Grapevine
Guides
Altica torquata
steel-blue grapevine flea beetle, Purple-collared Flea Beetle
Altica torquata is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is commonly known as the steel-blue grapevine flea beetle or the purple-collared flea beetle. The species has been recorded from Central America, North America, and Oceania. As a member of the genus Altica, it possesses the enlarged hind femora characteristic of flea beetles that enable their distinctive jumping ability.
Aspilanta oinophylla
Aspilanta oinophylla is a minute leafmining moth in the family Heliozelidae, native to eastern North America and introduced to Italy where it has become a pest of commercial vineyards. It is the type species of the genus Aspilanta, erected in 2020 for Nearctic heliozelids with reduced wing venation previously placed in Antispila. The larvae feed as leaf miners on Vitaceae, particularly grapevines, and cut characteristic shield-shaped pupal cases from their host leaves.
Erasmoneura vulnerata
Wounded Leafhopper
Erasmoneura vulnerata is a small leafhopper native to North America that has become an invasive pest in European vineyards since its first detection in Italy in 2004. Adults measure 2.7–3.2 mm in length and exhibit seasonal color dimorphism. The species completes 2–3 generations per year, with nymphal development taking 16–20 days. Feeding on grapevine mesophyll causes characteristic pale speckled lesions, leaf curling, and premature defoliation. In its invaded range, it poses significant economic threat to viticulture, particularly in organic vineyards where natural insecticides show limited efficacy.
Erythroneura vitifex
Vine Leafhopper
Erythroneura vitifex is a small leafhopper species in the family Cicadellidae, commonly known as the Vine Leafhopper. It belongs to the diverse genus Erythroneura, which includes numerous species associated with grapevines and other plants. Like other members of its genus, it feeds on plant sap using piercing-sucking mouthparts. The species was described by Fitch in 1856 and is documented from several central and eastern U.S. states.
Givira ethela
Givira ethela is a carpenter moth (Cossidae: Hypoptinae) native to southwestern North America. It has been recorded from Arizona, California, and Nevada. Since at least the early 2000s, it has been recognized as a pest of mature grapevines (Vitis vinifera) in California's San Joaquin Valley, where larvae bore into the cambium layer of trunks and cordons. The species was originally described as Hypopta ethela in 1893.
Gnamptopelta
Gnamptopelta is a monotypic genus of ichneumonid wasps containing the single species G. obsidianator. The genus is distinguished by a uniquely concave clypeus, reflected in its etymology from Greek roots meaning 'bent shield.' These are large, predominantly black wasps found across eastern North America, where they function as specialist parasitoids of sphinx moth caterpillars feeding on grapevines.
Jikradia olitoria olitoria
Jikradia olitoria olitoria is a leafhopper subspecies in the family Cicadellidae. It has been identified as a potential vector of phytoplasmas causing North American Grapevine Yellows (NAGY), specifically transmitting the NAGYIIIβ strain of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni'-related phytoplasma in artificial feeding assays. The subspecies exhibits seasonal movement from woodland vegetation into vineyard edges.
Lasioptera vitis
Grapevine Tomato Gall Fly
Lasioptera vitis is a species of gall midge in the family Cecidomyiidae, commonly known as the Grapevine Tomato Gall Fly. The species is associated with grapevines (Vitis spp.), as indicated by its specific epithet. Like other members of the genus Lasioptera, it likely induces gall formation on host plants, though specific details about the morphology of its galls remain poorly documented in accessible literature.
Metachroma viticola
Metachroma viticola is a small leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, measuring 4.0–5.8 mm in length. The species was described by Linell in 1898 and is named for its association with grapevines. It is known from the Gulf Coast region of the United States and Mexico.
Phyllocnistis
Phyllocnistis is a genus of microlepidopteran moths in the family Gracillariidae, containing approximately 126 described species as of 2012. The genus is notable for its highly specialized larval biology: early instars are sap-feeding leaf miners that create distinctive serpentine subepidermal mines with median frass trails, while the fourth instar is a non-feeding, apodal stage specialized for cocoon construction. Adults are minute moths with wingspans generally under 5 mm, characterized by reduced compound eyes, vestigial maxillary palpi, and lanceolate white wings marked with yellow to orange striae.
Scaphoideus nigrellus
Scaphoideus nigrellus is a synonym of Scaphoideus titanus, the American grapevine leafhopper. The species was described by DeLong and Mohr in 1936 but is now considered a junior synonym. The valid name S. titanus is a significant agricultural pest in European vineyards, where it vectors the phytoplasma causing Flavescence dorée disease. In its native North American range, it feeds on wild grapevines and is rarely noticed.
Scaphoideus titanus
American grapevine leafhopper
Scaphoideus titanus is a leafhopper native to North America that has become a major agricultural pest in Europe. Introduced accidentally around 150 years ago, likely via American rootstock material, it now acts as the primary vector of the grapevine phytoplasma disease Flavescence dorée (FD). The species exhibits unique vibrational communication for mating, with males producing substrate-borne signals detected by females. This trait has been exploited for developing mating disruption control methods. In Europe, the species is monophagous on cultivated grapevines, whereas in North America it feeds on various Vitaceae including wild grapevines.
Spissistilus
Three-cornered alfalfa hopper (for S. festinus)
Spissistilus is a genus of treehoppers (family Membracidae) native to North and Central America and the West Indies. The genus was erected by John S. Caldwell in 1949, with Membracis festina (now Spissistilus festinus) as the type species. The genus contains eight recognized species, with S. festinus being the most economically significant due to its status as a major agricultural pest.
Vitacea admirandus
Vitacea admirandus is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae, first described by Edwards in 1882. As a member of the genus Vitacea, it belongs to a group of moths whose larvae are specialized borers in woody plants, particularly grapevines (Vitis spp.). The genus is notable for containing economically significant pests of cultivated grapes in North America. Adults are diurnal and wasp-like in appearance, a common mimicry strategy in this family.