Agricultural bugs
Every species in the Wild Files corpus where agricultural is a defining trait.
150 on file
Buff-Tailed Bumblebee
Flies in cold honey bees can't. Vibrates flowers at 400 Hz to shake out pollen. Pollinates your tomatoes.
Desert Locust
Solitary green bug, until crowded. Then it turns yellow, swarms, and darkens the sky.
Red Imported Fire Ant
Builds living rafts during floods. Floats for weeks. Costs the US $6 billion a year.
Leafcutter Ant
Run the world’s oldest farms. Domesticated a fungus 50 million years ago. Excellent at chemistry.
Silkworm Moth
Domesticated 5,000 years ago. Built the Silk Road. Adults can no longer fly.
Spotted Lanternfly
The bug your state told you to step on. Invasive, destructive, gorgeous, tasty.
African Mound-Building Termite
Builds 9-meter air-conditioned towers. Farms fungus inside. Queen lays 30,000 eggs a day for 50 years.
Asian Weaver Ant
Builds nests using their own larvae as living glue guns. Used as pesticide for 1,500 years.
Eyed Click Beetle
Flips herself off her back with an audible click. 380 g of acceleration. 30 cm of jump.
Marmalade Hover Fly
Looks like a wasp. Can't sting. Pollinates your garden. Larvae eat aphids by the thousand.
Green Lacewing
Larva eats 600 aphids. Mother lays eggs on stilts to keep siblings from eating each other. Sold by the kilo.
Argentine Ant
One global super-colony. Ants from Italy and Portugal recognize each other as family.
German Cockroach
World's most damaging cockroach. Now resistant to every major pesticide class simultaneously.
Varroa Mite
1.6 mm parasite. Single greatest threat to global honey bees. Costs beekeepers $2B a year.
Carpenter Ant
Doesn't eat wood — excavates it. Galleries through your beams. Largest ant in eastern North America.
Mountain Pine Beetle
Killed 18 million hectares of pine forest since 2000. The largest insect-driven forest disaster in history.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Invasive Asian shield-bug. Devastates apples, peaches, soybeans. Stinks like burnt cilantro on contact.
Common Asparagus Beetle
Major asparagus pest. Brilliant METALLIC BLUE-BLACK with red-bordered cream square spots. Larvae use FECAL SHIELDS.
Bean Leaf Beetle
Major NA soybean pest. Color-polymorphic — yellow, red, tan, or orange. Vectors BEAN POD MOTTLE VIRUS.
Carrot Rust Fly
Major NA/European carrot pest. Diagnostic rust-colored tunnels through carrot taproots. Detoxifies Apiaceae furanocoumarins.
Cherry Fruit Fly
Major NA cherry pest. Sister to apple maggot fly. The proverbial 'WORM IN THE CHERRY'.
Striped Cucumber Beetle
Sister pest to spotted cucumber beetle. Yellow-and-black STRIPES instead of spots. Same bacterial wilt vectoring.
Cabbage Maggot Fly
Major NA/European cruciferous crop pest. Maggots burrow into cabbage roots. Detoxifies plant glucosinolates.
Citrus Leafminer
Larvae develop INSIDE citrus leaves. Diagnostic SERPENTINE silver mine trails visible in leaves.
Codling Moth
World's most damaging apple pest — the proverbial 'WORM IN THE APPLE'. $1B+ annual global losses.
Onion Maggot Fly
Major NA/European onion pest. Larvae detoxify the SULFUR COMPOUNDS that make onions burn human eyes.
Oriental Fruit Moth
Most damaging stone fruit pest worldwide — sister to codling moth, controlled by pheromone mating disruption.
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
Major NA cucurbit pest. Vectors BACTERIAL WILT. 11 black spots on yellow-green elytra.
Asian Blue Cattle Tick
Most damaging tick species globally. $20-30B annual cattle losses. Successfully eradicated from US in 1943.
Indianmeal Moth
Most damaging stored-product moth worldwide. Diagnostic SILK WEBBING in infested pantry foods.
