North-america-native
Guides
Argyresthia thuiella
arborvitae leafminer, thuja mining moth, American thuja shoot moth
Argyresthia thuiella is a micro-moth in the family Argyresthiidae, commonly known as the arborvitae leafminer. Native to North America, it has been introduced to Europe multiple times since 1971. The species develops one generation annually, with larvae mining the foliage and twigs of Thuja and Chamaecyparis species. Adults are active from May to July and have a wingspan of approximately 8 mm.
Bucculatrix ainsliella
Oak Skeletonizer Moth, Oak Leaf Skeletonizer
Bucculatrix ainsliella is a micromoth in the family Bucculatricidae, described by Mary Murtfeldt in 1905. It is native to North America and has been introduced to Europe, with first records from the Netherlands and Belgium in 2011. The species is notable for its distinctive larval feeding behavior on oak leaves, progressing from internal leaf mining to external skeletonization.
Camponotus novaeboracensis
New York carpenter ant
Camponotus novaeboracensis, commonly known as the New York carpenter ant, is a species of large carpenter ant native to North America. It excavates galleries in dead or decaying wood to house colonies, but does not consume wood as a food source. The species is primarily nocturnal and plays a significant role in forest decomposition. Workers vary in size, with major workers reaching approximately 13–17 mm in length. The species is sometimes confused with other large black ants but can be distinguished by morphological features of the thorax and petiole.
Choristoneura rosaceana
oblique-banded leafroller, rosaceous leaf roller, oblique banded leaf roller
Choristoneura rosaceana is a tortricid moth native to North America that has been accidentally introduced to other parts of the world. The species is a generalist herbivore whose larvae feed on a broad range of woody and herbaceous plants, with documented hosts spanning over 30 plant genera in more than 20 families. Caterpillars construct leaf rolls for shelter and feeding, causing damage to foliage and occasionally fruit. Adults are bivoltine in most of their range, with flight periods in early and late summer.
Corythucha ciliata
sycamore lace bug, plane lace bug, Eastern Sycamore Lace Bug
Corythucha ciliata, the sycamore lace bug, is a small sap-sucking insect native to North America that has become a globally invasive pest of plane trees (Platanus spp.). Adults are milky white, 3.2–3.7 mm long, with distinctive lacy, reticulate wings. The species was first detected in Europe in 1964 in Italy and has since spread to over three dozen countries across Europe, Asia, and Oceania. It feeds exclusively on the undersides of leaves, causing chlorotic stippling, premature leaf drop, and tree weakening. In Europe, it has been reported to bite humans and cause dermatological reactions.
Curculio caryae
pecan weevil
Curculio caryae, the pecan weevil, is a specialized nut-feeding weevil native to North America and a major economic pest of pecan (Carya illinoinensis) and hickory (Carya species) production. Adults emerge from soil in August and September, feed on developing nuts, and females use their elongated proboscis to drill through shells and deposit eggs into kernels. Larvae develop inside nuts for approximately 42 days before emerging through clean, round exit holes and burrowing into soil to pupate. The life cycle typically spans two years, though approximately 10% of individuals require three years. The species has been observed to occasionally infest Persian walnut (Juglans regia).
Diabrotica undecimpunctata
spotted cucumber beetle, southern corn rootworm, western cucumber beetle, western spotted cucumber beetle
Diabrotica undecimpunctata is a leaf beetle native to North America and a major agricultural pest. Adults are greenish-yellow with twelve black spots on the elytra. The species exhibits broad polyphagy, feeding on over 200 plant species across approximately 50 families. Three subspecies are recognized, with D. u. howardi (eastern) and D. u. undecimpunctata (western) being the most significant agriculturally. The species vectors bacterial wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila) and Pantoea ananatis, contributing to disease spread in cucurbits and corn.
Epitrix cucumeris
potato flea beetle
Epitrix cucumeris is a small flea beetle native to North America and a major agricultural pest of potatoes. Adults measure 1.5–2 mm and feed on foliage, while larvae may damage tubers. The species has been introduced to Europe, including Portugal, Spain, and the Azores. Identification requires detailed examination due to similarity to congeners.
