Pest News for Week of July 21st.

ORNAMENTALS AND TURF

From: Steve Frank, Extension Entomologist

Retailers to Labels Neonic-treated Plants

Scientific American is reporting (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/home-depot-looks-to-limit-pesticides-to-help-honeybees/) from Reuters that Home Depot, BJ’s Wholesale, and other smaller retailers will soon require vendors to label plants that have been treated with neonicotinoid insecticides. Neonicotinoids are among the most commonly used insecticides on ornamental crops and all crops. This class of chemicals includes imidacloprid, dinotefuran, thiamethoxam, acetamiprid, clothianidin, and others. Controversy around neonics revolves around their potential to harm bees and other pollinators. Like most insecticides, neonic are acutely toxic to bees on contact. Since neo-nicotinoids move systemically within plant tissue, they can also contaminate flower pollen and nectar that bees consume. Though this can negatively affect individual bees, the effects on bee populations are not yet known (and very hard to measure). Information about this was recently reviewed in two extension publications and a scientific paper (http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/281/1786/20140558.abstract). Of course, there is no news that these outlets will stop selling neonicotinoids to consumers. Nursery and greenhouse growers who produce crops for retail outlets should start figuring out alternative insecticides as this trend is likely to spread.

Potato Leafhoppers Cause Crinkled Leaves on Maples

This time of year the results of potato leafhopper feeding show up particularly in nurseries. Potato leafhoppers are a native insect, but mimic retired folks because they spend winters in Florida and the Gulf coast. From there adult potato leafhoppers, Empoasca fabae (Harris) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) migrate between late April and early June. Female potato leafhoppers oviposit along leaf veins and clustered at the base of leaves near the petiole. Development from egg to adult takes about three weeks depending on temperature resulting in five to six overlapping generations per year.

Adult E. fabae are 3 to 3.5 mm long, wedge-shaped, and pale green with a row of six, white spots on their backs, between the wings and head. Injury is caused by salivary phytotoxins injected into the plant phloem during feeding. Damaged leaves can have necrotic margins and severe cupping or stunting referred to as “hopperburn”. E. fabae feeding on buds and meristems causes loss of apical dominance and a witch’s “broom” can develop in which many stems grow from the apical tip of nursery trees and may require extra pruning to improve aesthetics and train a central leader.

Host plant resistance can play an important role in managing E. fabae and their damage. In general, red maple cultivars that break bud earliest in spring, including clones selected from northern provenances, will support the lowest numbers of E. fabae and sustain the least feeding injury by the conclusion of the growing season. Higher levels of foliar nutrient content, particularly nitrogen, will also predispose maples to injury due to increased oviposition, nymphal survival and development rate so do not go crazy with early fertilization. Mites, aphids, and other pests also appreciate high nitrogen provided by fertilizer.

Potato leafhopper arrival can be monitored using yellow sticky cards deployed above the canopy of young maple crop or in close proximity to outer canopy foliage. These traps should be deployed in early to mid-April across the mid-southern U.S. to detect early season arrival of migratory E. fabae adults which corresponds to approximately 591 degree-days. Pyrethroids can be applied bi-weekly starting at peak trap catch. However, many applications of pyrethroids may be needed to reduce E. fabae populations and damage. Pyrethroids can also cause outbreaks of other pests like mites by killing predators in the canopy. Alternatively, recent research indicates that systemic neonicotinoid insecticides applied as a drench can provide effective leafhopper control for two years. Systemic insecticide drenches need to be applied before leafhopper arrival and can help protect natural enemies within the nursery. Even though neonics can in some cases induce mite outbreaks I think it is still a less intensive approach in terms of both labor, active ingredient, and effects on non-target organisms.

Potato leafhopper. Photo: Steve L. Brown, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org.

From: Matt Bertone, Extension Entomologist

Hoppers, Hoppers Everywhere!

I continue to get reports of numerous hopper-like insects around North Carolina. These insects, planthoppers, froghoppers and leafhoppers (Auchenorrhyncha (http://bugguide.net/node/view/12745): Fulgoromorpha and Cicadomorpha), have been extremely abundant this year and can be found on many species of ornamental and food plants. The most common ones this year generally suck on the xylem, which is water-rich but low in nutrients. Thus, these insects produce a lot of honeydew (sugary water drops out of their anus) which can contribute to the growth of sooty mold (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sooty_mold). Otherwise, these insects generally do little harm to plants, although leafhoppers (especially sharpshooters in the subfamily Cicadellinae) can transmit the bacterial scorch/Pierce’s disease pathogen, Xylella fastidiosa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylella_fastidiosa). The following are some photos showing the most common types:

- Planthoppers (Fulgoroidea) -

Flatidae (http://bugguide.net/node/view/104)

Nymphal Metcalfa pruinosa, the citrus flatid (Flatidae), on a stem. Flatid planthoppers secrete a waxy field around them and rest in the middle, the barrier sometimes encompassing a great area but always housing one nymph in the center. Here the nymph was encouraged to move.

An adult Metcalfa pruinosa is grayish-blue with an orange eyes and black spots. In high numbers they can be a pest, but do not often attain such numbers.

This pale green flatid planthopper, Flatormenis proxima, is also common and its young are very similar to the one above.

