Important Insect Plant Pests and their Hosts in Florida

Kirk W. Martin CBSPUSDA-National Needs Fellow

Graduate Student-University of Florida Plant Medicine Program andIPM Apprentice-IPM Florida

Denise D. Thomas D.P.M.University of Florida Plant Medicine Program and IPM

Florida

Red Imported Fire Ant - Solenopsis invicta

Animal, Nuisance, Vegetable & Field Crop Pest

Adult Larva Egg

2-6 mm Four instarsUp to 2 mm

0.2 mm x 0.3 mm

Fall Webworm - Hyphantria cunea

Tree Pest

Adult Larva Egg

25-32 mm (Wingspan)

25-32 mm

Oleander Caterpillar - Syntomeida epilais

Ornamental Pest

Adult Larva Egg

45-51 mm Up to 40 mm < 1 mm

Palm Leafskeletonizer - Homaledra sabalella

Tree Pest

Adult Larva Egg

16 mm Up to 16 mm

Citrus Leafminer - Phyllocnistis citrella

Fruit Pest

Adult Larva Egg

2 mm (Resting)

4 mm (Wingspan)

Up to 3 mm

Bean Leafroller - Urbanus proteus

Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

50 mm (Wingspan)

Five instars2-30 mm

1.0 x 0.8 mm

Eastern Tent Caterpillar - Malacosoma americanum

Tree Pest

Adult Larva Egg

25-44 mm (Wingspan)

50-64 mm

Forest Tent Caterpillar - Malacosoma disstria

Tree Pest

Adult Larva Egg

25-45 mm 50-64 mm

Tussock Moth - Orgyia detrita

Tree Pest

Adult Larva Egg

25-30 mm(Wingspan males)

12-14 mm (Wingless females)

25-38 mm

Tussock Moth - Orgyia leucostigma

Tree Pest

Adult Larva Egg

25-30 mm (Wingspan males)12-14 mm long (Wingless

females)

32 mm

Armyworm - Pseudaletia unipuncta

Field Crop & Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

4 cm Up to 3.5 cm 0.5 mm

Granulate Cutworm - Agrotis subterranea

Ornamental, Field Crop & Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

38-45 mm (Wingspan)

Seven instarsUp to 37 mm

0.6- 0.7 mm

Southern Armyworm - Spodoptera eridania

Ornamental, Field Crop & Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

33-38 mm (Wingspan)

Six instarsUp to 35 mm

0.5 mm

Beet Armyworm - Spodoptera exigua

Field Crop & Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

25-30 mm (Wingspan)

Five instarsUp to 22 mm

Fall Armyworm - Spodoptera frugiperda

Turf, Field Crop & Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

32-40 mm (Wingspan)

Six instarsUp to 34 mm

0.4 mm

Yellow Striped Armyworm - Spodoptera ornithogalli

Field Crop & Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

34-41 mm (Wingspan)

Six instarsUp to 35 mm

0.5 mm

Corn Earworm - Helicoverpa zea

Field Crop, Fruit & Ornamental Pest

Adult Larva Egg

32-45 mm (Wingspan)

Six instarsUp to 25 mm

0.5- 0.6 mm

Velvetbean Caterpillar - Anticarsia gemmatalis

Field Crop Pest

Adult Larva Egg

30-38 mm (Wingspan)

Six instarsUp to 48 mm

1-2 mm

Cabbage Palm Caterpillar - Litoprosopus futilis

Tree Pest

Adult Larva Egg

51 mm(Wingspan)

38 mm

Cabbage Looper - Trichoplusia ni

Ornamental, Field Crop & Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

33-38 mm (Wingspan)

30-40 mm 0.6 mm

Florida Fern Caterpillar - Callopistria floridensis

Ornamental Pest

Adult Larva Egg

35-50 mm (Wingspan)

Four-Five instars

Up to 35 mm

0.5 mm

Azalea Caterpillar - Datana major

Ornamental Pest

Adult Larva Egg

45 mm Up to 10 mm

Imported Cabbageworm - Pieris rapae

Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

45-65 mm (Wingspan)

Five instarsUp to 30 mm

0.5 mm x 1.0 mm

Diamondback Moth - Plutella xylostella

Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

6 mm Four instarsUp to 11 mm

0.44 x 0.26 mm

Cross-striped Cabbageworm - Evergestis rimosalis

Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

25 mm Four instarsUp to 17 mm

1.2 mm x 0.9 mm

Tropical Sod Webworm - Herpetogramma phaeopteralis

Turf Pest

Adult Larva Egg

19-25.4 mm (Wingspan)

Up to 25 mm

Lesser Cornstalk Borer - Elasmopalpus lignosellus

Field Crop & Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

17-22 mm (Wingspan)

Six instarsUp to 16 mm

0.6 x 0.4 mm

Melonworm - Diaphania hyalinata

Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

2.5 cm Five instarsUp to 16 mm

0.7 x 0.6 mm

Pickleworm - Diaphania nitidalis

Vegetable Pest

Adult Larva Egg

3 cm (Wingspan) Five instarsUp to 15 mm

0.4 mm x 0.6 mm

Grape Root Borer - Vitacea polistiformis

Fruit Pest

Adult Larva Egg

1.9 cm (Female length)1.5 cm (Male length)

38 mm

Tobacco Hornworm - Manduca sexta

Vegetable & Field Crop Pest

Adult Larva Egg

10 cm(Wingspan)

Five or six instarsUp to 8 cm

1.5 mm

Many thanks to those that contributed to this project

Photographs by:– Lyle Buss, UF Entomology and

Nematology– Dr. Paul Choate, UF Entomology and

Nematology– Dr. John Capinera, Chair, UF Entomology

and Nematology– Dr. Norman Leppla, Director IPM

Florida, UF Entomology and Nematology

– Dr. Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University - Dept., Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management , Bugwood.org

– John Folz,, Emeritus Faculty, UF Entomology and Nematology

Photographs by:– Dr. Russ Ottens, University of Georgia,

Bugwood.org– Tracy Conklin, UF Entomology and

Nematology– Larry Williams, Okaloosa County

Extension – Natasha Wright, Florida Department of

Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org

– Dr. James Castner, UF Entomology and Nematology

– Dr. Wayne Dixon, Florida Division of Plant Industry

– USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, Southern Region

Many thanks to those that contributed to this project

– Dr. Norman Leppla, Director-IPM Florida, UF Entomology and Nematology

– Dr. Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman, Associate Director IPM Florida, UF Entomology and Nematology

– Lyle Buss, UF Entomology and Nematology– Joyce Merritt, Publications Specialist, IPM

Florida and Plant Medicine Program– Kevyn Juneau, Research Assistant IPM

Florida, UF Entomology and Nematology

Contributors:

References• Capinera, J.L., 2001 Handbook of Vegetable Pests. Academic Press: San Diego• Hodges, A., Hodges, G., Buss, L., Osborne, L., 2005 Mealybugs& Mealybug Look-Alikes of the

Southeastern United States• Stehr, F.W. 1987. Immature Insects. Volumes I and II. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company • C. Malcolm Beck and John Howard Garrett, 2005 Texas Bug Book

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Revised Edition. University of Texas Press: Austin, TX.• Short, D.E., Simone, G.W., Dunn, R.A. (Eds.), 2001 Commercial Ornamental Nursery Scouting

Manual. Department of Entomology and Nematology, Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida: Gainesville, FL.