Wax-producing
Guides
Acanaloniidae
Acanaloniid Planthoppers, Cone-headed Planthoppers
Acanaloniidae is a family of planthoppers in the superfamily Fulgoroidea, sometimes treated as a subfamily (Acanaloniinae) within Issidae. The family comprises approximately 7 genera including Acanalonia, Batusa, Chlorochara, and Philatis. Members are characterized by their distinctive cone-headed appearance and reticulate forewing venation. Several species have been introduced to Europe, including Acanalonia conica and Acanalonia bivittata, where they represent the first Nearctic representatives of this family.
Adelges piceae
Balsam Woolly Adelgid, Balsam Woolly Aphid
Adelges piceae is a small, wingless, sap-sucking insect native to Europe that has become a destructive invasive pest of fir trees (Abies spp.) in North America. Introduced to the United States around 1900, it has killed millions of trees across the continent. The species produces distinctive white, woolly wax secretions that protect adults and eggs. It is particularly damaging to balsam fir and Fraser fir, causing gouting, reduced growth, and tree mortality.
Coniopteryginae
dusty lacewings
Coniopteryginae is a subfamily of dusty lacewings in the family Coniopterygidae, characterized by their small size and distinctive powdery or waxy coating that gives them a moth-like appearance. Members of this subfamily are among the smallest lacewings, with reduced wing venation compared to other neuropterans. They are primarily predatory as both larvae and adults, feeding on small soft-bodied arthropods such as mites and scale insects. The subfamily is distinguished from the other coniopterygid subfamily, Aleuropteryginae, by several morphological features including wing structure and genitalia.
Eriosoma lanigerum
woolly apple aphid, woolly aphid, American blight
Eriosoma lanigerum is a small phloem-feeding aphid native to North America that has become a major worldwide pest of apple cultivation. Adults are concealed beneath dense white, cotton-like wax secretions produced from specialized abdominal glands, giving the species its common name. The aphid induces gall formation on both aerial and root tissues of host plants, disrupting vascular transport and potentially killing trees. Populations are primarily parthenogenetic in most regions, though sexual reproduction occurs where American elm (Ulmus americana) is present.
Ormenoides
Ormenoides is a genus of flatid planthoppers in the family Flatidae, established by Melichar in 1923. Adults typically measure 7–7.5 mm in length and 2 mm in width. The genus contains six recognized species distributed in North America. Like other flatids, members of this genus produce conspicuous white wax secretions, particularly during the nymphal stage.
Ormenoides venusta
Ormenoides venusta is a flatid planthopper native to North America. This species is univoltine, with first instar nymphs emerging in May. It has been documented feeding on paw paw (Asimina triloba) leaves. Nymphs produce conspicuous white waxy secretions that cover their bodies, while adults develop a powdery wax coating in shades of grey, green, or blue.