Ornamental pests
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Silverleaf whitefly, also known as the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae; Fig. 1), attack a wide range of plants, from ornamentals to warm-season vegetables in the U.S. Whiteflies are active from mid-July to mid-October and are found gather together on the underside of the leaves during the daytime (Fig. 2). Although 76 whitefly species are known to exist in the southeastern U.S., only a few species, such…
Posted in: Turfgrass insect pest -
The Joro spider, Trichonephila clavata, (Fig. 1) is a native of Japan and east Asia that was first documented in the US in 2014 in NE Georgia (Fig. 2). The initial infestation was centered around Braselton and Hochton, GA along I-85. By 2022 the spiders had spread about 75 miles in all directions from that…
Posted in: Ornamentals -
The box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis (Fig. 1) is an invasive pest of boxwood (Buxus spp.). It was introduced in New York in 2021 and is now reported in Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and South Carolina—and a distribution center in Tennessee. It is not reported in Georgia. The native range of box tree moth…
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Scale insects are very common pests of landscape trees and shrubs yet are often overlooked when scouting. They can, however, be responsible for chlorosis, branch dieback, or, ultimately, death of the plant. Wax scales fall into the soft scale group as they produce soft, cottony, powdery, or waxy covers that cannot be separated from the…
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The dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris), can be a destructive pest of many ornamental trees in nurseries and landscapes. Adults of dogwood borer are moths (Fig. 1). Because the wings of these moths are clear, they are referred to as clearwing moths. The name “dogwood borer” was derived because they readily attack flowering dogwood, Cornus florida L., common in…
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Distribution Thrips parvispinus is an invasive thrips species recently reported in Georgia (Fig. 1). It is widespread in Florida. In 2020, it was first reported and identified in the continental US from Florida. Previously, it was reported from Hawaii. It is native to Asia (such as China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and the Philippines) and…
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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…
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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 -
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…
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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…
Posted in: Ornamental pests -
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