Pest Library

Red Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta The red imported fire ant is an aggressive stinging ant that infests most of the southern United States and parts of California, building mounds in open, sunny areas such as lawns, parks and roadsides. USDA APHIS says imported fire ants came from South America, probably in soil on cargo ships, and now infest more than 367 million acres in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Puerto Rico. Carpenter Ants Camponotus species Carpenter ants don't eat wood the way termites do; they excavate it to nest, usually starting where wood is damp or decayed, and indoor nests are often satellites of a parent colony outdoors. Minnesota and Clemson extension both stress that they don't eat wood; they tunnel into it to make a nest. Odorous House Ant Tapinoma sessile The odorous house ant is a small native ant found across most of the United States that trails into homes for sweets and gives off a strong, rotten odor when crushed. Texas A&M says it ranges from Canada to Mexico but is rarely found in the southwestern deserts. Argentine Ant Linepithema humile The Argentine ant is the most common ant in and around homes in California; its nests are linked into huge multi-queen supercolonies. It is native to Argentina and Brazil. Texas A&M says it was discovered in New Orleans in 1891, is now established in many places in the southern United States, and has been found in Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, Texas and Washington. Pavement Ant Tetramorium immigrans The pavement ant is an introduced, soil-nesting ant that lives under sidewalks, slabs and stones. Penn State calls it one of the most commonly encountered house-infesting ants in Pennsylvania and says its range runs from New England to the Midwest and south through the Mid-Atlantic states to Tennessee, with populations in parts of California and Washington. Pharaoh Ant Monomorium pharaonis The Pharaoh ant is a tiny, yellowish ant that nests inside heated buildings and is a serious pest in hospitals, apartments, hotels and food businesses. Texas A&M says it occurs throughout the United States but generally only in heated buildings, because it usually can't survive outdoors all year; it does nest outside in subtropical areas such as Hawaii, Florida and southern Texas. Acrobat Ants Crematogaster species (e.g., C. lineolata) Acrobat ants are small ants named for the way workers lift their heart-shaped abdomen up and over the rest of the body. Outdoors they live in trees, logs, firewood and under rocks, preferring wood softened by decay or fungi; indoors they favor framing that moisture or earlier insects have already damaged. Tawny Crazy Ant Nylanderia fulva The tawny crazy ant, first called the Rasberry crazy ant, is an invasive ant from South America. It was first reported as a pest near Houston, Texas, in 2002 and is now established in six southern states. Its interconnected nests form huge supercolonies that cover yards and get into electrical equipment. Ghost Ant Tapinoma melanocephalum The ghost ant is a tiny tropical tramp ant whose pale abdomen and legs make it hard to see. It nests indoors and out, forages on set trails and favors sweets, and because each colony is spread over many nests it is hard to eliminate. Little Black Ant Monomorium minimum (iNaturalist files it under Monomorium carbonarium) The little black ant is a tiny native ant that nests outdoors in lawns and under stones, and indoors in woodwork, wall voids and masonry. It is most noticeable when long foraging trails reach food cabinets and pantries. Bigheaded Ant Pheidole megacephala Bigheaded ants are named for the oversized, two-lobed head of their major workers, or soldiers. The invasive Pheidole megacephala is one of the world's 100 worst invasive species and a household and agricultural pest throughout the tropics; the Mississippi Entomological Museum lists it from Florida as an occasional household pest that competes with native ants. Asian Needle Ant Brachyponera chinensis (formerly Pachycondyla chinensis) The Asian needle ant is an introduced stinging ant from Asia, first reported in the United States in the 1930s but recognized as a pest only since 2006. It nests in both disturbed yards and natural forests. Longhorn Crazy Ant Paratrechina longicornis The longhorn crazy ant is a dark, long-legged invasive ant known for fast, erratic running. In a lab comparison of six pest ants, it and the tawny crazy ant swung farthest off marked trails and moved about three times faster than the slowest species. Thief Ant Solenopsis molesta The thief ant is a tiny native ant named for nesting near larger ants and stealing their food, larvae and pupae. Also called the grease ant, it trails indoors to greasy and protein-rich foods and is