Endophytic-larva
Guides
Amblycerus
pea and bean weevils, seed beetles
Amblycerus is the second most diverse genus of seed beetles in the Americas, containing over 60 described species. These bruchid beetles are specialized seed predators, with larvae developing inside seeds of various host plants. The genus exhibits complex evolutionary patterns of host plant association, having radiated from an ancestral association with Fabaceae into at least 12 other plant families including Sterculiaceae, Boraginaceae, and Humiriaceae. Species-level identification requires examination of male genitalia and pygidial morphology.
Lignyodes arizonensis
Lignyodes arizonensis is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae, tribe Lignyodini. The genus Lignyodes comprises seed weevils associated with soapberry (Sapindus spp.) and related plants. The specific epithet "arizonensis" indicates a geographic connection to Arizona, though detailed published records for this particular species are limited. Members of this genus are characterized by their association with Sapindaceae host plants.
Megacerus
Large-horned Bruchids
Megacerus is a genus of seed beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Bruchinae, commonly known as large-horned bruchids. The genus contains approximately nine described species in North America. Species in this genus are seed specialists, with larvae developing endophytically within seeds of host plants, primarily in the family Convolvulaceae. Adults are characterized by prominent genal or frontal horns, particularly in males. The genus has been studied for its potential use in biological control of weedy bindweeds.
Moneilema annulatum
cactus beetle, ambulated cactus beetle
Moneilema annulatum is a flightless cactus beetle in the family Cerambycidae, first described by Thomas Say in 1824. Adults are found almost exclusively on opuntioid cacti (prickly pears and chollas), where they feed on plant tissues and flowers. Larvae tunnel within cactus stems, often causing visible damage in the form of hardened black exudate. The species occurs across western North America from the Great Plains to the Pacific coast.
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Ozirhincus is a Palearctic genus of gall midges (family Cecidomyiidae) characterized by elongated rostra. Larvae develop within seeds of Asteraceae plants, making them seed-feeding specialists rather than typical gall-formers. The genus was revised in 2015 using both morphological and molecular data, clarifying species boundaries and relationships. Adults are small, delicate flies with distinctive elongated mouthparts adapted for accessing seed tissues.
Rhinoncus bruchoides
Rhinoncus bruchoides is a weevil species in the family Curculionidae, first described by Herbst in 1784. The species has been documented in Belgium and Nova Scotia, Canada. As a member of the genus Rhinoncus, it belongs to a group of weevils associated with Polygonaceae plants. The species name 'bruchoides' refers to its resemblance to seed beetles in the family Bruchidae.
Sitophilus granarius
granary weevil, wheat weevil, grain weevil
Sitophilus granarius is a cosmopolitan pest of stored cereals, commonly known as the granary weevil or wheat weevil. Adults are flightless and infest raw grains including wheat, barley, and oats, causing significant quantitative and qualitative losses in storage facilities. The species is distinguished from similar storage weevils by its inability to fly and its preference for cooler, drier conditions. Larvae develop endophytically inside grain kernels, completing their entire immature life cycle within a single seed.
Trachelus tabidus
Black Wheat Stem-sawfly
Trachelus tabidus is a stem-sawfly in the family Cephidae, commonly known as the Black Wheat Stem-sawfly. It is an agricultural pest of cereal crops, particularly wheat. The larvae bore inside stems, causing lodging and yield loss. It has been documented in North America and Europe, including the Azores.
Xyelinae
xyeline sawflies
Xyelinae is a subfamily of primitive sawflies within the family Xyelidae, representing one of the earliest-diverging lineages of Hymenoptera. Members are small to medium-sized insects with distinctive morphological features including broad heads and relatively short antennae. The subfamily includes extant genera such as Xyela and Pleroneura, with larvae that develop in plant tissues. Xyelinae sawflies are primarily associated with conifers, particularly pines, where they exhibit specialized host relationships.