Seed-borer
Guides
Coccotrypes
Coccotrypes is a genus of bark beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) comprising approximately 130 described species. The genus is notable for its specialized seed-boring habits, with several species developing entirely within seeds or propagules of host plants. Coccotrypes dactyliperda (date stone beetle) and C. rhizophorae are economically significant pests of date palms and mangroves respectively, having achieved cosmopolitan distributions through human-mediated dispersal of host plant material.
Coccotrypes cyperi
seed borer
A small weevil species in the family Curculionidae, commonly known as the seed borer. Native to Southeast Asia, it has established cosmopolitan distribution through human-mediated dispersal, particularly via international trade in seeds and plant materials. The species is polyphagous and has been documented from approximately 50 host plant species. It is recognized as an invasive pest in multiple regions including the United States, where it was introduced in the early 1900s through imported bird seeds and avocado seeds.
Coccotrypes dactyliperda
date stone beetle, button beetle, palm seed borer
Coccotrypes dactyliperda is a small scolytine weevil (1.8–2.3 mm) that spends nearly its entire life cycle inside palm seeds, particularly those of date palms (Phoenix dactylifera). Native to Africa and the Middle East, it has achieved cosmopolitan distribution through international trade in dates and horticultural palm seeds. The species is a significant agricultural pest, causing 20–40% yield losses in unprotected date plantations by attacking green, unripe fruit and causing premature fruit drop. It employs a haplodiploid sex-determination system with extensive inbreeding, enabling rapid population growth within individual seeds that can support 70–80 beetles through multiple overlapping generations.
Grapholita edwardsiana
San Francisco Tree Lupine Moth
Grapholita edwardsiana, known as the San Francisco Tree Lupine Moth, is a species of tortricid moth in the family Tortricidae, subfamily Olethreutinae. The species was described by Kearfott in 1907 and is placed in the genus Grapholita, a diverse group of small moths commonly referred to as fruitworms or bud moths. Many Grapholita species are associated with leguminous plants, and the specific epithet "edwardsiana" suggests a possible association with lupines (Lupinus), particularly tree lupine. The species is part of the tribe Grapholitini, which includes numerous economically important pests of fruits and seeds.
Heilipus
pine weevils
Heilipus is a genus of New World weevils in the family Curculionidae, containing over 280 described species distributed from the southern United States to northern Argentina. The genus is characterized by two primary feeding guilds: seed borers that develop within fruits of Lauraceae, and trunk borers that tunnel into stems of host trees. Several species are significant agricultural pests, particularly of avocado (Persea americana) and other commercial crops. The Brazilian Atlantic Forest has been proposed as a possible center of origin for the genus based on high diversity of both weevils and host plants.
Hydropionea fenestralis
Hydropionea fenestralis is a small crambid moth described in 1914, with forewings 12–15 mm in length. Adults display a distinctive reticulated wing pattern and are active from May to October. The species was long considered a mystery regarding its larval biology until 2023, when researchers documented it as a seed borer in Agave salmiana fruits in central Mexico—an unusual host association given its phylogenetic placement in Glaphyriinae. The moth occurs in mountainous regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico, with confirmed records from Arizona, Mississippi, Durango, Veracruz, and Puebla.
Plagiomimicus spumosum
Frothy Moth
Plagiomimicus spumosum, commonly known as the frothy moth, is a noctuid moth described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1874. It has a transcontinental distribution across North America, from southern Canada to the United States. The species is univoltine, with adults active in mid-summer. Larvae are seed-feeding specialists on sunflower (Helianthus annuus), burrowing into the flower heads to consume developing seeds.
Pyrrhia aurantiago
Orange Sallow, Aureolaria Seed Borer
Pyrrhia aurantiago, commonly known as the Orange Sallow or Aureolaria Seed Borer, is a noctuid moth native to eastern North America. The species has a scattered distribution from New England west to Wisconsin and Missouri, extending south to Florida and Texas. It is listed as threatened in Connecticut. The common name "Aureolaria Seed Borer" reflects its documented association with Aureolaria (false foxglove) plants.
Stathmopoda
Stathmopoda is a genus of small moths in the family Stathmopodidae (or subfamily Stathmopodinae within Oecophoridae, depending on classification system). The genus exhibits diverse larval feeding habits: some species are seed, fruit, or bud borers of angiosperms, including significant agricultural pests, while others are specialized fern spore feeders. The genus has a broad geographic distribution including Asia, Europe, and New Zealand, with particularly high species diversity documented in China.