small enough to get into packaged food. White-Footed Ant Technomyrmex difficilis The white-footed ant is an invasive ant that is now a pest in several parts of the world, including Florida, Hawaii and, since 2019, Texas. It forms huge colonies, forages inside and outside buildings, and is rated among the hardest structure-infesting ants to control. Dark Rover Ant Brachymyrmex patagonicus The dark rover ant is a tiny ant native to Argentina and Paraguay that has become widespread in the southeastern United States and keeps expanding its range. Foraging workers and winged swarmers enter buildings, and colonies sometimes nest inside them. Citronella Ants Lasius species: L. interjectus (larger yellow ant) and L. claviger (smaller yellow ant) Citronella ants are yellow, underground ants named for the lemon or citronella smell they give off when threatened or crushed. They are rarely seen until winged swarmers come up through basement or slab cracks, which often sends homeowners looking for termites. Field Ants Formica species (e.g., F. subsericea, F. integra, F. exsectoides) Field ants are medium to large ants in the genus Formica, among the most common ants in yards. They nest in soil, and in Wisconsin their mounds can reach three to four feet wide, spoiling lawns and making mowing difficult. Pyramid Ants Dorymyrmex species (e.g., D. bureni; older sources use D. pyramicus) Pyramid ants, also called crater ants, are small, fast soil-nesting ants of open, sunny ground with a pyramid-shaped point on top of the thorax. They are best known for the crater of soil around their nest entrance, and they have no sting. Red Harvester Ant Pogonomyrmex barbatus The red harvester ant is a large red ant of the southern Plains and Southwest that gathers seeds and stores them underground. It strips the plants from a circle around its nest entrance, and its sting is intensely painful. Florida Carpenter Ant Camponotus floridanus The Florida carpenter ant, called the bull ant in Florida for its strong bite, is a large two-toned carpenter ant of the Southeast and one of the more common ants found foraging and nesting in and around homes. European Fire Ant (European Red Ant) Myrmica rubra The European fire ant, also called the European red ant, is a very small red ant that aggressively defends its territory and readily stings people, pets and livestock. It is only distantly related to the true fire ants of the southern United States. Southern Fire Ant Solenopsis xyloni The southern fire ant is a native fire ant of the Southwest. It nests in bare, sunny soil, swarms out to bite and sting when its nest is disturbed, and often wanders indoors for food in warm months. Trap-Jaw Ant Odontomachus haematodus Trap-jaw ants walk with their long jaws cocked open like a bear trap and snap them shut at one of the fastest speeds in nature. The species spreading along the Gulf Coast is the two-spined trap-jaw ant, a South American import that stings readily. Elongate Twig Ant (Graceful or Mexican Twig Ant) Pseudomyrmex gracilis The elongate twig ant, also called the graceful or Mexican twig ant, is a large, slender, wasp-like ant that nests in hollow twigs, stems and grasses. It can sting, but a peer-reviewed survey of sting pain rated its sting at the minor end of the scale. Cornfield Ant Lasius neoniger (also called turfgrass or lawn ant); Lasius americanus, formerly L. alienus, shares the name The cornfield ant is a small, light to dark brown ant and one of the most abundant ants in North America. It is the ant behind many of the small crater-shaped soil mounds in thin lawns, along driveways and between paving stones. Winter Ant Prenolepis imparis The winter ant, also called the small honey ant or false honey ant, is a native ant that forages in cold weather, when other ants stay home, and spends the summer underground. It mostly nests outdoors in soil and sometimes trails into houses. Black Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis richteri The black imported fire ant is a South American fire ant that reached Mobile, Alabama, decades before the red imported fire ant. Its range stays limited to northeastern Mississippi, northwestern Alabama and southern Tennessee. Little Fire Ant Wasmannia auropunctata (listed on iNaturalist as Allomerus auropunctatus) The little fire ant is an invasive ant from the American tropics whose sting, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) notes, is out of proportion to its tiny size. It was first found in Hawaii in 1999 and has spread there in plants, logs and green waste. Texas Leafcutter Ant (town ant) Atta texana The Texas leafcutter ant, also called the town ant or parasol ant, cuts leaves to grow the fungus its colony eats. Colonies can reach more than 2 million ants and strip landscape plants, gardens and young