Insects Feeding
on this Plant:
____________
Heliopsis helianthoides (False Sunflower) [Asteraceae]
(Observations are from Hoffman, Microleps website, Clark et al., Covell, Marcovitch, Pepper, Charlet & Gavloski, Spencer & Steyskal, Lisberg & Young, Natural History Museum)
Coleoptera (Beetles)
Chrysomelidae: Physonota helianthi Clk2004; Curculionidae: Smicronyx fulvus (Red Sunflower Seed Weevil) [larvae feed on seeds] CG2011; Mordellidae: Mordellina pustulata [larvae bore through stems] LY2003
Diptera (Flies)
Agromyzidae: Melanagromyza minimoides [larvae feed on flowerheads & developing seeds; misidentified as Melanagromyza virens by Marcovitch] Mar1916 SS1986
Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Lygaeidae: Lygaeus turcicus [eats seeds, a preferred host] Hof1996
Homoptera (Sucking Insects)
Aphididae: Uroleucon sp. [undescribed aphid species] Pp1965
Lepidoptera (Butterflies, Skippers, & Moths)
Noctuidae: Papaipema rigida (Rigid Sunflower Borer Moth) [found in northern IL] Cv2005 NHM2010; Sesiidae: Carmenta ithacae (Sneezeweed Clearwing Moth) [larvae bore into stems, crowns, & roots] NHM2010; Tischeriidae: Astrotischeria heliopsisella [larvae are blotch leaf-miners] Mic2010 NHM2010