LEDPIDOPTERA Butterflies, moths, and skippers

LEDPIDOPTERA Lepis: scales Ptera: wings Complete Larva: chewing 2 pair Covered with scales (powdery) Butterfly: hold wings vertically Moth: flat, roof-like, or curled around body

LEDPIDOPTERA Bacillus thurengiensis (Bt) Butterfly is diurnal (day) Pupa referred to as chrysalis Moth is nocturnal (nocturnal) Pupa in silken cocoon or leaf litter

BAGWORM Larva-in-a-bag Bag is silk and foliage/debris

BAGWORM Adults do not feed Female: wingless, grublike; never leaves bag Lays eggs in bag then dies (1000 eggs/bag)

BAGWORM Male: small, brown clear wing moth Mates, dies

BAGWORM HOST Mostly conifers (junipers and arborvitae) Some deciduous

BAGWORM DAMAGE Skeletonizer of foliage

BAGWORM MONITOR Visual inspection for bags in June

BAGWORM CONTROL Handpick and destroy Parasitic wasp provide control, often after damage done Pheromone used to disrupt mating

AZALEA CATERPILLAR

HOST Azaleas

AZALEA CATERPILLAR DAMAGE Defoliate branch Feed in large groups at end of branches in late summer

AZALEA CATERPILLAR MONITOR Visually inspect in late July Tend to repeat on same hosts

AZALEA CATERPILLAR CONTROL Prune or handpick

WEBWORMS Fall webworm: web at end of branches in July to fall

WEBWORMS Tent caterpillar: web in crotches in spring

WEBWORMS Mimosa webworm: upstate on mimosa and honeylocust

Spiders

WEBWORMS HOSTS Just about anything woody Prunus species, pecans especially

WEBWORMS DAMAGE Defoliates branches Mainly visual

WEBWORMS MONITORING Visually inspect plants

WEBWORMS CONTROL Pruning or remove nest Difficult to penetrate nest for other control

GYPSY MOTH Dark larva with red dots Adult: white female with inverted V Introduced from Europe in 1887 –Escaped from silkworm research

GYPSY MOTH HOST Most serious pest of NE deciduous plants

GYPSY MOTH

DAMAGE Complete defoliation by larva Feed at night, crawl down to hide in bark and litter Weakens host… susceptible to other pests

GYPSY MOTH MONITORING Burlap wrap of trunk to count larvae

GYPSY MOTH MONITORING Pheromone traps Egg mass counts in winter watch?v=N-3-hIj-6cshttp:// watch?v=N-3-hIj-6cs

GYPSY MOTH CONTROL Predator and fungus release –SuccessSuccess –The dramatic decline of the gypsy moth population in New Jersey is due to the combination of effective treatments in spring of 2009 and the impacts of predatory parasites and natural fungus that kill gypsy moth caterpillars, according to Douglas Fisher, the state’s agriculture secretary.

LEAFROLLERS Indistinct green larva Roll leaves or tie leaves together for protection

LEAFROLLERS HOST Sweetgums (tiers), canna (rollers)…

Vinca Leaf Roller

COLEOPTERA beetles and weevils

COLEOPTERA Coleos: sheath Ptera: wing Complete Chewing Wings: –Front: hardened (elytra), not for flight –Back: membranous Larva are grubs

WHITE GRUBS C-shaped larva Several different species are a pest

WHITE GRUBS Identify species by rastral pattern

WHITE GRUBS Identify species by rastral pattern

WHITE GRUBS

Weevils are legless white grubs

WHITE GRUBS HOST Turf Lush, high irrigation and fertilization Many are harmless, feed on OM

WHITE GRUBS DAMAGE Consume roots in late summer Water stress spots in mid-August

WHITE GRUBS MONITOR Direct sample (8 to 12 grubs / sq ft) Pull water stressed spots in August –Mole crickets?