pines. Florida Harvester Ant Pogonomyrmex badius Florida harvester ants are the only harvester ants east of the Mississippi River. They nest in deep sand, store seeds underground, and their venom causes intense pain. Compact Carpenter Ant Camponotus planatus The compact carpenter ant is a small tropical carpenter ant that forages by day on exterior walls, trees, shrubs and sidewalks, so people notice it more than night-active carpenter ants. It mainly nests in trees but is becoming more of a structural pest in Florida. Robust Crazy Ant Nylanderia bourbonica The robust crazy ant is a small, very dark ant from the Old World tropics that has been in Florida since at least 1924. It is a nuisance rather than a serious pest: in Florida it is best known for wandering across patios and outdoor eating areas. Velvety Tree Ant Liometopum occidentale, L. luctuosum and L. apiculatum Velvety tree ants are western ants with a brownish-black head, yellowish-red thorax and velvety black abdomen; they nest in trees, bite and give off a rotten-coconut odor when disturbed, and colonies sometimes move into wall voids and insulation. Thatching Ants Formica obscuripes (western thatching ant) and related mound-building Formica Thatching ants are medium to large red-and-black or black ants that build mounds of thatch such as fir needles and grass stems; they are beneficial predators but bite in numbers and spray formic acid when a mound is disturbed. Yellow Crazy Ant Anoplolepis gracilipes The yellow crazy ant is a large, long-legged invasive ant, listed among the world's 100 worst invasive species, that runs fast and erratically when disturbed and builds dense populations; in Hawaii it preys on native insects, boosts populations of sap-sucking pests and can be a nuisance in yards and homes. Western harvester ant Pogonomyrmex occidentalis The western harvester ant is a reddish-brown, seed-collecting ant of open western grasslands. Its broad, flat mounds, often covered with small pebbles and surrounded by a wide ring of bare ground, are easy to spot, and workers give very painful stings when the nest is disturbed. Fungus-gardening ant Trachymyrmex septentrionalis The fungus-gardening ant is the small, southern cousin of the leafcutter ants. Light brown to reddish brown, with a jagged, spiny thorax, it is very common across the South, and its colonies show themselves as crescent- or half-moon-shaped mounds of excavated soil, usually with the entrance sealed during the hot part of the day. Below ground the ants cultivate a fungus on pieces of leaf and insect droppings they carry home, and they weed the garden when a pathogen gets in. They take little live foliage and are mostly a curiosity, not a pest. Florida trap-jaw ant Odontomachus brunneus The Florida trap-jaw ant is the Southeast's native trap-jaw ant: a large, shiny, dark reddish-brown ant with long straight mandibles that open a full 180 degrees and snap shut on prey. Snapped against the ground, the same jaws can launch the ant several inches into the air, a trick it uses to escape antlion pits. It lives in natural habitats in Florida and nearby parts of Alabama and Georgia, nests in leaf litter, rotting logs and sandy ground, and, unlike the introduced trap-jaw ant that stings aggressively, retreats or abandons the nest when disturbed. It needs no control. Large imported big-headed ant Pheidole obscurithorax The large imported big-headed ant, which the Mississippi Entomological Museum calls the obscure big-headed ant, is a South American Pheidole that is now common along the Gulf Coast from northern Florida to eastern Texas. It is the only big-headed ant of its size in the Southeast: soldiers have huge, heavily sculptured heads, and even its minor workers are larger than those of the native toothed big-headed ant found in the same habitats. Colonies dig crater-topped nests in open, disturbed ground, find baits fast, and compete directly with the red imported fire ant. The sting is atrophied, so the ant cannot sting. Toothed big-headed ant Pheidole dentata The toothed big-headed ant is a common native ant across the southeastern United States, found in a wide range of habitats but especially in woods, where colonies of thousands nest in rotting wood and the soil beneath it. Minor workers are small, reddish-brown ants; the majors, or soldiers, carry heads bigger than their thorax. Minor workers lay odor trails that call the soldiers specifically against fire ants and other Solenopsis. It is not an economic pest, though workers sometimes wander into houses looking for food. Rimose fungus-farming ant Cyphomyrmex rimosus The rimose fungus-farming ant is a small, dull brown to blackish ant, about 3.5 mm long, that belongs to the same tribe as leafcutter ants but never cuts leaves. Its tiny colonies, usually under 100 