Acanaloniidae

Nymphs of acanaloniid planthoppers (Acanalonia) are hump-backed and usually have a tuft of wax fibers coming from their tail end. They often hop when threatened, but otherwise walk along stems of plants.

Adult acanaloniid planthoppers are leaf-like and similar to flatids, but have wings that are completely reticulate, unlike flatids whose wings are bordered by rectangular cells (see above).

- Spittlebugs and froghoppers (Cercopoidea) -

Cercopidae s.l.  (http://bugguide.net/node/view/885448)

Nymphs of spittlebugs and froghoppers reside in a frothy mass of bubbles they create from gut secretions. Here they try to hide from predators while they suck on plant juices. This one is on a juniper.

Adult spittlebugs and froghoppers are usually shiny and readily hop when disturbed. Here is an adult clastopterid spittlebug. The two-lined spittlebug (http://bugguide.net/node/view/517) (Prosapia bicincta) is very common in North Carolina, where its young feed on grasses.

- Leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) -

Two sharpshooter nymphs (Proconiini, probably Oncometopia orbona) feeding on a new shoot of holly (Ilex). A drop of honeydew can be seen coming from the anus of the one on the right. Sharpshooters get their name from their constant ejecting of this liquid in long jets.

An adult broad-headed sharpshooter (Oncometopia orbona). These and their close relatives are among out largest leafhoppers.

The glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis) is a famous pest, often implicated in trans-mission of Xylella fastidiosa. The white patches on the wings of this adult female are made up of microscopic waxy rods called brochosomes. They are kicked onto the eggs to apparently protect them from predators and parasites.

Cuerna costalis is another pretty sharpshooter commonly found here in North Carolina on many plants.

Unlike the previous large (~1 cm) sharpshooters, many are small and brightly colored such as this common Graphocephala versuta (~5 mm long).

And now you should be able to identify all the nymphs in this photo (on one shoot of holly)!

From: Mike Munster, Plant Disease and Insect Clinic, and Steve Frank, Extension Entomologist

Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus in Chrysanthemum

A greenhouse-grown chrysanthemum was received in the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic on July 10, 2014, and diagnosed with Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) by Emma Lookabaugh. Symptoms consisted of dark leaf spots, lateral curling of the leaves at some of the spots, and at least one stem lesion. This is a common disease, but has not been diagnosed on chrysanthemum in North Carolina recently.

TSWV symptoms on Chrysanthemum.

Tomato spotted wilt occurs on hundreds of field and crops, including peanut, tobacco, tomato, pepper, and potato, as well as on a wide range of ornamentals. In the last 6 1/2 years, we have diagnosed it on the following ornamentals from commercial sources: African marigold, angel-wing begonia, calla lily, Cyclamen, Gaillardia, Gerbera, Senecio confusus, Lisianthus, Lobelia, Madagascar periwinkle, Sedum, and Stoke's aster. Its sister virus, INSV, is a frequent problem on many ornamentals.

A different sort of TSWV symptom on mum, from a different sample.

Both TSWV and INSV can cause a wide range of symptoms, including mottling, ringspots, stunting, and necrotic leaf and stem lesions. Both are members of the genus Tospovirus and are transmitted by minute insects called thrips*. One curious fact about this transmission is that the virus is acquired by the insect during its larval development, but then the insect itself becomes permanently infected. Of course the virus can be brought into a greenhouse with infected plants, and could be perpetuated through vegetative propagation.

Mottling and ringspot symptoms on TSWV-infected Senecio (left) and Stokesia (right).

These strategies against TSWV (and INSV) are recommended for greenhouse flower production:

* Avoid growing vegetable transplants and flowers in the same greenhouse, and avoid growing plants of different ages together.

* Screen greenhouse vents and air intakes (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/production/note104.html) to exclude thrips from entering the greenhouse.

*  Control weeds in and around the greenhouse. Many weeds are susceptible to tospoviruses and can serve as reservoirs of virus and thrips.

* Monitor greenhouses for thrips activity using blue or yellow sticky cards, with the top 2/3 of the card placed above the plant tops. Use two cards per 5000 sq. ft. of greenhouse area.

* Use insecticides to manage thrips populations when necessary. Remove flowers from plants before treatment since the interior of flowers rarely get adequate coverage. It is important to note that some thrips populations have developed insensitivity to commonly used insecticides. In addition, no insecticide can completely eliminate thrips. Utilize the most effective chemistries wisely by rotating insecticides by mode of action (IRAC class) with each application, or at least with every generation of thrips. Always follow label directions and check that products are labeled for the intended crop. Details on insecticides for thrips management can be found in the North Carolina State University Information Note on western flower thrips (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/flowers/ort072e/ort072e.htm) and the University of Florida's thrips management information (http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/lso/DOCUMENTS/ThripsManagementProgram-February%202011-FINAL.pdf).

If you suspect you have infected plants, we recommend having the diagnosis confirmed by a laboratory. Large growers with recurring problems may want to keep a supply of the simple lateral-flow ELISA tests on hand. Suppliers** include AC Diagnostics (http://www.acdiainc.com/) and Agdia (http://www.agdia.com/). There is no cure, so all infected plants must be removed and destroyed. The potting mix of these plants should also be discarded, as this is where the thrips vectors pupate. Eliminate old stock plants as these are often sources of thrips and viruses.