Western Tent Caterpillar
Western NA tent caterpillar. Builds white silk tents in branch crotches. Cyclic outbreaks in chaparral.
Trichogramma Wasp
TINY parasitoid wasp (0.3 mm). BILLIONS commercially mass-reared per year for agricultural pest control.
Evergreen Bagworm
Caterpillar drags SILK BAG. Adult female NEVER LEAVES THE BAG — wingless, legless, eyeless, mates inside.
West Indian Drywood Termite
Most damaging drywood termite worldwide. Reason for the dramatic WHOLE-HOUSE FUMIGATION TENT.
California Red Scale
Most damaging scale insect pest of CITRUS worldwide. Foundational AUGMENTATIVE biocontrol case study.
Death-Watch Beetle
Tapping wood beetle. Folk DEATH OMEN. Major pest of HISTORIC OAK TIMBER in European architecture.
Garden Symphylan
Tiny white 12-legged 'pseudocentipede'. Separate ancient arthropod class. Major NA vegetable seedling pest.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Catastrophic forest pest. Has killed essentially ALL mature eastern hemlocks across Appalachia.
Migratory Locust
Catastrophic crop pest of Africa/Asia/Europe. Foundational PHASE POLYPHENISM case — solitary becomes gregarious.
Cotton Stainer
Bright red-and-yellow cotton pest. STAINS cotton fibers yellow-and-red — major southeastern US cotton damage.
Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter
Vector of PIERCE'S DISEASE in California vineyards. Threatens $58B CA wine industry. Killed Italian olive trees.
Greenhouse Whitefly
Most damaging pest of GREENHOUSE production worldwide. First-ever commercially mass-reared biocontrol target.
Tawny Mole Cricket
Major invasive turfgrass pest of southeastern US. Foundational classical biological control case study.
European Pine Sawfly
Major European pine forest pest. Larvae perform synchronous 'whip' defensive displays with toxic resin droplets.
Scarlet Lily Beetle
Brilliant SCARLET-RED beetle. Larvae cover themselves in their own FECAL EXCREMENT for defense.
Sugarcane Borer
Major sugarcane pest of the Americas. $300M-$1B annual losses. Foundational biocontrol case study.
Wheat Stem Sawfly
Major NA spring wheat pest. Larva chews stem from inside, causing wheat to LODGE before harvest.
Brown Planthopper
Major rice pest of Asia. Causes 'HOPPERBURN' — entire fields die in days when populations explode.
Coffee Berry Borer
Single most damaging pest of COFFEE worldwide. $500M-$1B annual losses. Detoxifies CAFFEINE with gut microbes.
Diamondback Moth
Most damaging cruciferous crop pest worldwide. $4-5B annual losses. FIRST documented case of insect Bt resistance.
European Corn Borer
Major NA corn pest. Primary target of Bt corn alongside corn earworm. Bt deployment dramatically reduced populations.
Fall Armyworm
Major NA agricultural pest. INVADED Africa in 2016, Asia in 2018, Australia in 2020. Threat to global food security.
Rice Weevil
Major stored-grain pest worldwide. Larvae develop INSIDE individual rice/wheat/corn kernels. 10-25% storage losses.
Citrus Longhorned Beetle
Sister to Asian longhorned beetle. Attacks 100+ tree species. Major global invasive forest pest.
European Elm Bark Beetle
Primary vector of DUTCH ELM DISEASE. Killed tens of millions of American elms across NA since 1930s.
Locust Borer
Striking YELLOW-AND-BLACK wasp-mimicking longhorn beetle. Major pest of NA black locust trees.
Long-Tailed Skipper
Brilliant METALLIC GREEN-AND-BROWN skipper with long hindwing TAILS. Migrates from FL/TX/Mexico northward each summer.
Plum Curculio
Major NA peach and apple pest. Diagnostic CRESCENT-SHAPED CUT on developing fruits.
Sirex Woodwasp
Injects FUNGAL SPORES into pine trees with eggs. Fungus digests wood for the larva. Major invasive pine pest globally.
