Prunus
Guides
Anacampsis innocuella
dark-headed aspen leafroller moth
Anacampsis innocuella is a gelechiid moth described by Zeller in 1873. The species is known for its larval behavior of rolling leaves on host plants in the genera Populus, Salix, and Prunus. Adults are small moths with distinctive ash grey coloration and a pale wavy transverse line on the forewings. The common name "dark-headed aspen leafroller moth" reflects both its appearance and its association with aspen (Populus).
Anarsia lineatella
Peach twig borer, Almond fruit moth
Anarsia lineatella, commonly known as the peach twig borer, is a gelechiid moth native to Europe that was introduced to California in the 1880s and has since spread to other regions. It is a significant agricultural pest of stone fruits, particularly peach, almond, plum, and apricot. The species exhibits multivoltine life cycles with two to three generations per year in most regions, with development rates varying by climate. Adults are small moths with a wingspan of 11–14 mm. The species overwinters as second or third instar larvae within buds and bark cracks, with diapause termination synchronized by winter chilling.
Archips cerasivorana
ugly-nest caterpillar moth
Archips cerasivorana, commonly known as the ugly-nest caterpillar moth, is a tortricid moth species distributed across North America from Alaska to North Carolina. The species is notable for its highly social larval behavior: caterpillars construct large communal silk nests by tying host plant leaves together, and they communicate through trail-following pheromones released from their spinnerets. Adults display distinctive orange forewings with silvery bars and a wingspan of 20–25 mm. The species has one generation per year, with adults active from July to September.
Bondia comonana
prune limb borer
Bondia comonana, known as the prune limb borer, is a small moth in the family Carposinidae. It was described by William D. Kearfott in 1907. The species occurs across western and northern North America, from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic. Its larvae are known to bore into the limbs of Prunus and Quercus species.
Brachycaudus
Short-tailed Aphids
Brachycaudus is a genus of aphids in the family Aphididae, commonly known as short-tailed aphids. The genus contains approximately 43 species distributed worldwide, including significant agricultural pests such as B. helichrysi (peach leaf curl aphid) and B. rumexicolens. Species in this genus exhibit remarkable evolutionary lability in life cycle strategies, with transitions occurring between monoecy on woody hosts, heteroecy (host alternation), and monoecy on herbaceous plants. This flexibility contradicts the traditional assumption that aphids cannot regain primary woody hosts once lost.
Caloptilia serotinella
Cherry Leafroller Moth
A small moth in the family Gracillariidae known for its distinctive leaf-rolling larval behavior. The caterpillar constructs leaf rolls on cherry and related host plants by spinning silk strands between opposing leaf surfaces, generating collective force exceeding 0.1 N to draw leaves into tight cylinders. Adults are attracted to ultraviolet light and have been documented at moth-lighting events in North America.
Coccotorus pruniphilus
Coccotorus pruniphilus is a species of true weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae. It is endemic to Texas in the United States. The species was described by Chittenden in 1925. Its larvae feed on the seeds of Prunus minutiflora, a wild plum species.
Coleophora laticornella
pecan cigar casebearer
Coleophora laticornella, commonly known as the pecan cigar casebearer, is a case-bearing moth in the family Coleophoridae. It is native to North America and has been documented in 263 iNaturalist observations. The species is notable for its economic significance as a pest of pecan and other nut trees.
Colladonus
Colladonus is a genus of leafhoppers in the family Cicadellidae, established by Ball in 1936. Species in this genus are native to North America and are economically significant as vectors of X-disease phytoplasma (Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni), which affects stone fruit crops including cherries, peaches, and nectarines. The genus includes notable species such as Colladonus clitellarius (saddled leafhopper) and C. montanus, both documented as important disease vectors.
Contarinia virginianiae
chokecherry midge, chokecherry gall midge
Contarinia virginianiae is a gall midge species in the family Cecidomyiidae that induces galls on chokecherry (Prunus virginiana). The larvae feed on developing fruit, causing enlargement and hollowing of the fruit into a pear-shaped gall. The species was described by Felt in 1906 and occurs in northern North America where its host plant is native.
Edwardsiana prunicola
Prune Leafhopper
Edwardsiana prunicola is a leafhopper species in the family Cicadellidae, subfamily Typhlocybinae. It is commonly known as the Prune Leafhopper, reflecting its association with Prunus host plants. The species was described by Edwards in 1914 and is distributed across parts of Europe, western North America, and other regions. As a member of the Typhlocybinae, it is likely a phloem-feeding insect, though specific biological details remain poorly documented in the accessible literature.
Furcula borealis
White Furcula Moth
Furcula borealis, commonly known as the white furcula moth, is a North American notodontid moth with a wingspan of 31–42 mm. Adults are active from April to August across a broad range extending from New Hampshire to Florida and westward to Texas, Colorado, and South Dakota. The larvae feed on woody plants including cherry, willow, and poplar species.
Hyalopterus
Mealy Plum-Reed Aphids
Hyalopterus is a genus of aphids in the family Aphididae, commonly known as mealy plum-reed aphids. Species in this genus are cosmopolitan pests of stone fruit trees in the genus Prunus, causing damage through direct feeding and virus transmission. The genus has undergone recent taxonomic revision, with molecular and morphometric analyses supporting at least three distinct species: H. pruni, H. amygdali, and H. persikonus (the latter described in 2006). Species boundaries are strongly correlated with host-plant associations.