WHITE GRUBS CONTROL Milky spore, Japanese beetle only

JAPANESE BEETLE Larva: white grub The grub was introduced in 1916 from Japan on Iris roots

JAPANESE BEETLE

HOST Larva: turf roots Adult: rose, Prunus, maple, other woody plants…

JAPANESE BEETLE DAMAGE Larva: feed on turf roots Adult: June to September

JAPANESE BEETLE DAMAGE Tissue between veins (young leaves) Lacey symptoms

JAPANESE BEETLE DAMAGE Also eat fruit and blossoms

JAPANESE BEETLE MONITOR Pheromone traps Branch beating adults

JAPANESE BEETLE CONTROL Larva: Milky spore disease, nematodes, insecticide Established woody can tolerate

WEEVILS Snouts beetles Many flightless (elytra fused) Larva: legless grubs

WEEVILS HOST Whitefringed beetle: Azalea Palmetto weevil: Palms Other weevils, most other woody plants…

WEEVILS Whitefringed beetle

WEEVILS DAMAGE: Whitefringed beetle Adults: notched symptoms on foliage in July

WEEVILS CONTROL: Whitefringed beetle Plants tolerant in Lowcountry

WEEVILS Palmetto weevil

WEEVILS DAMAGE: Palmetto weevil Dying or weak palm gives off scent Male locates susceptible palm, releases pheromone

WEEVILS DAMAGE: Palmetto weevil Larva feeds on crown “Breaks” the neck kUZgZPchttp:// kUZgZPc

WEEVILS CONTROL: Palmetto weevils Insecticides no good once infested Cut down before adult emerges Mass trapping and sanitation

BARK BEETLES Size of rice Dark, red, brown, or black Southern Pine Beetle

BARK BEETLES Vectors blue stain fungus

BARK BEETLES Larvae tunnel called galleries (packed with frass)

BARK BEETLES HOST Pine, spruce… Plants in weakened state (predisposed) BnvCj3shttp:// BnvCj3s

BARK BEETLES DAMAGE Larvae tunnel through the phloem Pitch around boring holes Sawdust below Further weaken host

BARK BEETLES DAMAGE European Elm Bark Beetle –1904 in Boston Attacks American Elms and introduces spores of the Dutch Elm Disease (DED)

BARK BEETLES

MONITORING Declining branches –Break open Pheromone traps

Pheromone Repellent verbenone-pine-beetle-repellent- pouch-retailhttp:// verbenone-pine-beetle-repellent- pouch-retail

BARK BEETLES CONTROL Avoid unseasoned firewood storage near hosts –Cover with plastic for several months Destroy infected branches Systemic insecticides do NOT work once there are symptoms Some resistant varieties, such as Valley Forge American elm

BORERS Flathead borers Legless grub

BORERS Flathead borers Metallic adults (copper, blue, green) Steamlined, bullet shaped Grooved wings

BORERS Flathead borers

BORERS Roundhead borers

BORERS Roundhead borers Long antennae (long horn beetles)Long antennae (long horn beetles)

BORERS HOST Predisposed trees Mostly deciduous Rarely attack healthy host

BORERS DAMAGE Larvae bore throughout tree Finish off dying host

Squash Borer

BORERS MONITOR Limb dieback Boring holes wet or oozing

BORERS (179) MONITOR Limb dieback Boring holes wet or oozing

BORERS CONTROL Avoid unseasoned firewood storage near hosts Destroy infected branches Systemic insecticides do NOT work t1kNMahEhttp:// t1kNMahE

TWIG BEETLES Twig borer Lay eggs in twig and introduce Ambrosia fungus Larva feed on fungus Pupate in twig before winter

TWIG BEETLES Twig borer HOST Southern Magnolia, redbud, dogwood…

TWIG BEETLES Twig borer DAMAGE Small branches wilting and dying Hole located at base Does not harm the health on host

Red Bay Ambrosia Beetle Decimating red bay trees Red bay wilt (closely related to DED) as.ufl.edu/News%2 0columns/Red.Bay. htmhttp://okeechobee.if as.ufl.edu/News%2 0columns/Red.Bay. htm

Red Bay Ambrosia Beetle Discoloration of outer sapwood

Red Bay Ambrosia Beetle May push out “stick” as it feeds