Spotted-Wing Drosophila
Major invasive soft-fruit pest. Lays eggs INSIDE firm ripe intact fruits using SERRATED ovipositor.
Catalpa Sphinx
Famous 'CATALPA WORM' bait fishing caterpillar. Catalpa trees planted as worm farms across southeastern US.
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Bumblebee-sized solitary bee. Excavates nest tunnels in wooden buildings. Males hover-and-dive but cannot sting.
Cabbage Looper
Major NA vegetable pest. LOOPS while walking — body forms a loop and extends forward.
Corn Earworm
Major NA crop pest. Same species as cotton bollworm and tomato fruitworm. Foundational target of Bt corn.
Green Peach Aphid
Most economically damaging APHID in the world. Attacks 875+ plant species. Transmits 100+ plant viruses.
Mediterranean Fruit Fly
Most economically destructive global fruit pest. Attacks 250+ plant species. Hundreds of millions in CA control costs.
Yellow-Faced Bumblebee
Most widespread western NA native bumblebee. Diagnostic BRIGHT YELLOW FACE PATCH. Pacific NW commercial pollinator.
Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee
Second-most important managed pollinator on Earth. Essential for ALFALFA SEED PRODUCTION worldwide.
Mining Bee
Solitary mining bee. Obligate WILLOW pollen specialist. Forms massive 50,000-burrow nesting aggregations.
Squash Bee
OBLIGATE squash specialist. Co-evolved with Cucurbita. Allowed pre-Columbian squash agriculture to spread north.
Olive Fruit Fly
Single most important pest of olive production worldwide. Major Mediterranean economic threat.
Polka-Dot Wasp Moth
Brilliant metallic BLUE-BLACK with white POLKA DOTS and bright RED abdomen tip. Oleander pest in southern US.
Tomato Hornworm (Five-spotted Hawkmoth)
Major NA garden pest. Big green caterpillar with BLACK HORN. Adult is gray sphinx with FIVE yellow spot pairs.
Apple Maggot Fly
Foundational SYMPATRIC SPECIATION case study. Two host races shifting from hawthorn to apple since the 1860s.
Forest Tent Caterpillar
Despite the name, builds silk MATS on tree trunks (not tents). 10-12 year cyclic outbreaks defoliate NA forests.
Asian Longhorned Beetle
Invasive wood-boring beetle. Threatens NA maple forests. $700M USDA eradication effort.
Black Soldier Fly
Larvae are the foundation of MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR global insect-protein industry. Bioconverts waste into feed.
Buffalo Treehopper
Bright green treehopper with a dramatic TRIANGULAR HORN that makes it look like a miniature bison.
Hessian Fly
Major wheat pest. Brought to NA in 1776 by Hessian mercenaries. Foundational gene-for-gene coevolution model.
Japanese Beetle
Most polyphagous invasive beetle in NA. Eats 300+ plant species. $460M annual damage.
Differential Grasshopper
Major NA crop-pest grasshopper. HERRINGBONE-PATTERNED hind legs. Outbreak swarms cause massive crop damage.
Giant Swallowtail
LARGEST butterfly in North America. Caterpillar = the 'orange dog' citrus pest that mimics BIRD DROPPINGS.
Common Eastern Bumblebee
Most widespread NA native bumblebee. Foundation of NA commercial bumblebee pollination. BUZZ pollinator.
Convergent Lady Beetle
Native NA ladybug. Mass-overwinters in Sierra Nevada aggregations. Most commercially-collected biocontrol agent.
Western Conifer Seed Bug
The flying-leaf bug that invades your house in autumn. Foul defensive odor. LEAF-LIKE expansions on hind legs.
Yellow Sac Spider
Most common indoor spider in NA. Cause of most 'spider bite' reports. CHEWS through fuel-system plastic.
Cattle Warble Fly (Heel Fly)
Larvae burrow into cattle legs, migrate ALONG THE SPINAL CORD, and exit from 'warbles' on the back.
