SIREX WOOD WASP
• Pest of most southern pines, particularly loblolly.
• Native of Europe, Asia and North Africa.
• We have more than a dozen species of horntail wasp. No good keys
to immature forms. Sirex is distinguished from native species by
dark blue or black metallic body, reddish-yellow legs and all-black
antenna.
• Problem in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont.
• Damage caused by larvae boring and tunneling in wood causing
bleeding as shown.
• Researchers working on biocontrol using a nematode.
• APHIS and Forest Service are working on lures and traps for
detection and management.
EMERALD ASH BORER
• Initially found in Michigan near Detroit in
summer 2002.
• Infestations in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Maryland and Tennessee.
• Small, bright, metallic-green, flat-headed
borer that infests all ash trees.
• Maryland removed 20,000 ash trees to try
to manage this pest.
• Killed 20 million trees in Michigan, Ohio
and Indiana.
• Woodpeckers feed heavily on this pest,
and heavy woodpecker feeding injury to
trees is a good indicator of infestation.
CHILI THRIP
• Found in Florida in October 2005.
• Serious pest with a wide range of distribution and occurring on a wide
host range including many crops. Economically important on
strawberries, citrus, cotton, soybeans, peanuts, tomatoes and grapes.
• Recorded on more than 100 hosts in 40 different families.
• Capable of spreading tomato spotted wilt virus on peanuts, tobacco
streak virus, peanut necrosis virus, and peanut chlorotic fan virus.
• Adult chili thrips have a pale body and dark wings. This is a very small
thrip.
• Reproduction is both sexually and parthenogenically.
• Appears to be spreading via Knock Out roses. Primarily a foliage feeder
causing crinkling, bronzing and defoliation of infested plants.
• Attacks primarily the new growth. If infestation is suspected, send
samples of 5 to 6 four-to-five-inch cuttings from the terminals of new
growth. Place them in a zip-lock bag and send in. Do not put in envelope
alone.
EGGS
CACTUS MOTH
• Found in Florida
in 1989.
.
• Range continues to expand along the Atlantic
and Gulf Coasts.
• Found as far north as Charleston, South
Carolina, and as far west as Mobile, Alabama.
• Moth has grayish forewings and white hind
wings. The larva is brightly colored and
striped black and orange. Feeds on the ears or
pods of Opuntia cactus under a silk webbing.
• Eggs are laid on top of each other forming a
chain that resembles the spines on the cactus.
• There is no satisfactory chemical management.
• Several known parasites are being studied for
biocontrol.
LAC LOBATE SCALE
YOUNG
ADULTS
• Found in Florida in 1999.
• Has been reported from several hosts and
locations in Florida.
• Possibly a pest as it infest several tropical and
subtropical fruits and many ornamentals.
• The resinous secretions of the scale produce a
very important product known as shellac, the
base for varnish.
• Young are light to dark reddish brown in color.
• The shape is globose with 4 lobes.
• Young more globose than adults.
• Young individuals usually appear as flat “bow
ties.”
• Adults are hard to control because of thick
resinous covering.
• 190 woody hosts in Florida.
WHITE WAX SCALE
• Ceroplastes destructor has 1 to 2 generations per year.
• Development depends on several factors, including
host species, temperature and water availability.
• Mortality is density dependent, density of parasitoids
and predators, and prolonged periods of extreme
temperatures.
• No known males; reproduction is probably
parthenogenic.
• Eggs are laid in protected concave chambers beneath
the females.
• They lay between 37 and 6,400 eggs, averaging between
1,750 and 1,775.
• Oviposition occurs over 10 to 14 days.
• Immatures tend to settle on the foliage while later
stages move to the young twigs and branches and remain
there through the remainder of their development.
• Requires 5 month to develop.
• Early stages are easier to control because adults have
accumulated heavy wax covering the body.
BAMBOO MEALY BUG
• First found in Orange County, Florida, in 2002.
• Only infests bamboo.
• Mealybug is grayish pink to red in color and
lacks lateral wax filaments but body is covered
with a fine, powdery wax.
• Found beneath the sheaths of bamboo.
• It is native to warmer climates and possibly will
have multiple generations per year.
• Heavy infestations of this mealybug have the
potential to cause abortion of shoots.
• Found in Australasian and Oriental Regions and
Orange County, Florida.