workers, keep shallow, short-lived nests under rocks, logs and even dry cow manure in pastures and open pine woods, where they grow gardens of yeast on bits of plant matter, insect droppings and dead insects. Native to South America and established across the Gulf states, it is not considered a pest anywhere. Veromessor pergandei (desert harvester ant) Veromessor pergandei Veromessor pergandei, still called Messor pergandei in much of the literature, is the big, shiny, jet-black seed-harvesting ant of the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts and the only member of its genus that reaches the Sonoran Desert. Workers are a quarter to a half inch long and do not sting. Colonies of tens of thousands of workers pour out in daily foraging columns to gather seeds, which they store in dry chambers near the top of the nest, and they even tear down spiderwebs that trap their nestmates. It is a native desert ant that needs no control. Mary's odorous ant Dolichoderus mariae Mary's odorous ant is a medium-sized, reddish-brown ant with a nearly black gaster that lives in pure sand in fields, grassy areas and north Florida wiregrass, where it hollows out a single broad chamber open to the surface around the base of a grass clump. It is uncommon across most of the eastern United States but locally abundant, and its colonies are peculiar: a few overwintering nests expand into as many as 60 connected nests by late summer, all exchanging workers over above-ground trails. The ants tend aphids and scale insects for honeydew and scavenge dead insects, and no control is needed. Honeypot ants Myrmecocystus species (e.g., M. mimicus, M. mexicanus) Honeypot ants are North American desert ants best known for their living storage jars: specialized workers that hang in the nest with gasters engorged with liquid food and share it with nestmates when nectar and insect juices run short between seasons. Several species live in the Sonoran Desert, where the day-active ones are dark and the night foragers are pale with big eyes. Myrmecocystus mimicus colonies settle territorial disputes with ritual display tournaments, and a much stronger colony will raid the weaker one and carry off its brood. They are a native part of the desert and need no control. Desert leafcutter ant Acromyrmex versicolor The desert leafcutter ant is the Sonoran Desert's own fungus farmer, a smaller relative of the tropical leafcutters. When conditions allow, in fall and spring and on cool summer mornings, long columns of workers stream across the desert cutting and carrying plant matter home, mostly dry grasses, with more green leaves after rain. Deep in the nest the pieces are worked into a fungus garden that is the colony's only solid food and that the queen carried from her home nest as a small plug. The rest of the time the colony stays underground. It is a native desert insect that the sources do not treat as a pest. Roger's crypt ant Hypoponera punctatissima Roger's crypt ant, which the Mississippi Entomological Museum calls the pantropical mini-ponerine ant, is a minute yellowish-brown stinging ant that has followed people around the world. Colonies live in soil, rotting wood, gardens and disturbed ground, and in cooler climates they settle into greenhouses, homes, compost piles and horse manure. In the United States it is neither widespread nor common outside Florida, where it is an occasional nuisance. The stings that get noticed usually come from winged queens trapped under clothing or in sweat, and in rare cases they have caused severe allergic reactions. Rough harvester ant Pogonomyrmex rugosus The rough harvester ant is a Pogonomyrmex of the Sonoran, Mojave and Chihuahuan Deserts and coastal sage scrub: a half-inch, brick-red to black ant with a big square head built for crushing seeds and a sting the Desert Museum calls unforgettable. Colonies clear a disc around the nest entrance, run permanent trails out from it, and store seeds in dry chambers near the top of the nest. Reproductive flights follow the summer monsoon rains. It is a native seed harvester of open desert, not a pest, and it is best watched from a distance. Black carpenter ant Camponotus pennsylvanicus The black carpenter ant is a common home invader in the northeastern United States and the most common carpenter ant in Ohio and Nebraska. Its large black workers come indoors looking for food, and colonies can set up satellite nests in moist or rotting wood and foam insulation inside the house. Western black carpenter ant Camponotus modoc The western black carpenter ant is a large black ant with dark red legs and one of the two most destructive carpenter ants in the western United States. It doesn't eat wood, but it hollows out galleries for its nest, often starting in wood that is already wet or decaying.