More information about TSWV in the following crops is also available:

* peanut (http://www.peanut.ncsu.edu/Diseases/Spotted_Wilt.aspx)

* tobacco (http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/plantpath/extension/fact_sheets/Tobacco_-_Tomato_Spotted_Wilt_Virus.htm)

* tomato (http://ncsupdicblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/attack-of-killer-tomato-spotted-wilt.html)

  *  Grammatical footnote: The word thrips is both singular and plural.

** Mention of trade names and companies does not imply endorsement by North Carolina State University or the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Pest News for Week of July 14th

ORNAMENTALS AND TURF

From: Steve Frank, Extension Entomologist

Bees and Neonicotinoids

Two recent publications will help growers, landscapers, retail outlets and the public understand the risks and benefits of neonicotinoid insecticides without the hype. These extension publications provide a balanced account of the current research and restrictions. Planting Garden Center Flowers is Good for Bees and Other Beneficial Insects (http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/planting_garden_center_flowers_is_good_for_bees_and_other_beneficial_insect) was published by Dr. Dave Smitley at Michigan State University.

The second, Neonicotinoid Pesticides and Honey Bees (http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/FS122E/FS122E.pdf) by Timothy Lawrence and Walter Sheppard at Washington State University, provides an accessible literature review of research related to honey bee exposure to neonicotinoids.

Maple Spider Mite

Maple spider mites (Oligonychus aceris) are common and damaging pests of maple trees throughout the Eastern United States. These spider mites overwinter on the trunk and branches of maple trees and migrate to the underside of leaves in the spring. Once there, they use their mouthparts to pierce leaf cells and feed on cell sap. This causes fine flecking called stippling and eventually leaves turn gray or brown after heavy feeding. Maple spider mites have multiple generations per year which enables them to become quite abundant during a single season. These pests are a more serious problem in nurseries due to the close proximity of potted trees and applications of broad spectrum insecticides like permethrin. For example, our research has shown (http://ecoipm.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/franksadof2011reprint.pdf) that applications of permethrin targeting ambrosia beetles can wipe out natural enemies and result in secondary maple spider mite outbreaks. Maple spider mites can also be abundant on landscape trees. Trees in parking lots and along roads are most likely to be infested.

Adult maple spider mite. Photo: A. G. Dale.

A hand lens or stereo microscope is necessary for correct identification of these mites, but damage is a good indicator of infestation. They are dark brown or red with hairs along their backs and have eight legs while some immature forms exhibit green coloration and have six legs. Red eggs of these mites can be found on tree limbs and yellow or clear eggs can be found on leaf surfaces. Treatment for these pests includes foliar applications of acaricides. Maple cultivars differ in susceptibility to maple spider mites and other maple pests like leafhoppers. A chapter in a recent free ibook, IPM for Select Deciduous Trees in Southeastern US Nursery Production (https://itunes.apple.com/book/id541182125?mt=11), describes more about management of maple pests and other tree pests. A recent article in Nursery Management (http://ecoipm.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/epson001.pdf) and a fact sheet (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/flowers/note25/note25.html) describes mite biology and management. This time of year trees may not be sold until fall so the condition of leaves is not as much of an issue. On landscape trees mite damage reduces fall color and summer color because leaves are gray, yellow, or brown instead of green.

Maple spider mite egg attached to tree bark. Photo: A. G. Dale.

Maple spider mite damage. Photo: A. G. Dale.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Pest News Update July 1 2011

ORNAMENTALS AND TURF

From: Steve Frank, Extension Entomologist

Fall Webworms Hatching

I found small nests of very young fall webworms, Hyphantria cunea, when I was hiking last weekend. Fall webworms feed on over 600 species of trees and shrubs. In North Carolina they are most often found on sourwood, persimmon and pecan. Fall webworms primarily cause cosmetic damage to shade trees because of the unsightly webs they form around the foliage on which they feed. Young caterpillars eat leaf surfaces so that only the tiny veins remain. This residue turns brown and collects in the web. Older caterpillars devour the entire leaf. Because they are most abundant in mid-late summer after the tree has had some time to store food, the weather is hot and rainfall less, a tree's life is rarely in danger. Fall webworms can be easily destroyed or disrupted by pulling down the webs and destroying he caterpillars if the webs are within reach of a stick or pole. This also exposes caterpillars to bird and wasp predation. Insecticides applications will not penetrate the tent so caterpillars can only be exposed by feeding on treated leaves near the nest. For additional information, see Ornamentals and Turf Insect Information at Note #46

Follow @OrnaPests on twitter for timely updates on ornamental pest activity.


Twospotted Spider Mites Abound!

