Platanus
Guides
Bidigitus platani
western sycamore sawfly
Bidigitus platani is a sawfly species in the family Tenthredinidae, commonly known as the western sycamore sawfly. The species name indicates an association with sycamore trees (Platanus species), particularly western sycamore (Platanus racemosa). As a member of the sawfly suborder Symphyta, adults are wasp-like in appearance but lack the constricted waist characteristic of many other Hymenoptera. Larvae are herbivorous and feed on host plant foliage.
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.
Ectoedemia platanella
sycamore leaf blotch miner
Ectoedemia platanella is a minute moth in the family Nepticulidae, commonly known as the sycamore leaf blotch miner. It is restricted to the eastern United States, where its larvae create distinctive blotch mines in leaves of Platanus species. The species is highly host-specific and represents one of many specialized leaf-mining moths in this diverse family.
Stomacoccus platani
Sycamore Scale
Stomacoccus platani is a scale insect in the family Margarodidae, commonly known as the sycamore scale. It is a specialist herbivore found on sycamore trees (Platanus species), particularly the American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). The species was described by Ferris in 1917 and is native to North America. As a member of the Sternorrhyncha, it feeds on plant phloem sap using piercing-sucking mouthparts.