Stem-miner
Guides
Acalyptris lotella
Acalyptris lotella is a minute moth in the family Nepticulidae, known for its highly specialized larval biology. The species is endemic to California and represents one of the few documented cases of stem-mining behavior in this genus. Its larvae create internal tunnels within the stems of Lotus scoparius, a chaparral shrub. The species was originally described as Microcalyptris lotella in 1987 and later transferred to Acalyptris.
Bagous
Bagous is a genus of semi-aquatic weevils in the family Curculionidae containing at least 360 described species. Many species are associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats, with several species developed as biological control agents for invasive aquatic plants, particularly Hydrilla verticillata. The genus includes both native and introduced species with varying degrees of host specificity. Larvae typically develop within plant stems while adults feed on stems and leaves.
Ceutorhynchus
Ceutorhynchus is a large genus of true weevils comprising at least 400 described species. The genus is notable for its association with brassicaceous plants, with many species acting as stem miners or seedpod parasites. Several species are significant agricultural pests of oilseed rape, including C. napi, C. pallidactylus, and C. obstrictus. At least one species, C. succinus, is known from Eocene Baltic amber, indicating an ancient evolutionary history.
Ceutorhynchus pallidactylus
Cabbage Stem Weevil
Ceutorhynchus pallidactylus, commonly known as the cabbage stem weevil, is a stem-mining weevil native to Europe and a significant pest of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus) in northern and central Europe. The species has been introduced to North America, with established populations in Nova Scotia, Canada. Larvae mine within plant stems, causing damage that requires regular control measures in agricultural systems. The species exhibits complex ecological interactions, including competitive relationships with congeneric species and parasitism by larval endoparasitoids.
Coleophora parthenica
Russian Thistle Stem Miner Moth
Coleophora parthenica is a case-bearing moth introduced to western North America as a biological control agent for invasive Russian thistle (Salsola spp.). Native to arid regions of North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, it was intentionally released in California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, and Hawaii. The species has proven ineffective as a biocontrol agent due to natural enemy pressure and phenological asynchrony with its host plant. Adults are creamy-white, and larvae are orange, approximately 17 mm at maturity.
Coleotechnites occidentis
Coleotechnites occidentis is a small gelechiid moth described by Freeman in 1965. The species is known from western North America, with records from British Columbia, Canada. Adults have a wingspan of 9–11 mm. Larvae are leaf and stem miners that feed on Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum).
Cosmopterix scirpicola
Cosmopterix scirpicola is a small moth in the family Cosmopterigidae, described by Hodges in 1962. It is known from scattered localities across the United States, with flight periods varying by latitude. The species is associated with Scirpus host plants, on which larvae mine stems.
Cricotopus lebetis
Hydrilla Tip Mining Midge
Cricotopus lebetis is a chironomid midge native to Africa whose larvae are specialized stem miners of the invasive aquatic weed Hydrilla verticillata. It is being investigated as a classical biological control agent for hydrilla management in Florida and other regions where the plant has become established. The species completes its entire larval development within hydrilla shoot tips, where mining activity disrupts apical meristem function and suppresses vertical growth.
Hadroplontus litura
Canada thistle stem weevil, minute seed weevil
Hadroplontus litura is a stem-mining weevil in the family Curculionidae, widely known as the Canada thistle stem weevil. It is an endophagous herbivore that develops within the stems of its host plants. The species has been investigated extensively as a biological control agent for the invasive weed Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense). Research indicates it can complete its life cycle on multiple Cirsium species, including five native thistle species in the upper Midwest of North America, raising concerns about non-target impacts on native flora.
Leucoptera spartifoliella
Scotch broom twig miner, broom twig miner
A tiny white microlepidopteran moth, approximately 4 mm in length, used as a biological control agent against the invasive weed Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius). Native to western and central Europe, it has been introduced to New Zealand (accidentally, 1950s), California (1960), and Australia (1990) to manage broom infestations. The female sex pheromone has been identified as 5-methylheptadecane, enabling population monitoring through pheromone trapping.
Marmara apocynella
Marmara apocynella is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae. The species is known from the eastern and midwestern United States, with records from Ohio, Maine, and Oklahoma. Its larvae are stem miners that feed on Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp), creating distinctive long, whitish, serpentine mines.
