Oil-palm-pest
Guides
Acharia
Saddleback Caterpillar Moths and Allies
Acharia is a genus of moths in the family Limacodidae, commonly known as saddleback caterpillar moths. The genus is notable for larvae with urticating (stinging) hairs and distinctive saddleback patterning. Some species, particularly Acharia stimulea, are well-known in North America for their painful stings. Other species such as Acharia fusca have become invasive agricultural pests in oil palm plantations.
Leptopharsa
lace bugs
Leptopharsa is a genus of lace bugs in the family Tingidae containing more than 120 described species. Species within this genus are associated with diverse host plants, including palms and rubber trees, and several are economically significant agricultural pests. Leptopharsa gibbicarina is a major pest of oil palm in Colombia and Venezuela, vectoring the Pestalotiopsis fungal complex that causes leaf spot disease. Leptopharsa heveae is a principal pest of rubber tree plantations in Brazil, where it can reduce latex productivity by up to 30%.
Megaselia rufipes
coffin fly
Megaselia rufipes, commonly known as the coffin fly, is a phorid scuttle fly species first described by Meigen in 1804. It has been recorded as a facultative parasitoid of honey bees (Apis mellifera) and as a pest of oil palm seeds. The species has a broad distribution spanning the Palearctic and Neotropical regions, with records from Europe, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and the Azores. Its common name derives from its documented presence in cemetery crypts, where it has been collected using carrion-baited traps.
Phobetron
hag moth, monkey slug
Phobetron is a genus of slug caterpillar moths in the family Limacodidae, containing at least four described species distributed across North, Central, and South America. The genus is notable for its distinctive caterpillars, commonly called "monkey slugs" or "hag moths," which possess stinging urticating spines concealed beneath a cloak of hair-like setae. These caterpillars are polyphagous and feed on a wide range of woody and herbaceous plants. The genus includes the well-known species Phobetron pithecium, whose caterpillar is frequently encountered in eastern North America.