Mistletoe
Guides
Agrilus turnbowi
mistletoe buprestid
Agrilus turnbowi is a small metallic wood-boring beetle described from southern Texas in 1990. It is notable as the first buprestid species documented to develop in mistletoe, specifically within dead stems of Phoradendron tomentosum parasitizing mesquite. The species exhibits purplish-red coloration with complex patterns of golden setae on the elytra, traits shared with related Mexican species A. andersoni and A. howdenorum that also associate with mistletoe hosts.
Bakerella
Bakerella is a genus of sixteen mistletoe species native to Madagascar and the Mascarenes. These hemiparasitic plants grow on host trees and produce showy flowers. They serve as an important food source for lemurs in parts of Madagascar. Research on Bakerella gonoclada demonstrates that lemur gut passage significantly enhances seed germination success, speed, and seedling survival compared to hand-removed seeds, indicating a mutualistic relationship between the plant and its lemur dispersers.
Boloria andersoni
Agrilus andersoni is a jewel beetle species in the family Buprestidae, described by Henry Hespenheide in 2008 from specimens collected in Guerrero and Puebla, Mexico. It is one of two new species associated with mistletoe plants in the genus Phoradendron, representing an unusual host relationship within the enormous genus Agrilus. The species is closely related to A. turnbowi from Texas and A. howdenorum from Oaxaca, sharing distinctive purplish-red coloration and complex golden setal patterns on the elytra.
Carmenta tecta
mistletoe stem borer
Carmenta tecta is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae, described by Henry Edwards in 1882. It is commonly known as the mistletoe stem borer due to its larval association with mistletoe plants. The species is documented from the southwestern United States, particularly Arizona. Its biology is closely tied to oak-mistletoe ecosystems.