LEDPIDOPTERAButterflies, 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

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

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

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-3-hIj-6cs

GYPSY MOTH

CONTROL• Predator and fungus release

– Success– 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

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

JAPANESE BEETLE

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

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWltkUZgZPc

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)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_5tBnvCj3s

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

BARK BEETLES

BARK BEETLES

BARK BEETLES

MONITORING

• Declining branches– Break open

• Pheromone traps

Pheromone Repellent

• http://www.forestrydistributing.com/en/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

Squash Borer

Squash Borer

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

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SSt1kNMahE

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)

• http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/Red.Bay.htm

Red Bay Ambrosia Beetle

• Discoloration of outer sapwood

Red Bay Ambrosia Beetle

• May push out “stick” as it feeds