The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, thrives in hot, dry weather like we have had lately. I have found many spider mites in the landscape . . . even on my poor Solomon’s Seal! It is important to scout for twospotted spider mites now because they reproduce most rapidly in hot dry weather. Under these conditions they can mature from egg to reproducing adult in 5 days! Nursery crops are especially susceptible because they may be exposed to more sun than landscape plants and receive more pesticides. Twospotted spider mites feed on over 100 plant species, sucking the fluid out of leaf cells. This ‘stippling’ damage can rapidly cause entire plants to take on a bronzed appearance. Look on the underside of leaves on susceptible hosts or beat foliage on a white piece of paper to scout for spider mites. If you notice mites or their damage, a range of control options are available, the best of which are several new miticides that provide long residuals and efficacy against all mite life stages. Broad spectrum insecticides will make mite populations worse by killing natural enemies. For more information and product suggestions visit the newly revised Ornamental and Turf Insect Information at: Note # 25l.


From: Emily Meineke and Steve Frank, Department of Entomology

Scale Picnic Beetles, Cybocephalus nipponicus (Endrody-Younga)

Scale picnic beetle adults are active now in North Carolina! The scale picnic beetle provides prolonged control of armored scale, such as Euonymous and San Jose scale.

C. nipponicus is native to China and Korea and was introduced into the U.S. in the 1990s to control euonymous scale. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture started a rearing program in the mid-1990s, and since its release, C. nipponicus programs have expanded. Researchers are currently using populations to control elongate hemlock scale, a serious secondary pest of hemlock stands stressed by the hemlock wooly adelgid.

C. nipponicus eat scale as larvae and as adults. Adults live for months and can reproduce several times. Staggered generations provide year-round control, and, unlike other similar beetles, C. nipponicus can survive when prey populations are low. Larvae develop and feed under waxy covers that protect them from direct exposure to pesticides. These tiny beetles are comparatively expensive to purchase, and populations establish over multiple years. However, natural C. nipponicus populations are present throughout North Carolina and provide background control of many landscape scale species.


Assassin Bugs (Family: Reduviidae)

Assassin bugs are members of the diverse, predatory family Reduviidae. They use their long stylet to pierce and liquefy caterpillars, aphids, and other pests. Several of these beneficial species live in North Carolina, including but not limited to the lurid assassin bug (Zelus luridus), the colorful assassin (Rhiginia cruciata), the masked hunter (Reduvius personatus), and the wheelbug (Arilus cristatus). Some species of assassin bug nymphs look similar to herbivorous true bugs, such as the leaf-footed bugs, that use their stylets to suck plant juices. There is a rudimentary way to tell the difference between these groups as immature insects. Pestiferous bugs that eat plants tend to congregate, while assassin bugs hunt alone.

Assassin bugs like varied plant structure to hunt within, and also high humidity. To encourage their populations on the lawn or beside the garden, you can plant tall native grasses and flowers.


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Pest News for June 27th

ORNAMENTALS AND TURF

From: Christine Nalepa and Whitney Swink, Research Specialists, North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

Hemlock Borers Collected by the Native Wasp Cerceris fumipennis in the North Carolina Mountains

The Beneficial Insects Laboratory of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services has been using the solitary wasp Cerceris fumipennis as a biosurveillance tool to monitor for the Emerald Ash Borer and other pest Buprestidae throughout the state Solitary Wasp. The wasps nest on the hard-packed sandy soil typical of baseball and softball diamonds. They forage for buprestid beetles in the canopy, bringing them back to the nest to feed their offspring. The pest survey consists of intercepting Cerceris females at the nest when they return from foraging trips, and collecting and identifying the beetles they carry.

In recent weeks Cerceris surveys in the mountains of the state indicate that the wasps are bringing in large numbers of hemlock borers (Melanophila fulvoguttata), a pest of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), throughout its natural range. Hemlock borers are secondary pests that can reach significant levels in hosts weakened by hemlock woolly adelgids and other pests (see the June 11, 2010 issue of the North Carolina Pest News at Hemlock Borer).

The Cerceris surveys suggest that hemlock borers may be at or near outbreak levels in some locations of the North Carolina mountains. Melanophila fulvoguttata to date has been collected in seven sites, in the cities of Andrews, Asheville, Franklin, Murphy, and Bryson City. In the latter, 97% (57 of 59) of the beetles collected from the wasps were hemlock borers. Specimens have been deposited in the North Carolina State University Insect Museum.


From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist

Where are the Green June Beetles?

We know that Mary had a little lamb, a little pork, a little jam. And she probably also had green June beetles. Expect to see them soon. They rarely do harm to landscape plants and do not harm people. They can be handled without fear. There are possible control measures available for larvae in turf and pasture (later in the season). I have rarely ever seen this justified in residential turf (unless your backyard used to be a pasture). Grubs are sometimes a problem in pastures and heavy manure-applied fields because they like the decaying organic matter. Adults are sometimes a problem in fruit trees and grapes. Adult populations should start to decline after two weeks and they should be gone after three to four weeks. Patience 25W* (a.i. time) is the best recommendation and can be applied without environmental concern. No, that's not a new pesticide, it's called waiting. For more information on green June beetles, see the following insect notes available on the web:

Green June Beetles
Green June Beetle Note

* Wait 25 days


Yellowjackets Building

Yellowjacket nests start from scratch each spring, as they do not reuse old nests. I've seen more yellowjackets out foraging recently. I've had one contact who reported disturbing a nest and being stung twice. If this episode had been a few weeks from now, I'm sure the number of stings would have been much greater. The nests are probably at their largest around the end of July. Wasps and yellow jackets are great predators of other flying insects and caterpillars.

