Olfactory-mediated-behavior
Guides
Orchestes steppensis
European Elm Flea Weevil, Elm Flea Weevil
Orchestes steppensis is a small flea-weevil (2.6–3.2 mm) native to the Eastern Palaearctic Steppe region and now invasive in North America. It is a serious pest of elm trees (Ulmus spp.), with adults feeding on leaves and larvae mining leaf tissue. The species was previously misidentified as O. alni or O. mutabilis in China. It completes one generation per year in Xinjiang, China, with overwintering adults emerging in late March to early April. The species exhibits strong olfactory-mediated host location, with documented preferences for specific plant volatiles.