Eucalyptus-pest
Guides
Ambrosiodmus rubricollis
Ambrosiodmus rubricollis is an ambrosia beetle native to eastern and southern Asia that has been introduced to Europe and North America. As a member of the genus Ambrosiodmus, it maintains a mutualistic symbiosis with the white-rot fungus Flavodon ambrosius, which is capable of true wood decomposition—an unusual trait among ambrosia beetles. The species has been documented attacking young Tasmanian blue gum trees (Eucalyptus globulus) in Portugal and has been detected in Slovenia and Italy. Its introduction to non-native regions raises concern given the potential of Ambrosiodmus species to vector pathogenic fungi.
Aphalaroidinae
Aphalaroidinae is a subfamily of psyllids within the family Psyllidae. These are small sap-feeding insects commonly known as jumping plant lice. The subfamily is distinguished by particular wing venation patterns and genitalic structures that separate it from other psyllid subfamilies. Members are associated with various host plants, though specific associations remain incompletely documented for many taxa.
Blastopsylla
eucalypt shoot psyllid
Blastopsylla is a genus of psyllids in the family Aphalaridae. The genus contains at least one economically significant species, Blastopsylla occidentalis, native to Australia and introduced to multiple continents including the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Species in this genus are associated with Eucalyptus species, feeding on plant sap and causing damage to shoot tips.
Blastopsylla occidentalis
Eucalyptus Shoot Psyllid
Blastopsylla occidentalis is a psyllid native to Australia that has been introduced to multiple continents, becoming a significant pest of Eucalyptus species in forestry plantations worldwide. The species forms colonies on apical shoot tips where adults and nymphs feed on phloem sap, causing shoot distortion, reduced growth, apical tip death, and general plant weakening. Under field conditions in tropical and subtropical regions, it exhibits polyvoltine reproduction with all life stages present year-round. Population densities fluctuate seasonally, with peaks during dry periods and declines during heavy rainfall.
Cephisus variolosus
Cephisus variolosus is a large spittlebug (family Aphrophoridae) native to the Neotropics. Nymphs produce exceptionally large, frothy spittle masses on trees—substantially larger than those of temperate spittlebug species. The species has been recorded from Argentina, Brazil, and other South American countries, and occasionally reaches pest status on eucalyptus plantations. Adults have not been well described in available literature.
Ctenarytaina eucalypti
Bluegum psyllid, Eucalyptus psyllid
Ctenarytaina eucalypti is a small psyllid (jumping plant louse) native to Australia that has become an invasive pest of Eucalyptus trees worldwide. It feeds on phloem sap, causing damage to young foliage and producing honeydew that promotes sooty mold growth. The species has established populations in Europe, North America, South America, and elsewhere, often threatening ornamental and commercial Eucalyptus plantations. Its life cycle includes multiple overlapping generations per year with complex overwintering strategies involving eggs and nymphs in temperate climates.
Eucalyptolyma
Eucalyptolyma is a genus of psyllids (jumping plant-lice) in the family Aphalaridae, first described by Froggatt in 1901. Species in this genus are associated with Eucalyptus trees, their namesake host plants. The genus contains multiple described species native to Australia. These insects are small, sap-feeding hemipterans with jumping hind legs characteristic of psyllids.
Eupseudosoma
snowy eupseudosoma (E. involutum)
Eupseudosoma is a genus of tussock moths in the family Erebidae, erected by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1865. The genus contains several species distributed across the Americas, with Eupseudosoma involutum (snowy eupseudosoma) being the most widespread and well-known. Some species are significant defoliators of Eucalyptus and other plants.
Glycaspis brimblecombei
Red Gum Lerp Psyllid
Glycaspis brimblecombei, the Red Gum Lerp Psyllid, is an invasive sap-sucking insect native to Australia that has become a significant pest of Eucalyptus plantations worldwide. First described by Moore in 1964, this psyllid has spread to North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, causing substantial damage to forestry productivity. Nymphs construct protective sugary coverings called lerps while feeding on leaf phloem, and their multivoltine life cycle enables rapid population growth. The species is a major target for biological control efforts using parasitoids, predators, and entomopathogenic fungi.
Gonipterinae
Gonipterinae is a subfamily of weevils within Curculionidae. Members are primarily associated with Eucalyptus trees, with several species recognized as significant forestry pests. The subfamily includes economically important genera such as Gonipterus. Many species have been inadvertently introduced to regions outside their native Australian range.
Iridopsis
Iridopsis is a genus of geometrid moths (family Geometridae) established by Warren in 1894. The genus contains approximately 20 described species distributed across the Americas. Several species are economically significant as defoliators of trees, including eucalyptus pests in Brazil and native tree feeders in Chile. Host plant associations vary among species, with some showing narrow specificity and others broader feeding ranges.
Leptocybe
blue gum chalcid wasp, eucalyptus gall wasp
Leptocybe is a monotypic genus of gall wasps in the family Eulophidae, containing the single species L. invasa. Native to Queensland, Australia, this genus has become globally significant as an invasive pest of Eucalyptus plantations. The wasp induces spherical galls on leaf buds and young tissues of multiple Eucalyptus species, causing substantial economic damage to forestry operations worldwide. The genus is characterized by extremely small body size, thelytokous parthenogenetic reproduction, and rapid population expansion in introduced ranges.
