Portulaca
Guides
Hypurus bertrandi
Portulaca leafmining weevil
Hypurus bertrandi is a small weevil in the family Curculionidae, commonly known as the Portulaca leafmining weevil. The species is native to the Palearctic region but has been introduced to North America and Hawaii. It is associated with plants in the genus Portulaca, where larvae create distinctive leaf mines. The species has been documented in iNaturalist with over 90 observations, indicating established populations in introduced ranges.
Schizocerella pilicornis
purslane sawfly, portulaca sawfly
Schizocerella pilicornis is a sawfly in the family Argidae whose larvae are internal leaf miners of Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea). The species was described in 1868 and is notable as the only Argidae species worldwide with endophagous larvae. Adults are small wasp-like insects with distinctive sexual dimorphism: males possess forked terminal antennal segments, while females have characteristic black markings on the thorax. The species may be adventive in North America, with its native range possibly centered in South America.