Cluster Fly
Larvae burrow INTO living earthworms. Adults form thousands-strong winter aggregations in attics.
Green Bottle Fly
FDA-approved for medical maggot therapy. Eats dead tissue, kills MRSA, stimulates healing.
Texas Leafcutter Ant
US leafcutter ant. 1-2 million workers per colony. Excavates 8m-deep underground fungus farms.
Horse Bot Fly
Lays eggs on horse's front legs. Horse licks. Larvae develop in mouth, then attach to stomach wall for 10 months.
House Cricket
Most globally significant edible insect. Domesticated for food in 30+ countries. Chirp rate = temperature.
German Yellowjacket
Most cosmopolitan invasive yellowjacket. NZ has 10x more biomass than native pollinators. 5,000-worker colonies.
Hornet Moth
Moth that mimics a European hornet so well even entomologists are fooled. Wings are transparent.
Dark-Winged Fungus Gnat
The houseplant pest. NZ cousin glows in caves to attract prey. Major greenhouse vector.
Red-Blue Checkered Beetle
Iridescent red-and-blue. Adult pollinator. Larva hitchhikes on bees and eats their brood.
Birch Sawfly
Most ancient Hymenoptera lineage. 'Saw' ovipositor cuts plant slits for eggs. Larva shoots wax.
Ten-Lined June Beetle
Largest western US scarab. Squeaks audibly when grabbed. Males have feathered antennae.
White Plume Moth
Wings divided into feathered plumes. Forms a 'T' silhouette at rest. Family of 1,500 species.
Acorn Weevil
Female's snout is half her body length — drills through acorn shells. Cause of acorn 'wormholes.'
Cigarette Beetle
Eats tobacco, spices, dried herbs, museum specimens. Yeast endosymbiont detoxifies the nicotine.
Cochineal Insect
Source of carmine red dye for 2,000+ years. Aztec second-most-valuable trade after gold. In your lipstick.
Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
Beneficial garden pollinator + predator. Looks like military uniform. Gathers on goldenrod by the hundreds.
Western Corn Rootworm
The 'billion-dollar bug.' Resistant to every insecticide AND to Bt corn traits. Invading Europe.
Chinese Mantis
Largest mantis in North America. Eats hummingbirds at feeders. Sold as 'beneficial' garden biocontrol.
Cottony Cushion Scale
Almost destroyed California citrus in 1888. Saved by 130 imported Australian ladybeetles. Founded biocontrol.
New World Screwworm Fly
Larvae eat living flesh. Eradicated from US by sterile-male flooding in 1966. Foundational pest control success.
Granulate Ambrosia Beetle
Insect farmer. Carries fungus in body pouches, plants it in tree tunnels, eats the harvest. 60M years old.
Asian Needle Ant
Painful sting comparable to a wasp. Anaphylaxis documented. Displacing native ants in eastern US.
Boll Weevil
Devastated US cotton — $22 billion in damage. Has a statue in Alabama. ERADICATED from the US in 2010.
European Fire Ant
Invasive in Metro Vancouver since 2010s. Sharp burning sting. Excludes native ants from infested soil.
Mexican Bean Beetle
A vegetarian ladybeetle. Skeletonizes bean leaves. Major US bean crop pest.
Mormon Cricket
Wingless katydid that marches in millions across western US rangeland. Saved Utah crops in 1848 by seagulls.
Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle
USDA introduced her as biocontrol — she displaced native ladybeetles, invades homes by the thousands, bites.
Odorous House Ant
Smells like rotten coconut when crushed. Most common indoor ant in North America. Budding colony defeats spray.
Two-Spotted Spider Mite
0.5 mm. Damages 1,100+ plant species. Genome reveals extreme detox-gene arsenal — resistant to almost every miticide.
Eastern Tent Caterpillar
Builds silken tent nests in spring cherry trees. Causes Kentucky horse abortion epidemics.
Fall Webworm
Drapes branch tips in silken webs in late summer. Native invasive across Europe and Asia since 1940s.
