Pathogen-vector
Guides
Cryptococcus fagisuga
beech scale, woolly beech scale
Cryptococcus fagisuga is a felted scale insect and the initiating agent of beech bark disease, a complex disease affecting beech trees (Fagus spp.). Native to Europe, it was introduced to North America around 1890 and has since spread throughout the range of American beech. The insect feeds on phloem sap by inserting stylets into bark tissue, creating wounds that enable secondary infection by pathogenic Neonectria fungi. The combined damage from scale feeding and fungal cankers can girdle and kill trees over several years.
Cycloneda sanguinea
Spotless Lady Beetle, Spotless Ladybug
Cycloneda sanguinea, commonly known as the spotless lady beetle, is a widespread ladybird beetle native to the Americas. It is distinguished by its lack of spots on the elytra, with coloration ranging from orange to deep red. The species is a voracious predator of aphids and other soft-bodied insects, making it valuable for biological control in agricultural systems. Adults and larvae both actively hunt prey, with females using volatile chemical cues to assess patch quality and avoid competitor-rich habitats. Recent research has also identified C. sanguinea as a potential vector for dispersing plant pathogens in soybean fields.
Draeculacephala
Draeculacephala is a genus of sharpshooter leafhoppers (Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae) comprising at least 25 described species distributed throughout the New World. Adults are typically 6–11 mm in length with distinctive triangular heads that project forward to a point. Most species exhibit green coloration, though some are straw-colored. The genus is economically significant due to its association with grasses and cereals, with several species acting as vectors of plant pathogens including Xylella fastidiosa. Draeculacephala robinsoni, recently introduced to Europe, represents an emerging threat to Mediterranean agriculture.
Hylastes
Hylastes is a genus of crenulate bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, comprising over 90 species. Members are primarily associated with coniferous hosts, particularly pines and spruces, where they breed in stumps, roots, and stressed or dying trees. Several species are economically significant as vectors of fungal pathogens causing tree mortality. The genus has a fossil record extending to the Eocene, with Hylastes perkovskyi described from Rovno amber.
Leptoglossus zonatus
leaf-footed bug
Leptoglossus zonatus is a polyphagous leaf-footed bug native to the Americas, ranging from the southwestern United States through Central America to South America. Adults measure approximately 20 mm in length with gray coloration, a zigzagging whitish band across the dorsum, and two distinctive yellowish spots on the anterior pronotum that serve as the primary identifying characteristic. The species has emerged as a significant agricultural pest, particularly in California almonds and Gulf Coast satsuma mandarins, causing direct feeding damage and transmitting plant pathogens. Two genetically distinct strains occur in the Western Hemisphere, with low overall genetic diversity suggesting potential for further range expansion.
Osmia taurus
Taurus Mason Bee
Osmia taurus is a mason bee native to eastern Asia that was accidentally introduced to North America, first recorded in Maryland and West Virginia in 2002. The species has undergone rapid population expansion across the eastern United States, with established populations now confirmed in Canada (Ontario and Quebec). Its spread has been linked to commercial shipments of the intentionally introduced pollinator Osmia cornifrons, with which it is frequently confused. Population growth of O. taurus in the Mid-Atlantic region reached 800% over 15 years, coinciding with documented declines of 76–91% in six native mason bee species.