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Insects and mites

Insects and mites can damage the leaves, branches, roots, or stems of trees, either directly by feeding on these structures or indirectly by acting as vectors transmitting diseases. The damage can range from relatively minor issues, such as a negative affect on plant appearance, to more severe issues, including reduced tree growth and even tree death. Insects and mites, however, also play important ecological roles in forests by decomposing and recycling organic matter and nutrients, pollinating flowers, and serving as food sources for wildlife. Many insects and mites, acting as natural enemies (i.e., predators, parasitoids, or parasites) of pests, play a beneficial role in reducing pest populations. The study of insects is referred to as entomology, while the study of mites and ticks is called acarology. Insects and mites are classified according to a taxonomic system.

Index of common and scientific names of insects and mites

The insect or mite entries have sections containing nomenclature and taxonomy; general information and importance; distribution and hosts; tree parts affected; symptoms and signs; life cycle; damage; prevention and management; photographs of various life stages and damage; and selected references.

Balsam fir sawfly

Scientific name: Neodiprion abietis (Harris)

  • Revision 2025

Balsam gall midge

Scientific name: Paradiplosis tumifex Gagné

Balsam shootboring sawfly

Scientific name: Pleroneura brunneicornis Rohwer

Balsam twig aphid

Scientific name: Mindarus abietinus Koch

Balsam woolly adelgid

Scientific name: Adelges piceae (Ratzeburg)

  • Revision 2024

Banded elm bark beetle

Scientific name: Scolytus schevyrewi Semenov

  • Revision 2025

Bark beetle

Scientific name: Crypturgus pusillus (Eichhoff)

Barry’s hairstreak

Scientific name: Callophrys grynea barryi (Johnson)

Beech leaf-mining weevil

Scientific name: Orchestes fagi (L.)

  • Revision 2025

Beech scale

Scientific name: Cryptococcus fagisuga Lindinger

Birch and alder flea weevil

Scientific name: Rhynchaenus testaceus (Mull)

Birch budgall mite

Scientific name: Acalitus rudis (Canestrini)

Birch casebearer

Scientific name: Coleophora serratella (Linnaeus)

Birch leafminer

Scientific name: Fenusa pusilla (Lepeletier)

Birch sawfly

Scientific name: Arge pectoralis (Leach)

Birch skeletonizer

Scientific name: Bucculatrix canadensisella Chambers

Birch-aspen leafroller

Scientific name: Epinotia solandriana (Linnaeus)

Black spruce cone maggot

Scientific name: Strobilomyia appalachensis

Black stem borer

Scientific name: Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford)

Bronze birch borer

Scientific name: Agrilus anxius Gory

  • Revision 2024

Brown cedar leafminer

Scientific name: Coleotechnites thujaella (Kft)

Brown spruce longhorn beetle

Scientific name: Tetropium fuscum (Fabricius)

  • Revision 2024

Brownlined looper

Scientific name: Neoalcis californiaria (Packard)

Bruce spanworm complex

Scientific names:
  • Operophtera bruceata (Hulst)
  • Operophtera danbyi (Hulst)
  • Operophtera occidentalis (Hulst)
  • Revision 2025

Buprestis aurulenta Linnaeus

Common name: Golden buprestid