Stem-borers
Guides
Agallissini
Agallissini is a tribe of longhorn beetles in the subfamily Cerambycinae, established by LeConte in 1873. The tribe contains three genera—Agallissus, Osmopleura, and Zagymnus—with five described species. North American species have been documented with specific host plant associations, particularly with palms.
Brachyina
Brachyina is a subtribe within the tribe Trachyini (family Buprestidae), established by Cobos in 1979. The subtribe includes small to minute metallic wood-boring beetles, with Taphrocerus being the primary genus in North America. Members are characterized by their compact body form and association with herbaceous or woody vegetation. The group is taxonomically stable but relatively understudied compared to other buprestid lineages.
Calamotropha
Calamotropha is a genus of grass moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Crambinae. Species in this genus are distributed across Europe, Asia, and Africa, with particular diversity in the Oriental and Afrotropical regions. The genus has been subject to taxonomic revision, with numerous species described from China and other regions. Adults are generally small to medium-sized moths with characteristic crambine morphology. Larval stages are typically associated with grasses and related plants.
Cephidae
Stem Sawflies
Cephidae is a family of stem sawflies in the order Hymenoptera, comprising approximately 27 genera and over 160 described species. Most species occur in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in Eurasia. Larvae are endophagous stem borers in various plants, especially grasses and cereal grains, with several species being significant agricultural pests including Cephus cinctus on wheat and Janus rufiventris on corn. Adults are exceptionally slender for symphytans and often resemble other insects.
Chrysauginae
Scaly-legged Pyralids
Chrysauginae is a subfamily of snout moths (Pyralidae) comprising approximately 400 described species. The subfamily is primarily Neotropical in distribution and includes notable specialized groups such as sloth moths, whose larvae feed on sloth dung and adults inhabit sloth fur. Most species have plant-feeding larvae that bore into seeds, fruits, stems, and roots or construct leaf shelters.
Crambinae
Grass-veneers and Allies, snout moth grass borers, sod webworms
Crambinae is a large subfamily of Crambidae moths comprising over 1,800 species worldwide. Members are commonly known as snout moths, grass-veneers, or sod webworms. The subfamily is characterized by specialized morphological features including tympanal organs and a phallus attached medially to the juxta. Larvae are primarily root feeders or stem borers on grasses, with several species recognized as significant agricultural pests of maize, sugarcane, rice, and turfgrasses.
Euchromiusini
Euchromiusini is a tribe of grass moths within the family Crambidae. The tribe comprises small to medium-sized moths associated primarily with grassland and savanna habitats. Members are predominantly distributed across the Old World, with highest diversity in the Afrotropical and Palearctic regions. The genus Euchromius, which gives the tribe its name, contains the majority of described species.
Globia
arches
Globia is a genus of noctuid moths commonly called "arches", containing approximately seven described species. The genus was established in 2010 to replace the preoccupied name Capsula, which itself had replaced Archanara. Species in this genus are distributed across the Holarctic region. Several species have undergone notable range expansions in recent decades, particularly in Britain.
Lamproniinae
Lamproniinae is a subfamily of small moths within the family Prodoxidae (order Lepidoptera). These insects are part of the superfamily Adeloidea, which includes primitive moth lineages. The subfamily contains relatively few species, most notably including the genus Lampronia. Members are characterized by reduced wing venation and are associated with specific host plants, particularly in the Rosaceae family.
Languria
lizard beetles
Languria is a genus of lizard beetles (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Languriinae) established by Latreille in 1802. The genus contains approximately 15-18 described species distributed primarily in North America and the Oriental Region. Members are characterized by their association with plant stems, where larvae develop as internal borers. Several species have been documented as agricultural pests when they colonize cultivated crops outside their native host range.
Meromyza
grass flies, frit flies
Meromyza is a genus of grass flies (Diptera: Chloropidae) distributed across the Palaearctic, Nearctic, and parts of Asia including China and Mongolia. Species within this genus are primarily associated with grasses (Poaceae), with many developing on wild grass species and several recognized as pests of cereal crops including wheat, barley, and oats. The genus exhibits varying degrees of host plant specialization, from oligophagous species with broad grass host ranges to monophagous specialists. Larvae are stem-borers that feed internally on host plant tissues, with some species causing economically significant damage to small grains.