Be aware of the potential for yellowjacket nests around shrubs and when mowing the lawn. Undisturbed "natural" areas in the landscape are good spots for them. They generally nest in the ground in loose-rooted areas at the base of shrubs and trees or below-ground rotted wood. Once-containerized plants that are now in the landscape often have voids where the media has degraded away. If the nest poses a stinging threat to humans or pets, control may be appropriate. Spray an aerosol hornet and wasp insecticide directly into the entrance hole at night. Don't use gasoline for a bunch of reasons! (Besides, it is too expensive.) Yellowjacket traps that are sold in stores (or homemade) have not been shown to be effective in North Carolina, though they make great conversation pieces in the yard.


Return of Oak Blotch Leafminers?

This week we received a report of an infestation of oak blotch leafminers in a Wake County neighborhood. The last outbreak I recall was about five years ago. Caterpillars of a small moth in the genus Cameraria mine in the leaves primarily of white oak (oak leaves with rounded lobes) leaving brown blotches. These blotches start small and may increase to the size of a dime or larger. There can be many blotches per leaf. There are several species of these moths that may attack oak leaves. Some of the caterpillars are gregarious and there may be several caterpillars in each blotch mine.

Now that the caterpillars are a bit larger, the mines are quite noticeable and the silvery blotches will begin to turn brown. A severe infestation can cause most of the leaf area to turn brown by mid-summer. Leaves may drop prematurely. Two or three generations could be possible per season.

Control by insecticides is not effective and not practical. Trees are not likely to be killed. These caterpillars are present every year, but it may be worse this year in some places. This insect overwinters as a larva in the leaf. Collecting and destroying fallen leaves may be a good idea this year. Oak trees often shed their leaves over a long period of time and may not drop them all until spring. If you are in an area surrounded by woods or neighbors with oak trees, there may be a plentiful supply of new caterpillars next year. Hopefully, the normally plentiful supply of parasitoid wasps will keep numbers lower.


Cicada Killer Wasps

The cicada killer wasps are beginning to emerge. Adult cicadas are caught and stung by this wasp, then dragged back to the nest. The most noticeable feature is often the large amount of soil excavated and mounded outside the burrow. Once in the nest, the female wasp lays her eggs on the cicada. Soon the egg hatches and the larva feeds on the cicada. When mature, the wasp larva pupates and another generation of wasps emerges to carry on the life cycle. This is one of our most "showy" wasps and the sight and sound of these coming and going is impressive. These wasps can be regarded as beneficial or neutral. They are also downright interesting. Ornamentals and Turf Insect Information Note No. 63 (see Cicada Killer Wasp) has additional information on the biology and control of cicada killer wasps, but I prefer the entertainment aspect of them.


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Pest News Update- May 2,2011

ORNAMENTALS AND TURF

From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist

Oak Apple Galls Appealing

Oak-apple gall wasps form large spherical galls on the leaves or leaf petioles of various red, black and scarlet oaks. These galls are up to two inches in diameter, green tinged with red when fresh, and gradually turn brown.

Another common golf ball-sized gall on oak is the wool sower gall. Distinct and unusual fuzzy plant growth is induced by the secretions of the grubs of a tiny gall wasp, Callirhytis seminator. If a fresh wool sower gall is held in a plastic bag out of the sun (so it will not get too hot), within one to three weeks the tiny, harmless gall wasps will emerge. The wool sower gall is specific to white oak and only occurs in the spring. Pulling the gall apart exposes small seed-like structures. The gall wasp grubs develop inside these structures. (This gall is also called the oak seed gall.) Wool sower galls are not abundant and don't cause harm to white oaks. For more information on these galls, see Ornamentals and Turf Insect Note No. 5 at Oak-apple gall.


Predatory Stink Bug Euthyrhychus floridanus

Euthyrhynchus floridanus is not a pest stink bug, but one that feeds on other insects. It is very colorful, yet different in both adult and nymphal stages.

Normally we don't see this until later in the season, but we have had a report already this spring. This is one of the more attractive stink bug adults with three orange spots on a dark, metallic blue-black background. These insects overwinter as adults probably in some dry, sheltered location. Eggs are laid the following spring. The eggs hatch 19 to 33 days later. Nymphs of Euthyrhynchus floridanus take a long time to develop through five stages (40 to 67 days). New adult females wait 5 or 6 days before mating and the eggs are laid 23 to 67 days later. Total developmental time for this species is much longer than for plant-feeding stink bugs.

Nymphs are metallic blue-green with red and are highly aggregated. They even attack larger prey in concert. Apparently, aggregation behavior allows them to successfully attack prey too large to be subdued by a single nymph. Sometimes the adults aggregate with nymphs, although when times get hard these bugs sometimes feed on smaller individuals. When the bugs jab their prey with their proboscis, they inject a toxin that slowly immobilizes the prey. Euthyrhynchus floridanus bugs have an unusual wagging behavior in which the bug rocks its body from side to side while it grips the substrate firmly with its feet. This is thought to be a defensive behavior. Some other predaceous stink bugs feed on plant tissue when insect prey is not available. Plant feeding is not reported for Euthyrhynchus floridanus.