German Cockroach Blattella germanica The German cockroach is the most common cockroach living indoors in California and perhaps worldwide, especially in apartment buildings, and it has the fastest reproductive cycle of the common pest cockroaches. Penn State and Kentucky call it the most common cockroach in homes, apartments and other buildings, and Kentucky says it does not live outdoors. American Cockroach Periplaneta americana The American cockroach is the largest of the common pest cockroaches. It prefers warm, humid places and readily lives outdoors, in sewers, storm drains and water meter boxes, coming indoors to forage. Kentucky, Penn State and Minnesota all describe it as the largest cockroach commonly found in buildings. Oriental Cockroach Blatta orientalis The oriental cockroach, often called a water bug and sometimes a black beetle, lives in cool, dark, damp places such as basements, crawl spaces, drains and water meter boxes. It usually lives outdoors or in those damp spots and wanders into buildings at night, mostly staying at ground level. Brownbanded Cockroach Supella longipalpa The brownbanded cockroach is a small indoor species that prefers warmer, drier spots than the German cockroach. It hides around appliances, behind wall decorations, in furniture and often near the ceiling, rather than mainly in kitchens and bathrooms. Smokybrown Cockroach Periplaneta fuliginosa (now also placed in Validiblatta) The smokybrown cockroach is a large, dark, winged roach of the humid South. It is the most common cockroach in suburban Southern neighborhoods with mature hardwood trees, where it lives in tree holes, attics, crawl spaces and sheds and comes out at night. Asian Cockroach Blattella asahinai The Asian cockroach is a close relative of the German cockroach that lives outdoors in leaf litter, mulch and grassy areas. It flies well and is drawn to lights at dusk, so it shows up indoors in the evening, but treating inside the house doesn't control it. Turkestan Cockroach Blatta lateralis (Periplaneta lateralis, Shelfordella lateralis) The Turkestan cockroach is an invasive species that lives mostly outdoors, in water meter boxes, cracks between concrete blocks, compost, leaf litter, potted plants and sewers. In urban areas of the Southwest it is rapidly replacing the Oriental cockroach. Wood Cockroaches Parcoblatta species (e.g., P. pennsylvanica) Wood cockroaches are native species of forest leaf litter, logs and other damp places full of decaying material. They come indoors only by accident, dry out and die within days, and don't feed or breed inside, so they are a nuisance only. Florida Woods Cockroach Eurycotis floridana The Florida woods cockroach is a big, wingless roach of the coastal Southeast and one of the insects called palmetto bugs. It lives outdoors in palms, hollow trees and leaf litter and only occasionally turns up in garages, storage rooms and similar buildings. Surinam Cockroach Pycnoscelus surinamensis The Surinam cockroach is a burrowing roach that lives in loose soil and feeds mostly on plants and roots. Outside the warm Southeast it arrives in the soil of potted plants and turns up in greenhouses, malls and indoor plantings. Australian Cockroach Periplaneta australasiae (Validiblatta australasiae) The Australian cockroach is a large, winged roach that lives mostly outdoors in warm, damp places and sometimes wanders indoors. It looks a lot like the American cockroach but has pale yellow 'shoulders' on its wings and, unusually for a cockroach, eats plants. Cuban Cockroach (Green Banana Cockroach) Panchlora nivea The Cuban cockroach, also called the green banana cockroach, is a pale green tropical roach that lives outdoors in plants, leaf piles, mulch and woodpiles. Adults fly readily and come to lights at night, which is how they end up at doors and windows. Field Cockroach Blattella vaga The field cockroach is a small outdoor cockroach that feeds on decaying plant material in leaf litter and garden debris. It is easily mistaken for the German cockroach, but it usually comes indoors only when it is hot or dry outside. Desert Cockroaches Arenivaga spp. Desert cockroaches, also called sand cockroaches, are native roaches of the Southwest that live in sandy soil; winged males often fly to lights at night and may wander into houses, but they don't live or breed indoors and are not pests. Tawny cockroach Ectobius pallidus The tawny cockroach, Ectobius pallidus, which the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station calls the spotted Mediterranean cockroach, is a small European woodland cockroach introduced to North America. It occasionally wanders into homes in New England, but it does not breed indoors. Three-lined cockroach Luridiblatta trivittata The three-lined cockroach, Luridiblatta trivittata, is a tiny Mediterranean cockroach first noticed in California around 2004. It lives outdoors in leaf litter, mulch and compost, but adults sometimes wander into homes in summer and fall. Madagascar hissing cockroach Gromphadorhina portentosa The Madagascar hissing cockroach, Gromphadorhina portentosa, is a large, wingless cockroach from the forests of Madagascar. Widely available from breeders and popular in classrooms and laboratories, it is harmless to people and is treated as an exotic species, not a household pest like the American cockroach.

