Viticulture
Guides
Antispila
shield-bearer moths
Antispila is a genus of leaf-mining moths in the family Heliozelidae, established by Jacob Hübner in 1825. The genus comprises approximately 50 described species distributed across North America, Europe, and Asia. Larvae feed internally on leaves of host plants, creating distinctive serpentine or blotch mines that terminate in oval cutouts ('shields') used for pupation. Several species are economically significant as pests of grapevines, dogwoods, and ornamental shrubs. Taxonomic revisions using DNA barcoding have resolved longstanding species complexes, particularly among Cornus-feeding species in Europe.
Erythroneura vitis
Grapevine Leafhopper
Erythroneura vitis, commonly known as the grapevine leafhopper, is a species of leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae. It is a documented pest of grapevines (Vitis spp.), with both wild and cultivated grapes serving as hosts. The species has been recorded from multiple U.S. states including Colorado, District of Columbia, Indiana, Iowa, and Kansas. As a member of the subfamily Typhlocybinae, it possesses the characteristic small size and colorful patterning typical of this group. The species is part of a genus containing multiple grape-feeding species that can be challenging to distinguish without detailed examination.
Euscelidius variegatus
leafhopper
Euscelidius variegatus is a multivoltine, polyphagous leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, widespread across Europe and North America. It serves as a natural vector of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris' (chrysanthemum yellows strain) and as a laboratory vector for Flavescence dorée phytoplasma and the X-disease phytoplasma affecting cherry production. The species has become a model organism for studying phytoplasma-vector interactions due to its ease of laboratory rearing compared to natural vectors like Scaphoideus titanus. Development from egg to adult occurs in approximately 35 days under controlled conditions, with adult longevity averaging 52 days.
Metachroma viticola
Metachroma viticola is a small leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, measuring 4.0–5.8 mm in length. The species was described by Linell in 1898 and is named for its association with grapevines. It is known from the Gulf Coast region of the United States and Mexico.
Phenacoccus aceris
apple mealybug, maple mealybug
Phenacoccus aceris, commonly known as the apple mealybug or maple mealybug, is a widespread polyphagous mealybug species in the family Pseudococcidae. Native to Europe, it has become established across the Holarctic region including North America and Asia. The species is a significant agricultural and horticultural pest, feeding on phloem sap of numerous host plants including apple, maple, grapevine, ash, and prickly ash. Recent molecular and morphological studies have revealed that P. aceris represents a species complex containing multiple cryptic species, with taxonomic confusion arising from co-occurring putative species that cannot be reliably separated by host-plant associations alone. The species is also an important vector of grapevine viruses, transmitting six ampeloviruses and two vitiviruses.
Phylloxera
phylloxeras
Phylloxera is a genus of tiny, soft-bodied, sap-sucking insects in the family Phylloxeridae, closely related to aphids. The genus includes economically significant agricultural pests, most notably the grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae), which devastated European vineyards in the late 19th century and remains a major threat to viticulture worldwide. Phylloxera species induce characteristic galls on host plants through chemical secretions that manipulate plant tissue development. The genus exhibits complex life cycles involving multiple morphological forms, including winged and wingless parthenogenetic generations and a brief sexual generation.
Phylloxeridae
phylloxerans, phylloxerids
Phylloxeridae is a small family of plant-parasitic hemipterans comprising approximately 75 described species across 11 genera and two subfamilies (Phylloxerininae and Phylloxerinae). These minute insects are closely related to aphids and adelgids, with which they share the superfamily Phylloxeroidea. They are specialized gall-formers on deciduous trees and perennial fruit crops, with complex life cycles involving cyclical parthenogenesis and host alternation between primary woody hosts and secondary herbaceous hosts. The family includes the economically devastating grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae), responsible for the 19th-century European vineyard crisis.
Tortistilus wickhami
A North American treehopper in the family Membracidae, recently documented for the first time in Mexico's Baja California peninsula. Previously known from the western and southwestern United States, this species was collected from grapevines in Valle de Guadalupe vineyards during 2023. Its presence in commercial vineyards raises concerns about potential economic impact, as it is suspected to be a candidate vector for grapevine red blotch virus.
treehopperMembracidaevineyard-pestgrapevine-red-blotch-virusagricultural-pestMexico-first-recordBaja-CaliforniaValle-de-GuadalupeVitis-viniferaDNA-barcoding-identification2023-detectioneconomic-entomologyplant-virus-vectorSmiliinaeCeresiniHemipteraCicadomorphaNorth-Americawestern-United-Statesinvasive-potentialviticulturewine-grape-pestVitacea polistiformis
grape root borer, Grape Root Borer Moth
Vitacea polistiformis, commonly known as the grape root borer, is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae. It is a significant agricultural pest of grapevines (Vitis spp.) in the eastern and midwestern United States, where larval feeding on roots causes 'slow vine decline' that may take 5–10 years to become visible aboveground. Adults are Batesian mimics of Polistes paper wasps. As few as nine larvae can kill a mature vine with an 8-inch base circumference.