Leptocybe invasa
blue gum chalcid wasp, eucalyptus gall wasp, Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp
Leptocybe invasa is a gall-forming chalcid wasp native to Queensland, Australia, and the sole species in the monotypic genus Leptocybe. It is a globally significant invasive pest of Eucalyptus plantations, having spread to Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Pacific region. The wasp induces spherical galls on leaf buds, midribs, and petioles, impairing tree growth and productivity. Populations reproduce primarily through thelytokous parthenogenesis, with males being rare, enabling rapid population establishment in new regions.
Melanolophia
Melanolophia is a genus of geometrid moths established by George Duryea Hulst in 1896. Species within this genus are commonly referred to as forest loopers, reflecting their woodland habitat associations and the characteristic looping movement of their larvae. Some species, particularly Melanolophia imitata, occur in large numbers and attract attention due to their abundance, though they show limited migratory behavior. At least one species, Melanolophia consimilaria, has been documented as a defoliator of eucalyptus in Brazil.
Ophelimus
Eucalyptus gall wasps
Ophelimus is a genus of minute wasps in the family Eulophidae. Species in this genus are gall inducers, causing the formation of leaf galls on Eucalyptus plants. Several species, including O. maskelli and O. eucalypti, have become invasive pests in Eucalyptus plantations outside their native Australian range. The genus is subject to biological control efforts using parasitoids such as Closterocerus chamaeleon.
Ophelimus maskelli
eucalyptus gall wasp, Australian Eucalyptus Leafgall Wasp
Ophelimus maskelli is a minute chalcid wasp (approximately 1 mm long) native to Australia and New Zealand that has become invasive across multiple continents. Females oviposit on immature eucalyptus leaves, inducing leaf galls that host developing larvae. Heavy infestations cause widespread defoliation and growth loss in eucalyptus plantations. The species has been successfully suppressed in some regions through biological control using parasitoids, particularly Closterocerus chamaeleon and Stethynium ophelimi.
Oxydia
Oxydia is a genus of geometrid moths in the family Geometridae, first described by Achille Guenée in 1857. Species in this genus are distributed across the Americas, with several species recognized as forest pests of economic importance. The genus includes defoliator species that attack conifers, eucalyptus, and other woody plants. Larvae are commonly known as loopers or measuring worms due to their characteristic looping gait.
Pergidae
pergid sawflies
Pergidae is the third-largest family of sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta), with approximately 450 described species. The family is distributed primarily in the Australasian and Neotropical regions, with South America and Australia representing the greatest diversity. Members exhibit considerable morphological variation in antennae structure, ranging from simple to pectinate or bipectinate forms, and frequently display sexual dimorphism. Several species are economically significant as agricultural pests or livestock toxins, while others have been evaluated as biological control agents.
Phoracantha semipunctata
Australian Eucalyptus longhorn, Common Eucalyptus Longhorn, eucalyptus longhorned borer, firewood beetle
Phoracantha semipunctata is a wood-boring beetle in the family Cerambycidae, native to Australia and invasive in many regions where Eucalyptus has been introduced. Adults are crepuscular, active during warmer evening hours when temperatures exceed 15°C. Females lay eggs under loose bark or in bark crevices of stressed or freshly cut Eucalyptus trees; larvae bore into phloem and sapwood, potentially girdling and killing trees. The species is a significant pest in plantations outside Australia, though outbreaks in its native range are associated with drought-stressed trees.
Psyllaephagus bliteus
Red gum lerp psyllid parasitoid
Psyllaephagus bliteus is an internal nymphal parasitoid in the family Encyrtidae, native to Australia and widely introduced as a classical biological control agent against the red gum lerp psyllid Glycaspis brimblecombei, a major pest of Eucalyptus plantations. The species has been established in California, Brazil, Mexico, Italy, Portugal, and Uganda. Females become sexually receptive at 48 hours post-emergence, with males initiating courtship through antennal contact and thorax-abdomen tapping. Development is delayed until the host reaches the fifth instar, with a pupal period of approximately 12.6 days at 26°C. The pupa is protected by three distinct layers: a thickened lerp basal wall, host mummification, and a melanized pupal sheath.
Psyllaephagus pilosus
Bluegum Psyllid Encyrtid Wasp
Psyllaephagus pilosus is an Australian encyrtid wasp introduced as a biological control agent for the eucalyptus psyllid Ctenarytaina eucalypti. It has been successfully released and established in Ireland, Chile, and other regions outside its native range. The species is known for rapid population establishment and high parasitism rates, reaching nearly 100% in some release sites within months of introduction.
Strepsicrates
Strepsicrates is a genus of tortricid moths in the subfamily Olethreutinae, tribe Eucosmini, established by Meyrick in 1888. Species within this genus are distributed across multiple continents including Asia, Australia, the Americas, and Africa. Several species are economically significant as pests of forestry and agricultural crops, particularly those feeding on Eucalyptus, Cordia, and Myrica species. The genus has undergone taxonomic revision, with some species historically transferred between Strepsicrates and the related genus Stictea.
Thaumastocoridae
palm bugs, bronze bugs
Thaumastocoridae is a small family of true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) comprising approximately 9 extant genera and more than 20 described species. The family is divided into two recognized subfamilies: Thaumastocorinae, whose members are primarily associated with Eucalyptus and other Myrtaceae as pests, and Xylastodorinae, which exhibit strict specialism on palms (Arecaceae). The family includes significant agricultural pests, notably Thaumastocoris peregrinus, an Australian native that has become a cosmopolitan invasive species damaging eucalyptus plantations worldwide. The fossil record includes Dominican amber and Baltic amber specimens dating to the Miocene and Eocene respectively.