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Looking for information on a specific
insect? Below you will see links to each of the insects covered here.
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Ambrosia Beetles:
Ambrosia beetles bore inside and feed
on fleshy tissue under the bark surface of trees. The external signs of
ambrosia beetles are small piles of white boring dust on the surface of
the target plant. The term "ambrosia" refers to the fungus that the
insect carries with it into the host plant. Growth of the fungus in the
wood produces a black and gray stain surrounding the beetle tunnels.
Removal of the affected plant is the best means of controlling damage
done by ambrosia beetles.
Click here to see images of Ambrosia Beetle damage.
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Aphids:
Aphids are small (about 1/4 inch in length),
soft bodied insects that may vary in color from green to yellow to black.
Some species are winged during certain times of the year. Generally, aphids
can be recognized by their cornicles, a pair of tube like structures
projecting from the rear of their bodies. They are frequently found in large
numbers clustered together in the backs of leaves or on the stems of new
growth. Aphids suck the chlorophyll from plant material causing
discoloration of foliage.
Wooly Aphids feed in a similar
fashion to other aphids, but these are best identified by the white waxy
strands that surround them and the plant material on which they feed.
Click here to see images of Aphid damage.
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Bagworms:
Bagworms are caterpillars that live
inside spindle shaped bags which they construct to protect themselves
against birds and other enemies. The bags are made of silken threads and
foliage, and they often times go unnoticed until damage begins to become
evident on the host plant.
Bagworms mainly feed on needled
evergreens such as Leyland cypress, juniper, and arborvitaes. They are
most active in the late summer. They can cause broad spread defoliation
to host plants.
The worms enter and exit the bag as
they feed. They continue to expand the bag as they grow larger. When
they mature, female bagworms lay as many as 1000 eggs in the bag. These
eggs pass the winter in the bag, and they emerge the next summer to
feed, grow and reproduce.
Click here to see images of Bagworm damage.
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Japanese Beetles:
Adult Japanese Beetles are 3/8-inch
long metallic green beetles with copper-brown wing covers. Adults emerge
from the ground and begin feeding on plants in June. Individual beetles live
about 30-45 days. Activity is concentrated over a four to six week period,
beginning in July, after which the beetles gradually die. They usually feed
in groups, starting at the top of a plant and working downward. They prefer
plants exposed to direct sunlight. Adults feed on the upper surface of
foliage, chewing out tissue between leaf veins. This gives the leaf a
characteristic skeletonized appearance. They tend to do little feeding on
thick, tough leaves.
Click here to see images of Japanese Beetle damage.
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Lacebugs:
Lacebugs get their name from the
appearance of the area behind their head and the wing covers. The area forms
a lacelike covering over the body of the insect. They are 1/8 to 1/4 inch in
length and are partially transparent. Lace bug damage appears on the upper
leaf surface as white to yellow chlorotic spots and the lower leaf surfaces
will be cluttered with black spots and the old cast skins of immature
lacebugs.
Click here to see images of Lacebug damage.
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Leaf Miners:
The adult forms of leaf miners are 
small wasps or flies. These adults lay eggs on the undersides of broadleaf
evergreens and deciduous trees. The eggs hatch within a few weeks, and
the larvae then enter the leaf through the midrib.
The young pass the winter inside the
leaves, and then begin to feed on the fleshy soft leaf tissue in the
spring as they continue to mature. Although the leaf miners do not
generally move from leaf to leaf, a heavy population of these insects
can cause widespread aesthetic damage to the host plant.
Click here to see images of Leaf Miner damage.
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Oakworms:
Extensive defoliation can occur to
oak trees between May and September due to oakworm infestations. Young
larvae chew all the way through the leaves, and cause a skeletonized
look on oak trees.
Oakworms mature to about one inch in
length. They are best identified by the dark stripes running down the
length of their bodies. The mature larvae molt into moths.
Click
here to see images of Oakworm damage.
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Scale:
Scale insects are small, soft-bodied
insects that secrete a protective covering over their bodies. These
coverings vary in color from white to red to black. Some are flattened
while others are more turtle shaped. This covering protects the scale
and makes control difficult. Scales insects are most easily controlled
when insecticide applications are timed during their early development
stages.
Click here to see images of Scale damage.
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Spider Mites:
Spider mites are most often found on
the backs of leaves and on the new growth of needled plants. They are so
small they can barely be seen with the unaided eye. Adults are
oval-shaped and have eight legs and no antennae or wings. Spider mites
cause yellowing of leaf and needle material by sucking out the
chlorophyll.
Click here to see images of Spider Mite damage.
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Tent Caterpillars:
Tent caterpillars are attractively
colored larvae that reach about 1 1/2 inches in length. They have a few
long hairs on their bodies, mostly along the sides. They are commonly
seen in the early spring closely associated with the webs or "tents"
they construct in the crotch of small limbs on their host plant. This
tent serves as a refuge for the larvae during the night and during rainy
weather. They have only one generation per year.
Click here to see images of Tent Caterpillar damage.
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Whiteflies:
Whitefly adults resemble small
gnats. They range in size from 1/10 to 1/16 of an inch and have four
broad, delicate, milk white wings. The immature whiteflies are attached
to the underside of leaves. They are oval, flattened and yellow to
almost transparent. Whiteflies often occur in tremendous numbers. When a
heavily infested plant is disturbed, the air is filled instantly with a
white cloud of these insects.
Click here to see images of Whitefly damage.
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