Myrtaceae
Guides
Aphalaroidinae
Aphalaroidinae is a subfamily of psyllids within the family Psyllidae. These are small sap-feeding insects commonly known as jumping plant lice. The subfamily is distinguished by particular wing venation patterns and genitalic structures that separate it from other psyllid subfamilies. Members are associated with various host plants, though specific associations remain incompletely documented for many taxa.
Chilocampyla
Chilocampyla is a genus of minute moths in the family Gracillariidae, first described by August Busck in 1900. The genus contains two described species: Chilocampyla dyariella (1900) and Chilocampyla psidiella (1934). As members of Gracillariidae, these moths likely possess the family characteristic of larval leaf-mining behavior, though specific biology for Chilocampyla species remains poorly documented. The genus is classified within the subfamily Acrocercopinae.
Cyclophora myrtaria
Wax Myrtle Wave, waxmyrtle wave moth
Cyclophora myrtaria, commonly known as the Wax Myrtle Wave, is a small geometrid moth native to North America. Adults have a wingspan of 24–27 mm. The species is found along the Atlantic coastal plain, where its larvae feed on Myrtaceae species. As a member of the Geometridae family, its caterpillars likely exhibit the reduced proleg count characteristic of inchworms.
Greenidea psidii
Greenidea psidii is a species of aphid in the family Aphididae, subfamily Greenideinae. It was described by van der Goot in 1917 and has been recorded in Brazil, Hawaii, and the continental United States. The species is associated with host plants in the genus Psidium, particularly Psidium guajava (guava) and Psidium cattleianum (strawberry guava). It has been recently detected as a non-native species in new geographic regions, raising interest in its potential as an emerging pest.
Hylaeus euxanthus
Yellow-collared Masked Bee
A small, nearly hairless bee in the family Colletidae, native to Australia and introduced to Argentina. First described by Cockerell in 1910, it was originally named Prosopis xanthopoda but renamed due to preoccupation. It belongs to the subgenus Gnathoprosopis and exhibits typical masked bee characteristics including reduced pilosity and internal pollen transport.
Katacephala grandiceps
Katacephala grandiceps is a species of jumping plant louse (psyllid) in the family Liviidae, subfamily Diaphorininae. First described by Crawford in 1914, it serves as the type species for the genus Katacephala. The genus comprises six species distributed in the Neotropics, all associated with host plants in the family Myrtaceae.
Osbornia
myrtle mangrove
Osbornia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae). It contains a single species, Osbornia octodonta, commonly known as the myrtle mangrove. The genus was established in 1862 by Ferdinand von Mueller based on specimens collected in Trinity Bay, Queensland. Osbornia is restricted to coastal mangrove habitats of Southeast Asia and northern Australia.
Paropsisterna
leaf beetles, eucalyptus leaf beetles
Paropsisterna is a genus of chrysomelid leaf beetles containing over 120 species native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. Many species exhibit bright aposematic coloration and feed on Myrtaceae, particularly Eucalyptus. Several species have become invasive pests in New Zealand and Europe, causing significant defoliation of eucalypt plantations and ornamental trees. The genus was redefined in 2006 to include species formerly placed in Chrysophtharta and other genera.
Stephomyia
Stephomyia is a genus of gall midges in the family Cecidomyiidae, established by Tavares in 1916. The genus comprises seven described species distributed in the Neotropical region, with six species from South America and one (S. eugeniae) from North America. All species are gall-formers that induce plant galls on Myrtaceae hosts. A cladistic analysis based on morphological characters and host plant data supports the monophyly of the genus.
Stephomyia eugeniae
Stephomyia eugeniae is a Neotropical gall midge in the family Cecidomyiidae. The species is known from male, female, and pupa stages and induces galls on Eugenia species (Myrtaceae). Phylogenetic analysis places it in a clade with S. epeugeniae, sister to a group containing S. tetralobae, S. rotundifoliorum, and S. espiralis.
Thynnidae
thynnid wasps, flower wasps, thynnid flower wasps
Thynnidae is a family of solitary wasps formerly classified within Tiphiidae but now recognized as a distinct lineage based on molecular and morphological studies. Adults feed on nectar and function as minor pollinators, with some species involved in specialized pollination systems including orchid sexual deception. Larvae are parasitoids, primarily attacking scarab beetle larvae (Scarabaeoidea), though some species parasitize tiger beetle larvae (Cicindelinae) and other hosts including bees and ants. The family exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism: in many subfamilies, females are wingless and fossorial while males are winged and aerial.
Thyrinteina arnobia
eucalyptus brown looper, brown looper caterpillar
Thyrinteina arnobia is a geometrid moth native to the Americas and a major pest of Eucalyptus plantations in Brazil. The species occurs throughout South America and parts of Central and North America, where it feeds primarily on Myrtaceae, with Eucalyptus serving as a vulnerable host in commercial plantations. Larval infestations can reduce annual Eucalyptus biomass production by up to 40%, making it the primary defoliator of subtropical and tropical Brazilian eucalyptus farms. Population genetic studies indicate low genetic diversity in Brazil with three regional mitochondrial haplogroups, suggesting outbreaks arise from local populations rather than long-distance dispersal.