Recent Posts
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The flatheaded appletree borer (FAB) (Chrysobothris femorata) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) (Fig. 1) is a polyphagous (feeds on multiple tree species) pest native throughout North America that impacts specialty crops such as fruit, nut, and ornamental trees. In Georgia, nursery growers face mild to moderate levels of infestation depending on local beetle population size and favorable environmental…
Posted in: Ornamental pests -
The lantana lace bug, Teleonemia scrupulosa Stål(Tingidae: Hemiptera), is a serious pest of lantana (Lantana camara L.). Although lantana is regarded as an invasive weed in the U.S. and worldwide, many popular cultivars are sold and planted in residential and public ornamental landscapes and gardens. Previously, the lantana lace bug was introduced deliberately to several countries…
Posted in: Ornamental pests -
Plant feeding mites can cause serious damage in turfgrass systems, and drought-stressed turfgrass is particularly prone to mite infestation. Mites are generally active in turfgrasses from spring into fall. They feed on plant sap and, in some cases, also inject toxins into plant tissues or manipulate plant growth, thereby producing characteristic symptoms. Some mites do…
Posted in: Turfgrass insect pest -
The fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury)(Lepidoptera: Erebidae) (Fig. 1) is a polyphagous caterpillar pest of ornamentals and trees in Georgia. It is known to feed on more than 600 species of plants including row crops, herbaceous plants, shrubs, fruit and ornamental trees in orchards, nurseries and landscapes. Fall webworm larvae construct a silk web nesting…
Posted in: Ornamental pests -
Chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis (Fig. 1) is a recently invasive thrips species in the United States. Currently, chilli thrips infest more than 150 crops worldwide including strawberries, cotton, tea, citrus, and peppers as well as many ornamental plants. The pest has become increasingly problematic in nurseries because of its wide host range, small size, rapid…
Posted in: Ornamental pests -
The redheaded flea beetle (RHFB), Systena frontalis (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) (Fig. 1) is a serious insect pest in ornamental nurseries. It is also referred to as cranberry flea beetle in cranberry and blueberry systems in the northern US. The adult RHFB causes serious feeding damage to the foliage of a variety of woody and herbaceous container…
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Introduction The sugarcane beetle (Euetheola humilis, family: Scarabaeidae) (Fig. 1) has been an important pest for over 100 years in many crops, including sugarcane, corn, sweet potato, and rice. It is a native species and is commonly found in turfgrass. A low number of beetles in an area is not generally considered a pest. This…
Posted in: Turfgrass insect pest -
In the 1800s the multiflora rose was introduced into the United States from Japan, China, and Korea. Beginning in the 1930s, the USDA encouraged the use of multiflora roses because they were said to be ideal for erosion control and living fences, making them a popular choice for planting throughout the United States. It wasn’t…
Posted in: Turfgrass insect pest -
Tea scale, Fiorinia theae (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) (Fig. 1), is a serious economic pest of several ornamental plants in nurseries and landscapes in Georgia, including camellias and hollies. Tea scale is an armored scale that causes chlorosis (yellowing) of the leaf tissue, and under severe infestations, plants may die. They undergo multiple overlapping generations per year…
Posted in: Turfgrass insect pest -
The crape myrtle bark scale, Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Fig. 1) (CMBS), is an emerging threat to crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.) in Georgia. As the name indicates, this scale pest attacks the bark of crape myrtle, the only known scale insect that infests crapemyrtle bark. A native of Asia, CMBS was first confirmed in Dallas, Texas, in 2004. Since…
Posted in: Ornamental pests