Forest-pests
Guides
Agrilini
Agrilini is a tribe of metallic wood-boring beetles within the family Buprestidae, subfamily Agrilinae. The tribe comprises at least 40 described genera and over 180 described species, distributed across multiple subtribes including Agrilina, Amorphosternina, Amyiina, and Rhaeboscelidina. The genus Agrilus, the largest genus in the tribe, contains numerous species including several significant forest pests such as the emerald ash borer (A. planipennis).
Agrilus
jewel beetles, metallic woodboring beetles
Agrilus is a hyperdiverse genus of jewel beetles (Buprestidae) containing nearly 4,000 described species and potentially representing the largest genus in the animal kingdom. Species are primarily twig and branch borers, with larvae developing in recently dead wood, though notable exceptions attack living trees. The genus exhibits remarkable host specificity ranging from highly monophagous to oligophagous associations, exclusively with angiosperms—no species are known to utilize conifers. Adults are typically found on foliage of larval hosts rather than flowers, with sexual dimorphism occurring in some species.
Aphalaridae
jumping plant lice, psyllids, lerp insects
Aphalaridae is a family of sap-sucking insects in the superfamily Psylloidea, commonly known as jumping plant lice or psyllids. The family contains approximately 749 species with worldwide distribution except Antarctica. Members are small, phloem-feeding insects, often highly host-specific. The family was revised in 2012 and 2021 to include seven subfamilies based on molecular and morphological data. Several species are significant agricultural and forestry pests, including the red gum lerp psyllid (Glycaspis brimblecombei) and the common pistachio psyllid (Agonoscena pistaciae).
Archipini
Archipini is the largest tribe in the Tortricinae subfamily, comprising over 1,600 described species across approximately 150 genera. Members are found in all ecoregions globally, though with notably reduced diversity in the Neotropical realm. The tribe contains numerous economically significant agricultural and forestry pests, including the light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana) and spruce budworms (Choristoneura species). Larvae are frequently polyphagous. Phylogenetic evidence supports an Australasian origin for the tribe.
Buprestinae
jewel beetles, metallic wood-boring beetles
Buprestinae is a subfamily of jewel beetles (family Buprestidae) comprising approximately 1,500+ species worldwide. The subfamily contains five recognized tribes: Anthaxiini, Buprestini, Chrysobothrini, Melanophilini, and Xenorhipidini. Members are characterized by their brilliant metallic coloration and sculptured bodies. Adults are primarily phytophagous, with many species visiting flowers for nectar and pollen. Larvae are predominantly wood-borers, though some exhibit leaf-mining habits in tropical regions. Several species are significant forestry pests or invasive species.
Buprestoidea
jewel beetles, metallic wood-boring beetles
Buprestoidea is a superfamily of beetles comprising two families: Buprestidae (jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles) and Schizopodidae. The group is characterized by species with often brilliant metallic coloration and includes over 15,000 described species worldwide, with Buprestidae containing the vast majority. Members are primarily xylophagous as larvae, developing in wood or plant stems.
Chrysobothrini
metallic wood-boring beetles
Chrysobothrini is a tribe of metallic wood-boring beetles within the family Buprestidae, containing at least three genera and approximately 140 described species. The tribe includes the large and economically significant genus Chrysobothris, whose members are primarily wood-borers associated with various tree and shrub hosts. Species in this tribe are characterized by their metallic coloration and cylindrical body form typical of the family. The group has been subject to taxonomic revision, particularly the Chrysobothris femorata species complex, which was recently redefined to recognize numerous cryptic species.
Chrysobothris
metallic wood-boring beetles, flatheaded borers
Chrysobothris is a large genus of metallic wood-boring beetles (family Buprestidae) containing at least 690 described species. Members are characterized by their flattened, streamlined bodies and often striking metallic coloration. The genus includes economically important pests of fruit trees, shade trees, and forest trees, as well as numerous species with narrower host associations. Species identification is notoriously difficult due to high diversity, morphological similarity among closely related taxa, and the existence of numerous cryptic species complexes.