Predatory Ground Beetle Calosoma

Beetles in the genus Calosoma are called caterpillar hunters. They are among the largest in the Carabidae ground beetle family. Adults and larvae are active predators. Calosoma sycophanta is a large, metallic green beetle that was imported from Europe to New England for the biological control of the gypsy moth in 1905. The larva feeds day and night, consuming 50 caterpillars during its two-week developmental period. The adult will eat several hundred caterpillars during a life span of two to four years. There are also several native species of Calosoma. (from the Midwest Biocontrol News). We have had several reports of these insects already this spring.


Crane Flies

Periodically, the public will inquire about "those large mosquitoes." They are usually referring to crane flies. Crane fly larvae live in wet areas and can grow to be quite large. They are rarely a pest to anything. The adults are very fragile creatures and may be seen resting on the sides of a house or under an overhang. Occasionally, they make it into a house. They cannot bite and will usually die with 24 hours once inside. They can be gently relocated outdoors or ignored and swept up later. They are frequently missing appendages. For additional information, see the following web site:

Crane Fly



Eastern Juniper Bark Beetles

A sample of eastern red cedar (Juniperus) containing bark beetles was recently sent from Dare County. The eastern juniper bark beetle, Phloeosinus dentatus, usually attacks eastern red cedar, but it also infests arborvitae and even infests Leyland cypress. These small, blackish-colored beetles bore into the tree and then bore upward with the grain. Eggs are laid in short galleries that extend upward from the entrance hole. Infestations are usually found in cut, broken or fire damaged trees. The eastern juniper bark beetle also attacks red cedars infested with Heterobasion annosum fungus. Together, infested trees of all sizes succumb. The beetle/disease correlation is not clearly defined. Keeping trees in a healthy, unstressed condition should help. Protective bark sprays are less than highly effective against the beetles. For more information, see the following web sites:

Juniper Bark Beetle
Eastern Red Cedar


Springtime Fall Cankerworms in Cabarrus County

I'm a little late with this notice, but thought I'd still mention it. Fall cankerworms are small "inchworms" that hatch in the spring and are fond of young oak and maple foliage. Fall cankerworms have three prologs while spring cankerworms have only two at the end of the abdomen. Caterpillars emerge and consume foliage at some time in March and feed through April. The city of Charlotte has been the major center of this population since 1987, for unknown reasons. Cabarrus County also reported a small outbreak again this year. Durham County had a suspected report, too. Natural controls, which regulate outbreaks in uninhabited forests, have not been effective in reducing fall cankerworm populations in this urban environment. Charlotte has a large number of mature willow oaks that provide an almost unbroken canopy over much of the city.

Control strategies for fall cankerworms involve mostly trunk banding for flightless female moth trapping in November through December as flightless female moths crawl up the tree. Pesticide sprays in the spring with B.t. or other foliage protectors can be used, but are expensive on large trees. See Cankerworms on the web for additional information.


Azalea Bark Scales

An infestation of azalea bark scales was recently reported from Wilson County. Heavily infested plants may appear chlorotic and unthrifty. The bushes are often covered with sooty mold, a black fungus that grows in the honeydew excreted by the azalea bark scales as they feed. Eventually twigs may die back. Adult females and eggs are protected inside the egg sac from most pesticides. The key to control is treatment in late spring and late fall when the nymphs are present. Horticultural oil sprays should work while crawlers are present, which is about now. Retreatment may be necessary. Orthene is another choice. Imidacloprid as a soil drench at the base of the plant should be effective. This may also occur on rhododendron. For more information, see the following web sites:

Note 134
Azalea Bark Scale

Seedcorn Maggot Flies – Dead, But Still Alive

This week we have received several reports about dead flies on branches. It is an unusual sight and may cause undue concern to gardeners. These flies are adults of seedcorn maggot (Delia platura), which is sometimes a pest of agriculture. Seedcorn maggot flies are grayish-brown in color and about one-fifth of an inch in length. The legs are black and there are bristles scattered on the body. Some seedcorn maggot flies become infected with a live fungus of the genus Entomophthora. Infected flies are swollen and have pinkish bands on the abdomen. Sometimes, gray Entomophthora spores are visible on the fly and on the substrate nearby. This fungus apparently causes the flies to land on protruding objects such as any twigs, clotheslines, and fence posts. The flies cling there and usually die in the afternoon as their abdomens swell with fungal strands inside.

Early the next morning, the fungal spores are released into the air while the humidity is high. The spores infest other seedcorn maggots. Although the fungus-infected flies appear to be damaging the plant, these adult flies are harmless. The seedcorn maggot is found throughout North Carolina. Seedcorn maggots feed primarily on decaying organic matter, but sometimes infest the seeds and seedlings of berries or vegetables. The dead, fungus-infected flies are sometime abundant on the dead twigs of dogwood and crape myrtle in the spring. For more information, see Ornamentals and Turf Insect Note No. 20 on the Internet at Seedcorn Maggots.


From: Steven Frank, Extension Entomologist

Lecanium Scales on Oaks

Oak lecanium scale is one of the largest soft scales in our area. Scales are brown and rounded reaching 6 mm in diameter. As soft scales, lecanium scales produce honeydew that can cause sooty mold on oaks or plants below. It primarily infests oaks trees. Large populations can reduce growth and vitality especially in newly planted trees.

