Specialized-herbivore
Guides
Aeoloplides tenuipennis
narrow-winged saltbush grasshopper, narrow-winged bush grasshopper
A spur-throated grasshopper specialized on chenopod plants, particularly saltbushes (Atriplex species). It inhabits arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it feeds on plants often considered noxious weeds, including Russian thistle (Salsola tragus). The species is generally regarded as beneficial or innocuous in rangeland settings rather than a crop pest.
Coelopoeta
Coelopoeta is a genus of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea, native to western North America. The genus has undergone repeated taxonomic revision, having been placed in Elachistidae, Oecophoridae, and currently in the subfamily Coelopoetinae within Pterolonchidae. It contains three described species, two from California and one from the Yukon. The genus was established as monotypic in 1907 and remained so until 1995, when two additional species were described.
Dibusa
microcaddisfly
Dibusa is a genus of microcaddisflies in the family Hydroptilidae, established by Ross in 1939. The genus is monotypic, containing a single described species, Dibusa angata. This species exhibits a highly specialized ecological relationship, being obligately associated with the freshwater red alga Lemanea australis throughout its larval development. The genus represents a narrow example of host-specific adaptation within the diverse microcaddisfly fauna.
Hippuriphila equiseti
Hippuriphila equiseti is a flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, first described by Beller and Hatch in 1932. It belongs to a small genus of specialized beetles associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic host plants. The species is documented from western Canada and is likely associated with horsetail rushes (Equisetum), as suggested by both its specific epithet and the genus name Hippuriphila (meaning 'horse-tail loving').
Macrosiphum tuberculaceps
sweet-after-death aphid
Macrosiphum tuberculaceps is an aphid species endemic to the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is commonly known as the sweet-after-death aphid due to its exclusive association with its host plant, sweet-after-death (Achlys triphylla). The species exhibits distinctive morphological features including antennae longer than its teardrop-shaped body, short siphunculi inflated at the base with blackish tips, and legs longer than the body length. Its highly specialized host relationship makes it a notable example of monophagy among aphids.
Monophadnus
Monophadnus is a genus of sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae. Species in this genus are specialized herbivores of Ranunculaceae plants, particularly Helleborus species. Larvae sequester host plant secondary metabolites—including furostanol saponins and, in some species, phytoecdysteroids—into their haemolymph for chemical defense against predators. This sequestration represents a documented case of bioaccumulation, with ecdysteroid concentrations in larval haemolymph reaching levels thousands of times higher than in host plant tissues.
Procridinae
Forester Moths
Procridinae is a subfamily of Zygaenidae moths commonly known as foresters. All Australian species belong to this subfamily, which includes diurnal moths with aposematic coloration and chemical defense capabilities. The group is taxonomically challenging, with genital examination often required for species identification in Europe. Members exhibit specialized herbivory with documented host plant associations including Hibbertia (Dilleniaceae) and Achillea (Asteraceae).
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.