Cinara
giant conifer aphids, conifer aphids
Cinara is a genus of aphids comprising approximately 200-243 species, commonly known as giant conifer aphids. These insects are specialized feeders on conifers in the families Pinaceae and Cupressaceae, including pines, firs, spruces, cedars, and cypresses. Molecular studies indicate their tribe Eulachnini represents the basal group for other aphids. Several species are significant pests of cultivated Christmas trees, particularly Fraser fir production in the southeastern United States.
Cleridae
checkered beetles
Cleridae, commonly known as checkered beetles, is a family of predatory beetles in the superfamily Cleroidea. The family contains approximately 3,500 species worldwide, with about 500 species in North America. Most species are predatory, feeding primarily on other beetles and their larvae, particularly bark beetles and wood-boring beetles. Some genera exhibit scavenging or pollen-feeding habits. The family has significant economic importance as biological control agents against forest pests.
Coccidae
soft scales, wax scales, tortoise scales
Coccidae is a family of scale insects in the superfamily Coccoidea, commonly known as soft scales, wax scales, or tortoise scales. The family contains over 1,100 species in 171 genera worldwide. Females are typically flat with elongated oval bodies and smooth integument often covered with wax; they may possess legs in some genera but not in others. Males may be winged or wingless. Coccidae are distinguished from armored scales (Diaspididae) by their soft, waxy covering rather than a hard, separable scale. Many species are economically important agricultural and horticultural pests.
Curculionoidea
weevils, snout beetles, bark beetles
Curculionoidea is a superfamily of beetles containing over 60,000 described species, making it one of the most diverse groups of organisms on Earth. Members are commonly known as weevils, snout beetles, or bark beetles. The superfamily includes several families, with Curculionidae (true weevils) being the largest. Most species are small, herbivorous beetles, though feeding habits vary across families. The group is characterized by distinctive morphological features, particularly modifications to the head and mouthparts.
Derodontidae
tooth-necked fungus beetles
Derodontidae is a small family of beetles comprising 42 species in 4 genera and 3 subfamilies. Members are commonly known as tooth-necked fungus beetles due to the spiny pronotal margins found in most genera, though the genus Laricobius lacks these spines. The family is notable for possessing two ocelli on the head, an unusual trait among beetles. The genus Laricobius has gained significant attention as a biological control agent for invasive adelgids threatening hemlock forests in North America.
Diprion
conifer sawflies, pine sawflies
Diprion is a genus of conifer sawflies in the family Diprionidae, containing at least 12 described species. Species in this genus are significant defoliators of pine forests, with larvae feeding gregariously on pine needles. Outbreaks can cause substantial ecological and economic damage by defoliating thousands of forested acres. Adults are stingless wasps with a saw-like ovipositor used to insert eggs into conifer foliage. The genus includes both native and invasive species, with Diprion similis introduced to North America in 1914.
Euproctis
tussock moths
Euproctis is a genus of tussock moths in the family Erebidae, described by Jacob Hübner in 1819. The genus has cosmopolitan distribution across the Palearctic, African, Oriental, and Australian regions. Molecular phylogenetic studies indicate the genus is paraphyletic, comprising numerous unrelated lineages that require taxonomic revision. Some species are significant agricultural and forest pests, including Euproctis pseudoconspersa (tea tussock moth) and Euproctis chrysorrhoea (brown-tail moth).
Ipini
Engraver Beetles and Allies
Ipini is a monophyletic tribe of bark beetles (Scolytinae) commonly known as engraver beetles. Members are specialized conifer feeders, primarily associated with Pinaceae hosts including *Pinus* and *Picea*. The tribe includes economically significant forest pests such as *Ips typographus* (European spruce bark beetle) and *Ips sexdentatus* (six-spined engraver beetle). Species develop within wood tissues, creating egg galleries that can kill host trees during outbreaks.
Lasiocampidae
Lappet Moths, Eggars, Tent Caterpillars, Snout Moths
Lasiocampidae is a family of moths comprising over 2,000 species worldwide, representing approximately 5% of global moth diversity. The family is characterized by large, hairy caterpillars with distinctive skin flaps on their prolegs, and adults that are typically large-bodied with broad wings. Many species are notable for their social larval behavior, including tent caterpillars that construct communal silk nests. The family is the sole member of the superfamily Lasiocampoidea and includes several economically significant forest pests.
