Helianthus
Guides
Acmaeodera navajo
A small buprestid beetle species described in 1995 from the southwestern United States. Adults are flower visitors, specifically documented on Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia (gooseberryleaf globemallow) and Helianthus anomalus (anomalous sunflower) in pinyon-juniper woodland habitats. The species occurs in northern Arizona and southern Utah, where it has been collected alongside congeners A. pubiventris lanata and A. immaculata.
Acmaeodera pubiventris lanata
Acmaeodera pubiventris lanata is a subspecies of jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae, native to the southwestern United States. Adults are flower visitors, particularly associated with Sphaeralcea (globemallow) and Helianthus (sunflower) species. The subspecies occurs in pinyon-juniper woodland and associated habitats across Arizona, Utah, and adjacent regions. It is one of several Acmaeodera taxa frequently encountered by collectors in the Colorado Plateau region during summer months.
Agrilus huachucae
Agrilus huachucae is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, first described by Schaeffer in 1905. The species has been documented in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona, where it occurs in association with Helianthus (sunflower) vegetation. It is part of the hyperdiverse genus Agrilus, which contains hundreds of species worldwide, many with specialized host plant relationships.
Asphondylia helianthiflorae
Asphondylia helianthiflorae is a gall midge species in the family Cecidomyiidae, first described by Felt in 1908. Like other members of its genus, this species induces galls on host plants. The specific epithet "helianthiflorae" indicates an association with sunflower (Helianthus) flowers. The genus Asphondylia is known for inducing galls on diverse plant parts including flowers, fruits, and leaves across various host species.
Asphondylia helianthiglobulus
Sunflower Purse Gall Midge
Asphondylia helianthiglobulus is a gall midge species in the family Cecidomyiidae. Its larvae induce distinctive globular stem galls on several sunflower species in eastern North America. The specific epithet "helianthiglobulus" references both its host genus Helianthus and the rounded shape of the galls it produces. This species exemplifies the intimate plant-insect relationships characteristic of gall midges, where larval development occurs entirely within plant tissue.
Baris strenua
Sunflower root weevil
Baris strenua is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae, first described by Champion in 1909. It is commonly known as the sunflower root weevil and is recognized as a pest of cultivated sunflowers in North America. The species is native to North America with confirmed records from Manitoba, Canada. Adults feed on sunflower foliage, causing minor damage, while larvae develop on roots and can cause significant wilting and lodging of plants. Despite its potential as a pest, economic thresholds for insecticide application have not been established, and control measures are generally not warranted.
Bucculatrix simulans
Bucculatrix simulans is a small ribbed cocoon-making moth in the family Bucculatricidae, described by Annette Frances Braun in 1963. It occurs in central North America from Texas northward to Iowa and east to Ohio. Adults are active primarily from January through July, with a wingspan of 9.5–10 mm. The larvae are known to feed on Helianthus (sunflower) species and create distinctive stem galls.
Cochylichroa hospes
Banded Sunflower Moth
A small tortricid moth native to North America, the banded sunflower moth is a significant pest of cultivated sunflowers. Adults are active in mid-summer and are attracted to sunflower heads at twilight for egg-laying. The species was transferred from the genus Cochylis to the redefined genus Cochylichroa in 2019 based on phylogenetic analysis.
Cylindrocopturus longulus group
The Cylindrocopturus longulus group represents a species complex within the weevil genus Cylindrocopturus, closely related to C. adspersus (Sunflower Stem Weevil). Members of this group are stem-boring weevils associated with sunflowers (Helianthus spp.). The group designation indicates taxonomic uncertainty, with specimens potentially representing an undescribed species. Like other Cylindrocopturus species, these weevils likely complete their life cycle within sunflower stems, with larvae boring downward through pith tissue.
Dichomeris vindex
Dichomeris vindex is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Ronald W. Hodges in 1986. It is found across eastern North America from Manitoba to New Brunswick, south to Florida, and west to Louisiana and Oklahoma. The larvae feed specifically on Helianthus hirsutus, a species of sunflower.
Fallapion occidentale
Black Sunflower Stem Weevil
Fallapion occidentale, commonly known as the black sunflower stem weevil, is a small weevil in the family Brentidae (primitive weevils) that feeds on sunflower plants (Helianthus spp.). Adults are black and approximately 3 mm in length. The species develops internally within sunflower stems and leaf petioles, with larvae feeding on pith tissue. It has been documented in association with the sunflower stem weevil (Cylindrocopturus adspersus) in Texas, though it causes minimal economic damage compared to other sunflower pests. Pupation occurs within the plant, with adults emerging in late summer.