JAPANESE WAX SCALE
• Brownish purple wax-covered female has tiny legs and a
thick wax covering.
• No known males.
• Nymphs secrete wax tufts forming a star.
• Sever infestations of Japanese wax scale detract from
the host plant’s appearance because of the many white
scales and copious amounts of honeydew they excrete
and sooty mold development similar to Florida wax scale.
• Found from Florida to Maryland.
• Host include azalea, blueberry, camellia, Chinese elm,
citrus, fig, Chinese holly, yaupon, jasmine, mulberry, pear,
persimmon, plum, quince, Turks cap and other plants.
• Once feeding begins, they begin to secrete wax.
• Scales mature over the summer and overwinter as adults.
• Control is difficult unless treated in early stages due to
buildup of wax on scales body.
• Multiple applications may be needed because immatures emerge
over a 2-to-3 week period.
WOOLY WHITE FLY
• Serious pest of citrus and occasionally found in
trumpet flower.
• Found in Jefferson and Plaquemine parishes in 2007.
• Dense colonies of immatures are the most conspicuous
sign of an infestation.
• Immatures are covered by a mass of wax filaments
covering the surface superficially, resembling a tangled
mass of wool.
• Adults are small about 1/8 inch or less. Stems,
foliage and ground under infestations get covered with
sooty mold due to the high honeydew excretions.
• Honeydew can be observed dripping through the mass
covering the immatures.
• Ants tend these populations for the honeydew and can
reduce natural controls.
• The parasite Eretmocerus jimenezi has been collected
from the infestations in Jefferson Parish. Louisiana is a new
state and distribution record for this parasite and the
white fly.
• When infestations are first found, small removal of
infested foliage and then spraying effectively manages
this pest.
GIANT WHITE FLY
• Eggs are oviposited in a spiral pattern, and
white wax is deposited over each egg.
• Crawlers tend to remain within the egg spiral
and settle down to begin feeding.
• The 4th instar secretes long, glassy filaments
of wax that hang down from the leaf surface 10
to 12 inches.
• Adult males are noted by the long claspers at the
end of the abdomen.
• Populations may be so dense as to take your
breath away when disturbed.
• The entire broad leaf surface of ginger plants
can be completely covered by nymphs and adults.
• Life cycle requires about 35 days.
• Systemics do a good job of management and can
be supplemented with ultra fine oils when
sprayed.
• Adults have mottled wings and are very large.
BLACK FLY
• Initially found in Louisiana in 2002 in Lafourche Parish in
small populations that were easily managed. Since the
hurricanes many orchards were unmanaged and the
black fly population has exploded in Lafourche,
Plaquemine, Terrebonne and Vermilion parishes.
• Parasitoids work well to manage this pest but will have
to be brought in.
• Black flies infest citrus, mango, kumquat and pink
trumpet. They tend to infest the lower part of the trees.
• At emergence the adults are bright red with the front of
the head pale yellow. After 24 hours they turn slate
blue. Both the nymphs and eggs are black.
• Eggs are laid in a spiral. Each female can lay 2 to 3
spirals of 28 to 34 eggs .
• Eggs hatch in 5 to 9 days depending on temperature.
• Black fly nymphs are fed on by lady beetles, spiders and
lacewing larvae.
FIRE ANTS
• Fire ants are the number one pest in Louisiana. They are
beneficial to crops like sugarcane and cotton because they feed on
problem pests and help to reduce the number of sprays applied.
• The use of insect growth regulators such as Esteem, Extinguish,
Award, Extinguish Plus and Firestrike use the fire ants’ foraging
capabilities to manage it. These materials are safe, effective and
economical for the homeowner and farmer. These are not
insecticides but sterilants that sterilize the colony and the
queen so the colony dies from lack of replacement workers.
Once the queen is sterilized the colony gradually declines over 2 to 6 weeks
depending on the product used. When treating large areas, spreaders
can be borrowed from county agents for application. These materials are used
at 1 to 1 ½ pounds per acre.
• Other insecticides can be used to manage fire ants also. They
can be broadcast or used as mound treatments and are as
effective when used properly. Materials such as Talstar, Advion,
Top Choice and many others can be broadcast like the baits or
Orthene and Indoxicarb can be used to treat individual mounds
very effectively.
• For additional information contact your local county agent.