Gregarious-larvae
Guides
Trirhabda geminata
Encelia Leaf Beetle
Trirhabda geminata is a skeletonizing leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as the Encelia leaf beetle. It is a specialist herbivore strongly associated with brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) and related Encelia species in the Asteraceae. The beetle is univoltine, with adults emerging in spring to feed, mate, and oviposit on host foliage. Larvae feed gregariously on leaves, passing through three instars before pupating in soil. The species is notable for accumulating hydroxylated anthraquinones (chrysophanol and chrysazin) through apparent de novo biosynthesis, as these compounds are absent from its host plant and retained rather than excreted.
Uresiphita
Uresiphita is a genus of crambid moths comprising approximately six recognized species distributed across North America, New Zealand, Europe, and the Middle East. The genus is notable for larval sequestration of quinolizidine alkaloids from leguminous host plants, a chemical defense mechanism against predators. Several species have expanded their ranges through association with introduced host plants.
Yponomeuta malinellus
Apple Ermine, apple ermine moth
Yponomeuta malinellus, the apple ermine moth, is a small ermine moth native to Europe and Asia that has become established in North America. It is a specialist pest of Malus (apple) species, with larvae that feed gregariously within silken tents and can cause significant defoliation. The species has been extensively studied as a target for classical biological control, with multiple parasitoid species introduced to manage outbreaks.
Yponomeutidae
Ermine Moths
Yponomeutidae, commonly known as ermine moths, is a family of small moths comprising several hundred species with greatest diversity in tropical regions. The family is considered relatively primitive within Lepidoptera and is significant for studies of plant-insect coevolution. Larvae are typically gregarious and construct communal silken webs on host plants. Some species are minor agricultural, forestry, and horticultural pests. Adults of certain species display striking color patterns of white, orange, and black.
Zadiprion townsendi
bull pine sawfly
Zadiprion townsendi, commonly known as the bull pine sawfly, is a species of conifer sawfly in the family Diprionidae (Hymenoptera). The genus Zadiprion is a small group of sawflies whose larvae feed on pine needles. This species is associated with bull pine (Pinus ponderosa), serving as a defoliator of this economically important timber species. Like other diprionid sawflies, Z. townsendi undergoes complete metamorphosis with larval stages that feed gregariously on host foliage.