Fern-feeder
Guides
Aneugmenini
Aneugmenini is a tribe of sawflies within the family Tenthredinidae. Members of this tribe are phytophagous and associated with various host plants. The tribe contains multiple genera, including the well-known genus *Aneugmenus*. Sawflies in this group are morphologically diverse but share characteristics typical of Tenthredinidae, including a broad connection between the thorax and abdomen (lacking the narrow 'wasp waist' of Apocrita).
Auletobius cassandrae
Auletobius cassandrae is a leaf-rolling weevil in the family Attelabidae, first described by Voss in 1922. It is native to eastern North America and is known to feed exclusively on the leaves of sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina), a nitrogen-fixing shrub in the bayberry family. The species belongs to a genus characterized by leaf-rolling behaviors used to create protected chambers for egg-laying and larval development.
Fagitana littera
Marsh Fern Moth
Fagitana littera, commonly known as the marsh fern moth, is a noctuid moth described by Achille Guenée in 1852. The species is notable for its highly specialized larval ecology, with Thelypteris palustris (marsh fern) reported as its only known host plant. It is listed as a species of special concern in Connecticut, reflecting potential vulnerability due to habitat specificity. The species occurs in North America, though detailed distribution and life history information remain limited in published sources.
Phymatocera rusculla
Phymatocera rusculla is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. Sawflies in this genus are associated with ferns, with larvae feeding on fronds. The species is poorly documented in scientific literature.
Phytoliriomyza clara
Phytoliriomyza clara is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, first described by Melander in 1913. It is known to feed on bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), making it a specialist herbivore of this widespread fern genus. The species occurs in North America, with records from Canada and the United States. Like other members of its family, it likely produces characteristic serpentine or blotch mines in host plant foliage during its larval stage.
Stathmopoda
Stathmopoda is a genus of small moths in the family Stathmopodidae (or subfamily Stathmopodinae within Oecophoridae, depending on classification system). The genus exhibits diverse larval feeding habits: some species are seed, fruit, or bud borers of angiosperms, including significant agricultural pests, while others are specialized fern spore feeders. The genus has a broad geographic distribution including Asia, Europe, and New Zealand, with particularly high species diversity documented in China.
Sthenopis pretiosus
Gold-spotted Ghost Moth
Sthenopis pretiosus is a ghost moth in the family Hepialidae with a transcontinental distribution spanning South and North America. The species was described multiple times under different names between 1856 and 1906 before taxonomic revision in 2015 consolidated these into a single species. It is characterized by a wingspan of 60–70 mm and distinctive gold-spotted patterning. The larval stage feeds on ferns in the genera Athyrium, Dryopteris, and Matteuccia.
Undulambia striatalis
Beautiful Undulambia Moth
Undulambia striatalis is a small moth in the family Crambidae, first described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1906. It is distributed across the southeastern and mid-Atlantic United States, with records from Massachusetts south to Florida and west to Louisiana. Adults are active during spring and early summer. The species belongs to the subfamily Musotiminae, which includes fern-feeding moths.