Fraxinus-specialist
Guides
Aceria fraxiniflora
ash flower gall mite
Aceria fraxiniflora is a North American gall mite that produces distinctive galls on ash trees, particularly on male flowers. Native to North America, it was first recorded in Europe in southeast Hungary in 2017 and has since spread rapidly across eight Central-Eastern European countries by 2023. The mite appears to be a strict specialist on North American ash species, with no records from native European ashes. Its rapid spread on invasive green ash has raised interest in its potential as a biocontrol agent, though its real impact on host fitness remains unquantified.
Ceratomia sonorensis
Sonoran sphinx
Ceratomia sonorensis, known as the Sonoran sphinx, is a hawkmoth in the family Sphingidae. The species inhabits high-elevation Madrean woodland in Sonora, Mexico and southeastern Arizona. Adults are active during summer months, with larvae feeding on Fraxinus (ash) species. The species was described by Ronald Hodges in 1971.