests.
Pristiphora
Pristiphora is a genus of sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae. Species within this genus are known for their larval feeding on leaves of various plants, with some species causing significant economic damage to trees and shrubs. The genus includes notable pests such as the larch sawfly (Pristiphora erichsonii), which defoliates tamarack and other larch species. Adults are small, dark-colored wasp-like insects with two pairs of wings.
Pristiphora rufipes
columbine sawfly
Pristiphora rufipes, commonly known as the columbine sawfly, is a non-native sawfly species native to central Europe that was first discovered in North America in Canada in 1963. It has since spread across the eastern seaboard to the Rocky Mountains, becoming a significant pest of columbine plants (Aquilegia spp.). Adult females use a saw-like ovipositor to insert eggs into leaf tissue, and the caterpillar-like larvae feed on columbine foliage, capable of completely defoliating plants. The species exhibits multiple generations per year in warmer regions, with two generations common in the mid-Atlantic and three or more in England.