Momphidae
mompha moths
Momphidae is a cosmopolitan family of microlepidopteran moths comprising approximately 115-120 described species. Adults are small, with wingspans up to 21 mm, and narrow forewings often bearing raised scale tufts. The family exhibits remarkable ecological diversity, with larvae occupying six distinct hostplant tissue types: leaves, flowers, fruits, stems, roots, and shoot tips. Phylogenetic studies have identified six major clades corresponding to distinct feeding modes including leaf mining, gall induction, and stem or seed boring. Many species are host-plant specialists, particularly on Onagraceae.
Mordellistena
tumbling flower beetles
A large genus of tumbling flower beetles comprising over 450 described species distributed worldwide. Adults are commonly found on flowers where they feed on pollen and nectar. Larvae develop within stems of herbaceous plants or in decaying wood, with some species exhibiting specialized host associations including agricultural pests of sunflower. The genus has been subject to extensive taxonomic revision due to morphological similarity among species and the importance of male genitalia for identification.
Opomyzidae
Grass Flies
Opomyzidae is a family of acalyptrate Diptera commonly known as grass flies. Adults are small, slender flies ranging from yellow to brown, reddish, or black. Larvae are stem-borers in grasses (Poaceae), including cereal crops, with some species causing significant agricultural damage. The family is distributed primarily in temperate regions of the boreal hemisphere, with an autumn-spring life cycle adapted to grass phenology.
Oxyna
Oxyna is a genus of tephritid fruit flies (Tephritidae) comprising at least 20 described species. Members of this genus are associated with Asteraceae host plants, with some species studied for their potential as biological control agents against invasive weeds. The genus has been documented in northern Europe including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Paragrilus
Paragrilus is a genus of jewel beetles (family Buprestidae) in the subfamily Agrilinae, native to the Americas. The genus contains approximately 70 described species distributed across North, Central, and South America, with four species occurring in the United States. Species are generally small, dark-colored beetles with reduced metallic luster compared to many other buprestids. They are distinguished from the related and more diverse genus Agrilus by their antennae, which can be received into grooves along the sides of the pronotum.
Penstemonia
Penstemonia is a genus of clearwing moths in the family Sesiidae, established by Engelhardt in 1946. The genus contains five described species distributed in North America. Species within this genus are part of the tribe Synanthedonini, which includes many wasp-mimicking moths. Adults are diurnal and are known to visit flowers.
Prodoxus
Bogus Yucca Moths
Prodoxus is a genus of moths in the family Prodoxidae comprising approximately 22 species, commonly known as bogus yucca moths. Unlike their pollinating relatives in the genus Tegeticula, Prodoxus species are non-pollinating yucca moths that exploit yucca plants as hosts without providing mutualistic services. The genus exhibits diverse feeding specializations, with larvae feeding on yucca flowering stalks, fruits, or leaves depending on the species. Host-associated divergence and incipient speciation have been documented, with specialization closely tied to host plant shifts.
Scythris
flower moths
Scythris is a genus of microlepidopteran moths erected by Jacob Hübner in 1825. It is the type genus of the family Scythrididae (flower moths), though this family has been treated variously as a subfamily of Xyloryctidae or merged into Oecophoridae by different authorities. The genus contains the largest number of species in its family, with new species continuing to be described. Many species remain poorly known, with life histories determined for relatively few.
Sphenoptera
A large genus of jewel beetles (Buprestidae) comprising over 1,000 described species. Species occupy diverse ecological niches including stem borers, gall formers, and root borers across multiple continents. Several species are economically significant as pests of agricultural crops, forestry trees, and medicinal plants, while others have been investigated for biological control of invasive weeds.
Thyrididae
Window-winged Moths, Picture-winged Leaf Moths
Thyrididae is a family of moths commonly known as window-winged or picture-winged leaf moths, distinguished by square or rectangular translucent spots on their wings. The family comprises the sole member of superfamily Thyridoidea, with over 760 described species worldwide and hundreds more awaiting description. Most species inhabit tropical and subtropical regions, with only about 12 species recorded in North America. Adults of many species are diurnal and colorful, exhibiting day-flying behavior unusual among moths.
Zeuzera
Leopard moths, Wood-boring moths
Zeuzera is an Old World genus of carpenter moths (family Cossidae) comprising approximately eight currently recognized species. The genus includes significant agricultural pests, notably Zeuzera pyrina (leopard moth), whose larvae bore into the wood of fruit and ornamental trees causing substantial economic damage. Members of this genus are characterized by their wood-boring larval habit and broad distribution across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Several former species have been reclassified to other genera, including Zeuzera boisduvalii which was moved to the new genus Davidlivingstonia in 2020.