Eggs are present now under adult scale covers indicating crawlers will emerge in the next week or so or may be emerging now in your area. The crawler stage should be targeted for best efficacy. On trees small enough to treat the foliage, horticultural oil can be used. On larger trees, a systemic insecticide such as dinotefuran can be applied as a drench or trunk spray. This scale is not easily eradicated and optimal control measures are still unclear. It is attacked by many parasitoids and predators that can reduce scale abundance if protected from insecticides. For more information, see the following web site: Lecanium Scale


Juniper Scale Crawlers are Active

The juniper scale, Carulaspis juniper, attacks some of the most commonly used plants in ornamental landscapes, including all juniper species but also cypress species and false cypress. There is one generation per year in which females fill up their armored cover with eggs in spring from which crawlers hatch and look for new feeding sites. Infestations can lead to foliage that becomes yellow or brown and generally less lustrous than normal. Large infestations can cause the tips of branches to die and the plant to become sparsely foliated. Isolated infestations can be pruned off of plants. Natural enemies will often keep scale below damaging thresholds. However, in environments where natural enemies are not abundant control may be necessary. Horticultural oil will smother crawlers. Other chemicals such as dinotefuran (Safari), acetamiprid (TriStar), pyroproxifen (Distance) and others can be used to manage infestations. More information on armored scale management can be found at: Armored Scale


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Final Issue for NC Pest News 2010

Your final issue for NC PEST NEWS 2010 is now available! In the Ornamentals and Turfgrass section, the topics this week are Azalea Caterpillars, Oak Stem Galls, Tarsonemid Mites and Aphid Pests of Ornamental Greenhouses.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

NC PEST NEWS- Week of September 6

Your weekly NC PEST NEWS is now available. In the Ornamentals and Turf section this week the topics are: Saddleback Caterpillars Are Back, Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillars, Cottony Cushion Scale Activity, Aphidius colemani: Parasitoid of Aphids

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

NC PEST NEWS- Week of August 30

Your weekly NC Pest News is now available! In the Ornamentals and Turfgrass section, the topics are: Spiny Oakworms and Blister Beetles on Clematis.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Pest News for August 23rd

ORNAMENTALS AND TURF

From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist

Orangestriped Oakworms Return

Over the last two seasons, I haven't seen much of the orangestriped oakworm. I think the ground has been too hard and dry for the insect to move into and out of the soil. That's good in a way, because the oak trees had a break from defoliation. They are somewhat back this year and devouring foliage. I see them most on willow oaks and pin oaks.

The moth is brown in color with a white spot and a dark stripe on each forewing. The moths emerge in June and July and deposit their eggs in clusters of several hundred on the underside of oak leaves. The eggs hatch in about a week. The tiny, green caterpillars eventually grow into attractive black caterpillars with yellow or orange stripes running lengthwise along their bodies. Young caterpillars feed in groups whereas older caterpillars tend to be solitary, although there may be thousands of caterpillars on a single tree. Small trees are sometimes defoliated completely by midsummer.

As the caterpillars mature, they are often seen crawling along sidewalks, driveways and yards. These caterpillars may wander for a considerable distance while searching for a place to pupate. They can drop a lot of black fecal pellets on a sidewalk. You can step on these without fear, as long as you have on shoes. They dig into the soil three or four inches and pupate there. There is usually one generation per year, and the caterpillars overwinter as pupae in the soil. Control is complicated by the size of many of the infested trees. Most people do not have sprayers that can reach very high into shade trees, and by the time the caterpillars descend and crawl about on the soil they are extremely resistant to pesticides. Fortunately, late summer defoliations are much less damaging to the health of trees than early spring defoliations. In most cases it is probably better to rely on birds, diseases and parasites to lower the population next year. A long pole can knock many out of a tree, if you can reach them. (If you're extremely tall, you could use a short pole.)

For more information, see http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/trees/note139/note139.html. If you would like to consider boosting the paper wasp predator population with nest boxes in the spring, see http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Other/note121/note121.html.


European Hornets

European hornet populations have grown and so have nest sizes. This large hornet is attracted to lights and windows at night which terrifies some people. The European hornet, Vespa crabro, is an introduced species into North America. It builds large, tan, paper nests that are usually not free hanging. Nests are often located in hollow trees, but partially exposed. Sometimes they nest in structures such as a wall or outbuilding. Tom Daly of Wake County, North Carolina, was kind enough to send in a picture of his hornets that built a nest in a bird house. Like all wasps and hornets, they can be considered beneficial because they eat other insects. These hornets often eat other stinging insects. They may strip bark from soft-barked twigs. A normal foraging hornet, if left to tend to its own business, is usually not a threat. For more information about these mahogany and yellow-colored hornets and their control, if necessary, see Residential, Structural and Community Pests Insect Note No. 11 at: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/eurohornet.htm.