Gymnocarena diffusa
Sunflower Receptacle Maggot
Gymnocarena diffusa is a tephritid fruit fly that develops exclusively on sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Adults are pale with patterned wings and feed on extrafloral nectaries. Females lay eggs between bract layers on sunflower heads, and larvae bore into the head to feed on developing tissues. The species is known from North Dakota and has been observed in Canada and the United States. It completes one generation per year, with larvae overwintering in soil after exiting the sunflower head.
Liriomyza helianthi
Liriomyza helianthi is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Spencer in 1981. The species is a specialist herbivore whose larvae feed internally on leaf tissue, creating characteristic mines. Research has demonstrated strong female oviposition preference for its normal host Helianthus annuus (sunflower) compared to novel host plants, with larval performance generally correlating with this preference pattern. The species has potential significance as a pest of cultivated sunflower and related Asteraceae crops.
Olpodiplosis helianthi
Olpodiplosis helianthi is a species of gall midge in the family Cecidomyiidae, described by Brodie in 1894. The specific epithet 'helianthi' indicates an association with sunflower (Helianthus). As a member of Cecidomyiidae, this species is likely involved in gall formation on host plants, though detailed biological studies appear limited in the available literature.
Papaipema rigida
rigid sunflower borer, Joe-Pye Weed and Rigid Sunflower Borer Moth
Papaipema rigida is a noctuid moth commonly known as the rigid sunflower borer. The species is native to North America and is one of approximately 50 species in the genus Papaipema, a group of borers specialized on herbaceous plants. The common name references its association with rigid sunflower (Helianthus rigida) and related composite plants. The species was described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1877.
Pilodiplosis helianthibulla
Sawtooth Sunflower Midge
Pilodiplosis helianthibulla is a gall midge in the family Cecidomyiidae that induces distinctive galls on sunflowers (Helianthus spp.). The species was described by Walsh in 1866 and is widely distributed across North America where its host plants occur. Larvae develop within stem or leaf galls, with adults emerging to mate and oviposit on new host tissue. The common name "Sawtooth Sunflower Midge" reflects its association with Helianthus grosseserratus and related species.
Plagiomimicus spumosum
Frothy Moth
Plagiomimicus spumosum, commonly known as the frothy moth, is a noctuid moth described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1874. It has a transcontinental distribution across North America, from southern Canada to the United States. The species is univoltine, with adults active in mid-summer. Larvae are seed-feeding specialists on sunflower (Helianthus annuus), burrowing into the flower heads to consume developing seeds.
Publilia modesta
Publilia modesta is a Nearctic treehopper species in the family Membracidae, tribe Polyglyptini. It is strongly associated with sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) and engages in well-documented mutualistic relationships with ants, which tend aggregations of nymphs and adults for honeydew. The species has been recorded from multiple ant species, with some evidence suggesting ant diversity rivaling that of Neotropical treehopper systems. It is one of the most frequently studied treehoppers in North America due to its accessibility and pronounced ant associations.
Smicronyx
seed weevils, sunflower seed weevils
Smicronyx is a large genus of true weevils (Curculionidae) containing over 220 described species distributed worldwide. Many species are specialized seed feeders, with several economically important members attacking cultivated sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) in North America. The genus includes gall-forming species and potential biological control agents for parasitic and invasive weeds. Larval development typically occurs within seeds or plant galls, with adults emerging to feed on pollen, buds, or foliage.
Suleima
Suleima is a genus of tortricid moths in the subfamily Olethreutinae, established by Heinrich in 1923. The genus contains seven described species distributed in North America. Suleima helianthana, commonly known as the sunflower bud moth, is the best-known species due to its association with cultivated sunflowers and, more recently, sunchoke. Most species remain poorly studied with limited ecological data available.
Suleima baracana
baracana moth
Suleima baracana is a tortricid moth whose larvae bore into stems of the Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Adults are small, cryptically colored moths that resemble bird droppings—specifically goldfinch waste—providing effective camouflage when resting on upper leaf surfaces. The species has been documented in Alberta, Canada, and is part of a guild of sunflower-specialist tortricid moths that exploit cultivated and native sunflowers.
Trupanea bisetosa
fruit fly
Trupanea bisetosa is a tephritid fruit fly whose larvae develop within sunflower heads. The species was originally described as Urellia bisetosa by Coquillett in 1899. It has been documented in southern California and Mexico, with confirmed host associations to wild sunflower (Helianthus spp.).