Marmara fraxinicola
Marmara fraxinicola is a micro-moth in the family Gracillariidae, first described by Braun in 1922. The species is known from northeastern North America, with records from Québec, Canada, and the U.S. states of Ohio, Vermont, and New York. It has one generation per year and is a specialist stem-miner of ash trees (Fraxinus species).
Marmarinae
Marmarinae is a subfamily of minute moths within the family Gracillariidae, erected by Kawahara and Ohshima in 2016 based on molecular phylogenetic analyses. It contains two genera: Marmara (the type genus) and Dendrorycter. These moths are leaf miners, with larvae that tunnel within plant tissues.
Mecinus pyraster
Stem Miner Weevil
Mecinus pyraster is a small weevil species in the family Curculionidae, native to the Palaearctic region and introduced to North America. The species has undergone taxonomic revision, with three junior synonyms synonymized under it. As a member of the genus Mecinus, it likely exhibits the stem-mining larval habit characteristic of this group, though specific biological details remain poorly documented in accessible literature.
Moneilema annulatum
cactus beetle, ambulated cactus beetle
Moneilema annulatum is a flightless cactus beetle in the family Cerambycidae, first described by Thomas Say in 1824. Adults are found almost exclusively on opuntioid cacti (prickly pears and chollas), where they feed on plant tissues and flowers. Larvae tunnel within cactus stems, often causing visible damage in the form of hardened black exudate. The species occurs across western North America from the Great Plains to the Pacific coast.
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gunniella
mimosa stem-mining moth
Neurostrota gunniella is a gracillariid moth native to the Americas, introduced to Australia in 1989 as a biological control agent for the invasive weed Mimosa pigra. The species exhibits strong microhabitat selection for edge habitats within host plant stands, with larvae causing greater damage to branches at thicket edges than in interior areas. It has been observed in both wet and dry seasons, maintaining consistent attack rates across locations but concentrating feeding activity at habitat margins.
Ophiomyia atriplicis
Ophiomyia atriplicis is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Spencer in 1984. As a member of the genus Ophiomyia, it likely produces internal stem or leaf mines on host plants. The specific epithet 'atriplicis' indicates an association with Atriplex (saltbush), though direct host records require verification. It is a poorly documented species with limited published biological data.
Pallopteridae
flutter-wing flies, trembling-wing flies, waving-wing flies
Pallopteridae is a small family of acalyptrate flies comprising approximately 70 species across 15 genera, distributed primarily in temperate regions of both Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Adults are recognized by their characteristic wing vibration behavior, which produces the common names flutter-wing, trembling-wing, or waving-wing flies. The family exhibits diverse larval feeding strategies including saprophagy, phytophagy, and occasional zoophagy, with larvae developing in flowerheads, stems, and other plant tissues.
Psila nigricornis
Chrysanthemum Stool Miner
Psila nigricornis is a species of rust fly in the family Psilidae, first described by Johann Wilhelm Meigen in 1826. The species has undergone taxonomic revision, with some sources listing it under the synonym Chamaepsila nigricornis. It is commonly known as the Chrysanthemum Stool Miner, indicating an association with chrysanthemum plants. The species belongs to a family whose larvae are typically internal feeders in plant stems and roots.
Psylliodes punctulata
Psylliodes punctulata is a species of flea beetle in the tribe Alticini, characterized by the enlarged hind femora that enable the jumping behavior typical of this group. The genus Psylliodes contains numerous species associated with brassicaceous host plants, though specific ecological details for P. punctulata remain poorly documented in available literature. Like other members of the genus, it likely exhibits the larval stem-mining habit and adult folivory that define Psylliodes ecology. The species name 'punctulata' refers to the punctate or dotted surface sculpturing typical of many chrysomelid beetles.
Strauzia longipennis
sunflower maggot fly, sunflower maggot
Strauzia longipennis is a large tephritid fruit fly commonly known as the sunflower maggot fly. It is a minor agricultural pest whose larvae mine the stems of sunflowers (Helianthus spp.), causing typically light damage to spongy tissue. Unlike related sunflower-feeding tephritids, its larvae do not attack flower heads or seeds. The species exhibits notable morphological variability and may represent a complex of incipient species or host races.