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Tussock Moths
Lymantriinae is a subfamily of moths within Erebidae, comprising approximately 350 genera and over 2,500 species. Members are commonly known as tussock moths, referring to the distinctive tufted appearance of their caterpillars. The subfamily has a cosmopolitan distribution absent only from Antarctica, with notable concentrations in sub-Saharan Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and South America. Many species are significant forest defoliators, including economically important pests such as the spongy moth (Lymantria dispar).
Lymexylidae
ship-timber beetles
Lymexylidae, commonly known as ship-timber beetles, are a family of wood-boring beetles in the suborder Polyphaga. They represent the sole family in the superfamily Lymexyloidea. The family contains over 60 species across four subfamilies and approximately 15 genera, including both extant and fossil taxa dating to the Cretaceous. Many species form obligate symbiotic relationships with ambrosia fungi, which they cultivate and consume rather than feeding directly on wood. Some species are significant economic pests of timber and living trees.
Monochamus
sawyer beetles, sawyers
Monochamus is a large genus of longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) distributed worldwide. Commonly known as sawyer beetles, species in this genus are characterized by larvae that bore into dead or dying coniferous trees, particularly pines. Several species serve as vectors for the pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), the causative agent of pine wilt disease. The genus exhibits strong sexual dimorphism in antennae length, with males typically bearing antennae twice as long as their bodies.
Neotermes
Neotermes is a genus of drywood termites in the family Kalotermitidae, established by Nils Holmgren in 1911. Species are obligate wood-nesters that inhabit dead wood, including branches of living trees. The genus includes over 100 described species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Some species exhibit facultative parthenogenesis, though they lack the asexual queen succession system found in other parthenogenetic termites. Neotermes castaneus is the type species.
Pococera
snout moths
Pococera is a genus of snout moths in the subfamily Epipaschiinae, described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1848. The genus contains approximately 86 species distributed primarily in North and Central America. Members of this genus are associated with forested habitats and include species that are defoliators of coniferous trees, such as the pine webworm (Pococera robustella), which feeds on pine foliage and can cause significant damage to pine seedlings and plantations.
Saperda
flat-faced longhorn beetles
Saperda is a genus of flat-faced longhorn beetles in the family Cerambycidae, subfamily Lamiinae, erected by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. Species in this genus are wood-boring beetles whose larvae develop in living or stressed trees, particularly poplars, willows, and other broadleaf hosts. Several species are economically significant pests of plantation trees and fruit crops. The genus has a Holarctic distribution with highest diversity in the Palearctic region.
Toumeyella
tortoise scales, pine tortoise scales
Toumeyella is a genus of soft scale insects (family Coccidae) commonly known as tortoise scales. These sedentary, sap-feeding insects infest conifers and broadleaf trees, with females protected by a waxy, shell-like covering. Several species are significant forest and ornamental pests, including T. liriodendri (tuliptree scale) and T. pini (striped pine scale). The genus is characterized by phloem-feeding habits, honeydew production, and frequent mutualistic associations with ants.
Xylotrechus
tiger longhorned beetles
Xylotrechus is a genus of longhorned beetles in the family Cerambycidae containing approximately 200 described species. Members of this genus are characterized by their elongated bodies, long antennae, and often striking color patterns. The genus includes economically significant species such as Xylotrechus chinensis (tiger longhorned beetle), which is a pest of mulberry and other fruit trees, and Xylotrechus pyrrhoderus, a grapevine borer. Several species have been documented as attracted to fermenting baits, making them accessible to collectors using molasses-beer or wine traps.
Zeuzerinae
Leopard Moths
Zeuzerinae is a subfamily of carpenter moths (Cossidae) commonly known as leopard moths. The group includes approximately 60 genera distributed across tropical and temperate regions worldwide. Many species are known for their striking spotted or patterned wing coloration. Larvae of several genera, including Zeuzera and Polyphagozerra, are significant wood-boring pests that tunnel into living trees and woody plants.