Malacosoma incurva
Southwestern Tent Caterpillar Moth
Malacosoma incurva is a tent caterpillar moth native to the southwestern United States. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 27 mm. The larvae construct silken tents and feed on specific host plants including Fremont cottonwood, willows, and Prunus species. The species was first described by Henry Edwards in 1882 and is distinguished from related eastern and western tent caterpillars by its restricted geographic range.
Phloeotribus
Phloeotribus is a genus of crenulate bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, comprising at least 150 described species. Species within this genus exhibit diverse host associations, with some specializing on olive (Olea europaea), others on stone fruits (Prunus spp.), and some on broom (Cytisus scoparius). The genus includes economically significant pests such as Phloeotribus scarabaeoides, which damages olive trees through feeding and breeding gallery construction. Reproductive systems vary among species, with both monogynous and bigynous mating systems documented.
Phloeotribus liminaris
Peach Bark Beetle
Phloeotribus liminaris, commonly known as the peach bark beetle, is a bark beetle species in the family Curculionidae. It has been documented colonizing black cherry trees (Prunus serotina) through chemically-mediated host location. The species is found in North America.
Phorodon humuli
hop aphid, damson-hop aphid
Phorodon humuli is an aphid species and the primary pest of cultivated hops (Humulus lupulus). It exhibits a heteroecious life cycle, alternating between Prunus species as winter primary hosts and hop plants as summer secondary hosts. The species causes direct damage through phloem feeding and can reduce hop yields substantially. Populations show cultivar-specific susceptibility patterns and have developed insecticide resistance in agricultural settings.
Setabara
Setabara is a genus of sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae, subfamily Heterarthrinae. The genus contains leaf-mining species, with Setabara histrionica being the best-studied member. Larvae feed internally within leaves of Prunus species, creating distinctive mines. The genus was established by Ross in 1951.
Setabara histrionica
Setabara histrionica is a North American leaf-mining sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. First described by MacGillivray in 1909, this species was previously known only from adult collections until its immature stages and host plant association were described in 2022. The species creates internal leaf mines in bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata) and exhibits specific oviposition site preferences on lower foliage.
Sphinx drupiferarum
wild cherry sphinx
Sphinx drupiferarum, the wild cherry sphinx, is a moth in the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. It is found across temperate North America from the United States to southern Canada. The wingspan ranges from 75–115 mm. The larvae feed on several woody plant genera including Prunus, Malus, and Celtis.
Sterictiphora
Sterictiphora is a Holarctic genus of sawflies in the family Argidae. The genus contains approximately 20 described species distributed across the northern temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. Larvae of at least some species produce distinctive zigzag feeding patterns on host leaves. The genus is distinguished from the superficially similar Aproceros (which feeds on Ulmus) by host association with Prunus species.
Sterictiphora cruenta
Sterictiphora cruenta is a species of sawfly in the family Argidae. Larvae feed on Prunus hosts and produce distinctive zigzag feeding patterns on leaves. The species is one of few sawflies known to create this characteristic damage pattern.
Sterictiphora serotina
Sterictiphora serotina is a sawfly species in the family Argidae. Larvae feed on Prunus species, including black cherry (Prunus serotina), and produce distinctive zigzag feeding damage on leaf margins. The species is native to North America and has been documented in association with deciduous forest habitats.
Stigmella braunella
Catalina Cherry Leaf Miner
Stigmella braunella is a micro-moth in the family Nepticulidae, endemic to California. First described by W.W. Jones in 1933, this species has a wingspan of 5.4–6.6 mm and completes two generations per year. The larvae are leaf miners on Prunus ilicifolia (Catalina cherry), feeding within the leaves of this host plant.
Tetranychinae
Tetranychinae is a subfamily of spider mites (Tetranychidae) containing economically significant agricultural and ornamental crop pests. The subfamily includes the genera Tetranychus, Eutetranychus, Oligonychus, Panonychus, Amphitetranychus, Schizotetranychus, Aponychus, Paraponychus, and Stylophoronychus. Species within this subfamily are phytophagous and pose serious threats to crop yield and quality. Identification relies primarily on morphological examination of adult male genitalia, though molecular and biochemical methods are increasingly employed for accurate species discrimination.
spider-mitesagricultural-pestsphytophagous-mitescrop-pestsinvasive-speciesacarologyintegrated-pest-managementmolecular-identificationDNA-barcodingTurkeyRussiaPaleotropicalNeotropicalNorth-AmericaMalusPrunusQuercusPiceaAbiesrosaceous-plantsconiferous-plantsmonocotyledonsdicotyledonsacaricide-resistancequarantine-pestsdiapausemale-genitaliaaedeagusPCR-RFLPreal-time-PCRLAMPMALDI-TOF-MSallozyme-analysisspecies-discriminationreproductive-isolationTetranychusEutetranychusOligonychusPanonychusAmphitetranychusSchizotetranychusAponychusParaponychusStylophoronychusEotetranychusBryobiaProstigmataAcariArachnidaArthropodaAnimaliaXylesthia pruniramiella
Clemens' Bark Moth
Xylesthia pruniramiella, known as Clemens' bark moth, is a small moth in the family Tineidae. It is found in eastern and central North America. The larvae feed on woody growths on plum tree branches. Adults are active year-round with peak activity from February to December.