Sweet-potato-pest
Guides
Agrius
sweetpotato hornworms, convolvulus hawkmoths
Agrius is a genus of hawkmoths (Sphingidae) containing approximately 3–5 species, most notably Agrius cingulata (sweetpotato hornworm) and Agrius convolvuli (convolvulus hawkmoth). These are large, robust moths with distinctive pinkish abdominal bands. The larvae are economically significant agricultural pests, particularly of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and related Convolvulaceae. Adults are powerful fliers capable of long-distance migration, with some populations undertaking transcontinental movements. The genus occurs across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, with some species extending into temperate zones during summer months.
Bedellia
morning-glory leaf miner
Bedellia is the sole genus of the family Bedelliidae, a group of small, narrow-winged moths. Most authorities recognize Bedelliidae as a distinct family, though some classifications treat it as the subfamily Bedelliinae within Lyonetiidae. The genus contains several species, with Bedellia somnulentella (the sweet potato leafminer) being the most economically significant. This species is an invasive pest of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and related Convolvulaceae, with larvae feeding as leafminers in the leaf mesophyll.
Bedellia somnulentella
sweet potato leaf miner, morning-glory leafminer moth
Bedellia somnulentella is a microlepidopteran leaf-mining moth in the family Bedelliidae, native to Asia and now nearly cosmopolitan in distribution. It is a significant agricultural pest of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and related Convolvulaceae, with larvae feeding on leaf mesophyll and reducing photosynthetic capacity. The species has expanded its range through association with cultivated crops and maintains populations on wild Ipomoea species during off-season periods. It has been documented across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania.
Euscepes
hidden snout weevils
Euscepes is a genus of hidden snout weevils in the family Curculionidae, containing at least 20 described species. The genus includes significant agricultural pests, most notably Euscepes postfasciatus (West Indian sweetpotato weevil), which infests sweet potato crops across tropical and subtropical regions. Research on this genus has focused heavily on reproductive behavior and sterile insect technique applications for pest management.
Euscepes postfasciatus
West Indian sweetpotato weevil, hidden snout weevil, scarabee
Euscepes postfasciatus is a weevil species in the family Curculionidae that is a significant agricultural pest of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) across tropical and subtropical regions. The species has been extensively studied for its reproductive biology, including male-produced chemical signals that induce female post-mating unreceptivity and stridulatory communication during courtship. It is a target of sterile insect technique (SIT) eradication programs, particularly in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture, due to its economic impact on sweet potato cultivation.
Halticus
fleahoppers, jumping plant bugs
Halticus is a genus of fleahoppers in the family Miridae, containing at least 20 described species. Members are commonly known as jumping plant bugs due to their characteristic leaping behavior. Some species are economically significant agricultural pests, particularly of cotton and sweet potato, while at least one species has been identified as a putative vector of phytoplasma plant pathogens.
Typophorus nigritus
Sweet Potato Leaf Beetle
Typophorus nigritus is a leaf beetle in the subfamily Eumolpinae with a broad distribution spanning North, Central, and South America. Two subspecies, T. n. nitidulus and T. n. viridicyaneus, are documented agricultural pests of sweet potatoes. The species comprises 13 recognized subspecies with varying geographic ranges. It is commonly referred to as the Sweet Potato Leaf Beetle in agricultural contexts.