Greater Wax Moth
Caterpillar DIGESTS plastic — first discovered in 2017. 40,000× faster than environmental degradation.
Pine Processionary Caterpillar
Marches in head-to-tail processions of hundreds. Bristles cause anaphylaxis. Kills dogs.
Tobacco Hornworm
10 cm green caterpillar with red 'horn.' Major model organism. Devastates tomato gardens.
Firebrat
Silverfish's heat-loving cousin. Lives behind ovens at 40°C. 400 million years old.
Spongy Moth (formerly Gypsy Moth)
Renamed from 'gypsy moth' in 2022. Released in Massachusetts in 1869. Has defoliated tens of millions of acres.
Squash Bug
Dominant pest of squash and pumpkins. Vector of cucurbit yellow vine disease.
White-Marked Tussock Moth
Bright yellow caterpillar with white tufts and black horns. Bristles cause stinging dermatitis. Female is flightless.
Varied Carpet Beetle
Eats wool and fur like clothes moths. Used by museums to clean every skeleton on display.
Webbing Clothes Moth
Larvae digest keratin — the protein in wool, fur, silk. Adults don't eat. $1B+ in textile damage per year.
Colorado Potato Beetle
Most pesticide-resistant insect on Earth. Resistant to 56+ different insecticides. Devastates potato crops globally.
Emerald Ash Borer
Killed 100 million ash trees since 2002. Most economically destructive forest insect ever introduced to North America.
Khapra Beetle
Most-feared stored grain pest. Larvae survive YEARS without food. One specimen triggers container fumigation.
Red Flour Beetle
Most cosmopolitan stored-grain pest. Second insect ever to have her genome sequenced. Key model organism.
Black Fly (Buffalo Gnat)
Bites livestock and humans in clouds. African subgroup vectors river blindness. Public-health success story.
Common Ground Beetle
40,000 species of beneficial ground predators. Eats slugs, caterpillars, weed seeds. Iridescent.
Asian Longhorned Beetle
Asian invader. Has killed 130,000+ US trees since 1996. Glossy black with white spots and impossibly long antennae.
Scarlet Malachite Beetle
Britain's most beautiful beetle. Emerald-green with scarlet wing tips. Critically declining.
Cabbage White
Most agriculturally damaging butterfly on Earth. $200M+ in US damage per year. Loves cabbage.
Crane Fly
Third major 'daddy long legs.' Actually a fly. Larva is a turf pest. Adult cannot eat.
Horse Fly
Slices the skin with scissor-mandibles. Eyes glow rainbow-iridescent. Most painful fly bite on Earth.
Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter
Vector of Pierce's disease — wiped out California vineyards. Has gear teeth in her legs to jump.
Pea Aphid
Female gives live birth to clones already pregnant with their own clones. Photosynthesizes. Trillions of her.
Meadow Spittlebug
Lives in a froth-bubble of her own waste. Adults jump at 400g — highest acceleration of any animal. Olive disease vector.
Giant Peacock Moth
Largest moth in Europe. 20 cm wingspan. The species that proved insect pheromones exist in 1879.
Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee
Cuts perfectly round leaf discs and rolls them into cigar-cells. Backbone of US alfalfa seed industry.
Blue Orchard Mason Bee
One female pollinates as many fruit blossoms in a day as 100 honey bees. Solitary. Gentle. Builds with mud.
Booklouse (Psocid)
1 mm. Eats the mold on your books. All female. Cosmopolitan museum and library pest.
Cave Cricket (Spider Cricket)
Jumps AT you when scared because she can't see far. The basement 'spricket.' 250 million years old.
Tawny Crazy Ant
Neutralizes fire ant venom. Displaces fire ants. Shorts out electrical gear by sheer mass.
Eastern Subterranean Termite
$5 BILLION in US damage per year. Built from cockroaches. Mud tubes from soil to your studs.
Formosan Subterranean Termite
Super-termite. 10 million workers per colony. Carton nests the size of an oven.
Silverfish
400 million years old. Predates wings. Lives 8 years. Mates by floor-deposited sperm packet.