An eye catching solitary wasp is the tarantula hawk. This is just one of a group of pompilid wasps that prey upon spiders to provision a burrow. Pepsis menechma is dark metallic blue-purple with bright yellow antennae. It is easily twice the size of a paper wasp. When not hunting spiders, this wasp may be seen on flowers collecting nectar or pollen, especially milkweed and allium. Males may be territorial toward each other, but there is no aggression toward people and they won't sting unless handled roughly. As described in the August 13, 2010 issue of North Carolina Pest News, on the Schmidt pain index, the sting is at the top of the chart, akin to having a hair dryer dropped into your bathtub. Interestingly, in Bolivia, the common name of this type of wasp is "amigo del hombre," or "friend of man."

From: Steve Frank, Extension Entomologist

Beetles Attack Drought Stressed Trees

Yesterday I received a call about a cherry laurel that was riddled with very tiny holes. The tree had dead brown dead leaves on some branches and the grounds manager initially assumed the tree was drying from drought. Upon closer inspection he found the many small holes about the size of mechanical pencil lead that had little tufts of sawdust. The holes were concentrated at old twig scars though they occurred throughout the lower third of the branches. The cause of the holes was a bark beetle in the genus Hypothenemus. We recovered adults from shallow incomplete galleries which they must have just started in the past few days. These beetles made the holes, but may not have killed the tree. Although we have not determined the species, this group of beetles often target trees that are already stressed or in decline due to drought or other causes. Drought can make many plants more susceptible to pest attack. Thus, it is important to keep plants healthy and watered and investigate drought-like symptoms to determine if other problems exist.


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

August 16- NC PEST NEWS

Your weekly NC PEST NEWS is now available! In the Ornamentals and Turfgrass section, this week's topics are: Fall Armyworms in Turf and Pastures, Spiders in the Landscape, Schmidt Sting Pain Index.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

August 9- NC PEST NEWS

Your weekly NC PEST NEWS is now available! In the Ornamentals and Turfgrass section the topics this week are: Red Headed Ash Borers, Post-Oak Grasshoppers, Walnut Twig Beetle and Thousand Cankers Disease Now in Tennessee, Argentine Ants in the Landscape, Crapemyrtle Aphids. Please pay special attention to the new disease called Thousand Cankers Disease on Black Walnut. Also from last week, I hope you read the article on Emerald Ash Borer. It was found in East Tennessee and attacks Ash trees. We need to be on alert here in Western North Carolina for it's arrival. If you suspect either Thousand Cankers Disease or Emerald Ash Borer, please contact your local extension agent!

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

NC Pest News- Week of August 2

Your weekly NC PEST NEWS is now available. In the Ornamentals and Turfgrass section the topics this week are: Field Crop Caterpillars on Ornamentals, Formica integra Ants, Cecropia Moths, Emerald Ash Borer Reported in East Tennessee.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

NC Pest News- Week of July 12

Your weekly NC PEST NEWS is now available. In the Ornamentals and Turfgrass section, the topics this week are: Fall Webworms,Elephant Stag Beetles and Ladybird Beetles. Stay tuned next week for more PEST NEWS!

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

NC PEST NEWS- Week of July 5

Your weekly NC Pest News is available! Please check it out! This week's topics for Ornamentals and Turf are: Redbud Leaffolders, Maple Mites, Rhododendron Tip Midges.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Green Tips

The bi-monthly on-line edition of GreenTips has now been posted for July and August of 2010. Please read all of the links as some have changed since last being posted.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Pest News for June 14th

The weekly edition of NC Pest News has been posted.

In addition this week we have gotten word that the insecticide Endosulfan (active ingredient in Thionex) has been terminated: "EPA has concluded that endosulfan poses unacceptable risks to agricultural workers and wildlife, and can persist in the environment. New data generated in response to the agency’s 2002 decision have shown that risks faced by workers are greater than previously known. EPA also finds that there are risks above the agency’s level of concern to aquatic and terrestrial wildlife, as well as to birds and mammals that consume aquatic prey which have ingested endosulfan. Farmworkers can be exposed to endosulfan through inhalation and contact with the skin."


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Week of May 31 PEST NEWS

Check out the NC PEST NEWS for your weekly update on pests or beneficials that maybe active in your area now. For Ornamentals and Turf, the topics, pests and beneficials highlighted this week are:
Do Not Move Firewood, Spined Soldier Bugs Have a Point,Giant Resin Bees,Time Flies and Fireflies, Hemlock Woolly Adelgids in North Carolina, Gloomy Scales and Indian Wax Scales.


Firefly larvae are good they eat slugs!

Firefly larvae eat slugs!

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Week of May 24 PEST NEWS

Click HERE for the NC PEST NEWS. Highlighted this week in the Ornamentals and Turf section is: Cottony Camellia Scales on Holly,Jaw-dropping Dobsonflies,General Comments Regarding Insects on Ornamentals and Southern Red Mites.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Week of May 17 NC PEST NEWS

NC Pest News is published weekly by NC State University. NC Pest News is a great integrated pest management tool that helps you to stay informed about pests, diseases, and beneficials that are occuring in our area. For Ornamentals and Turf, these pests and beneficials are highlighted this week:Imported Willow Leaf Beetles,Cottony Cushion Scales,Fire Ants to Ignite Soon, Wheel Bugs Begin to Roll,Red Erythraeid Mites and Oak Lecanium Scales.In Western NC, we are typically about two weeks behind the Raleigh area on pest and disease emergance. So, over the next two weeks keep your eyes out for these critters.

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.