Hippodamia convergens
Convergent Lady Beetle, Convergent Ladybug
The convergent lady beetle is among the most common lady beetles in North America, recognized by the distinctive white converging lines on its pronotum. It is a voracious predator of aphids and other soft-bodied insects, with both larvae and adults actively hunting prey. The species exhibits complex life history traits including facultative reproductive diapause triggered by food scarcity, mass aggregations for overwintering in western mountain valleys, and long-distance migratory behavior. It is one of the few natural enemies commercially collected from wild aggregations for biological control distribution, though released beetles often disperse rapidly from release sites.
Monelliopsis
yellow pecan aphid
Monelliopsis is a genus of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in the subfamily Calaphidinae, established by Richards in 1965. The genus contains species that are specialized feeders on pecan (Carya illinoinensis), with Monelliopsis pecanis being the most economically significant species. These aphids are known as 'yellow pecan aphids' and are important pests of commercial pecan production in North America. They have piercing-sucking mouthparts and produce honeydew, which supports sooty mold growth. The genus is distinguished from the related Monellia by morphological and behavioral characteristics.
Periphyllus negundinis
Box Elder Aphid
A North American aphid species specialized on box elder trees. Forms dense colonies on leaves and stems, often becoming conspicuous due to honeydew production and associated sooty mold. The species was first described in 1878 and remains a common, well-documented member of the aphid genus Periphyllus.
Ponometia candefacta
Olive-shaded Bird-dropping Moth
Ponometia candefacta, commonly known as the olive-shaded bird-dropping moth, is a small noctuid moth native to North America. It has been deliberately introduced to Russia as a biological control agent for common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia). The species inhabits dry, disturbed, weedy areas at low elevations and is active during summer months.
Prosapia ignipecta
Red-legged Spittlebug, Black Spittlebug
Prosapia ignipecta, commonly known as the red-legged spittlebug or black spittlebug, is a species of froghopper in the family Ischnorhinidae. It is native to North America and is closely related to the economically significant twolined spittlebug (Prosapia bicincta), which has become a destructive invasive pest in Hawaiian pastures. The species belongs to a genus containing several important pasture and turfgrass pests across the Americas.
Tapinoma sessile
odorous house ant, sugar ant, stink ant, coconut ant
Tapinoma sessile is a small, highly adaptable ant native to North America that has become one of the most common household pests in the United States. The species exhibits remarkable plasticity in social structure: forest colonies are small, monogynous, and inhabit single nests, while urban colonies achieve massive supercolony status through extreme polygyny (multiple queens) and polydomy (multiple interconnected nests). Workers produce a distinctive odor when crushed, historically described as coconut-like but chemically confirmed to match blue cheese due to shared methyl ketones. The species spreads primarily through budding rather than independent colony founding, and shows high tolerance to many common insecticides, contributing to its persistence as a pest.
Uroleucon erigeronense
Large fleabane daisy aphid
Uroleucon erigeronense is a species of aphid in the family Aphididae, first described by Thomas in 1878. It feeds primarily on plants in the Asteraceae family, with a particular association with Erigeron (fleabane) species. The species exhibits flexible reproductive strategies: holocyclic in northern climates, producing sexual forms in autumn, and anholocyclic in warmer regions. It shows seasonal host-shifting behavior, moving between overwintering perennial hosts and blooming annuals. Native to North America, it has been introduced to Europe, Australia, and Korea.
Zygogramma suturalis
ragweed leaf beetle
Zygogramma suturalis is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as the ragweed leaf beetle. Native to North America, it has been introduced to Russia (1978) and other parts of Europe and Asia as a biological control agent for common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia). The beetle exhibits strong host specificity, feeding almost exclusively on this plant. Despite establishment in introduced ranges, it has achieved only moderate biological success due to low population densities and limited impact on host plant populations.