Studies were conducted to identify the common phytophagous insects that feed onTyphaspp. (cattails) in Minnesota and to quantify the extent of insect herbivory in natural stands. Six lepidopterans and two aphids were noted to feed onTyphashoots. The most common herbivorous insect in natural stands was the miner-borerArchanara oblongaGrt. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The noctuidBellura obliquaWalk, was the most common miner-borer in newly planted cultivated stands. NineteenTyphastands were sampled in midsummer to quantify the extent of insect herbivory. Overall, about 15 percent of shoots showed some evidence of insect herbivory. Eight percent of damaged shoots had damage to upper leaves attributable to lepidopteran miner-borers (chieflyA. oblonga). Five percent of shoots had stem damage. Less than one percent of shoots were damaged by leaf-chewing insects.Typha latifoliastands were more heavily infested than those ofT. angustifoliaorT. glauca. Stands located in southern Minnesota were much more heavily infested than those in northeastern Minnesota. Water depth and shoot nitrogen content did not have a significant effect on infestation rate. The majority of infested shoots suffered minor damage (i.e., <20% reduction in leaf area). Much of the damage caused by lepidopteran miner-borers was indirect. Although naturalTyphastands and small cultivated plots are occasionally susceptible to heavy infestations of phytophagous insects, it seems unlikely that insect pests would hamperTyphabio-energy production in Minnesota.