Rhamnaceae
Guides
Aristotelia adceanotha
Aristotelia adceanotha is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Keifer in 1935. It is native to western North America, with confirmed records from California and Washington. The species has a wingspan of 11–12 mm and exhibits distinctive wing patterning with orange-roseate, dark fuscous brown, and white markings. Larvae are specialized feeders on Ceanothus cuneatus, a native shrub in the buckthorn family.
Carposina
Carposina is a genus of small moths in the family Carposinidae, containing approximately 100 described species distributed across multiple continents. The genus includes significant agricultural pests, notably Carposina sasakii (peach fruit moth), whose larvae bore into fruits of Rosaceae and Rhamnaceae. Species exhibit internal fruit-feeding habits as larvae and complete metamorphosis with documented digestive tract reconstruction during pupation to accommodate dietary shifts from solid to liquid food.
Numia terebintharia
A Neotropical geometrid moth in the subfamily Ennominae, first recorded in Brazil from the Caatinga region in 2021. Adults are small green moths with approximately 2.5 cm wingspan; females possess an apical spot on the forewings. The species was previously known from the Caribbean, Florida (USA), Haiti, and Costa Rica. Caterpillars are external leaf-feeders that can cause extensive defoliation of host plants.
Satyrium saepium
Hedgerow Hairstreak
Satyrium saepium, the hedgerow hairstreak, is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae endemic to western North America. The species exhibits significant geographic variation, with eleven recognized subspecies distributed across diverse habitats from coastal California to interior montane regions. Adults are active from spring through late summer and have been documented feeding on nectar from specific flowering plants. Larval development is tied to buckbrush (Ceanothus), a genus of flowering shrubs in the family Rhamnaceae.
Stigmella undescribed-species-on-frangula-purshiana
An undescribed species of pygmy moth in the genus Stigmella (family Nepticulidae) associated with Frangula purshiana (cascara buckthorn). As a member of this genus, it is a leaf-mining moth whose larvae feed internally within leaf tissue. The species has not yet received formal scientific description, though its host plant association has been documented. Stigmella species are typically small, with adults often measuring less than 5 mm in wingspan, and are recognized by their distinctive larval feeding patterns.