Eastern Subterranean Termite Reticulitermes spp. (shown: R. flavipes) Subterranean termites live in the soil and travel into buildings through earthen shelter tubes; they are the most destructive termites in most of the United States and usually warrant a professional. Formosan Subterranean Termite Coptotermes formosanus The Formosan subterranean termite is an invasive species from East Asia and one of the most aggressive and economically damaging termites in the world; its colonies are much larger than those of native subterranean termites. EPA lists it among the less common termites in the U.S., behind the native subterranean termite. Western Drywood Termite Incisitermes minor Drywood termites live entirely inside wood without needing soil contact; the western drywood termite is California's second most important termite pest after subterranean termites. Clemson Extension says drywood termites get the moisture they need from humid air and are most common along humid coastal areas of South Carolina. Powderpost Beetles Lyctinae (e.g., Lyctus brunneus, Lyctus planicollis) Powderpost beetles are small brown beetles whose larvae tunnel through dry, seasoned hardwood. Often the first clues are tiny round exit holes and little piles of flour-fine dust on floors, furniture or paneling. Dampwood Termites Zootermopsis angusticollis Dampwood termites live and feed in wet or rotting wood and don't nest in dry, sound lumber. Finding them in a building points to a leak, wood touching soil, or another moisture problem that needs fixing. Old House Borer Hylotrupes bajulus Despite its name, the old house borer most often turns up in fairly new buildings. Its larvae tunnel inside pine, spruce, fir and other softwood framing for years, and damp, poorly ventilated spaces let infestations spread. Horntails (Wood Wasps) Siricidae (e.g., Sirex areolatus, the western horntail) Horntails, also called wood wasps, develop inside dead or dying trees. When infested logs are milled into lumber, adults can chew their way out of the walls of a newly built home, but they can't sting and won't reinfest the building. Conehead Termite Nasutitermes corniger The conehead termite is an invasive tropical termite that builds nests in trees and travels in tunnels over the surface. Florida is working to eradicate it from the two areas of Broward County where it has been found. Unlike most U.S. termites, it builds dark, bumpy nests in plain sight and runs covered tunnels across the ground, up trees and over walls. Asian Subterranean Termite Coptotermes gestroi The Asian subterranean termite is a very destructive tropical termite, considered second only to its relative the Formosan subterranean termite. In the U.S. both invasive Coptotermes species are established in Florida, and the Asian species has spread beyond South Florida, where it was first confined. Western Subterranean Termite Reticulitermes hesperus The western subterranean termite lives in soil and travels through mud tubes to feed on wood, including the lumber in houses. Its genus, Reticulitermes, holds the most destructive termites found in California and ranks among the most economically important wood-destroying pests in the western United States. Desert Subterranean Termite Heterotermes aureus The desert subterranean termite is the most common and by far the most destructive termite in Arizona, and researchers call it the most economically important termite pest there. It lives in the soil and builds mud tubes to reach wood, from cactus ribs and fence posts to the timbers of houses. Common Furniture Beetle Anobium punctatum The common furniture beetle, Anobium punctatum, is a small anobiid powderpost beetle, often called woodworm. Its larvae tunnel through seasoned wood for a year or more, and despite the name it also attacks floors, framing and structural timbers. West Indian Drywood Termite Cryptotermes brevis The West Indian drywood termite lives its whole life inside dry wood and never needs soil. Extension entomologists describe it as almost never found in natural settings, only in the wood of buildings, furniture and picture frames, and it travels mostly when people move infested wood. Southeastern Drywood Termite Incisitermes snyderi The southeastern drywood termite is the most common drywood termite in Florida and in Texas. It lives inside dry, sound wood in dead trees and in buildings, and its pale swarmers fly toward lights at night. Pine Sawyers Monochamus species (e.g., M. scutellatus, the whitespotted sawyer) Pine sawyers are large longhorned beetles whose grubs bore through dying or freshly cut pines and other conifers. They sometimes chew their way out of firewood or new-construction lumber indoors, but they are only a nuisance and can't reinfest the wood in a house. No photo yet Cuban Subterranean Termite Prorhinotermes simplex The Cuban subterranean termite, Prorhinotermes simplex, lives in moist logs in swampy areas of southern Florida. The USDA Forest Service's eastern forest insect manual says it has been known to attack the woodwork of buildings, but extremely rarely. Florida Dampwood Termites Neotermes castaneus, N. jouteli and N. luykxi Florida dampwood termites are Neotermes termites of southern Florida and the Keys. They live in moist, mostly dead wood in trees, logs and stumps, and one species occasionally turns up in damp foundation timbers of buildings. No photo yet Florida Darkwinged Subterranean Termite Amitermes floridensis The Florida darkwinged subterranean termite is a small subterranean termite found in central Florida. Since 2022 it has been classed as Amitermes wheeleri, Wheeler's termite, a species of arid lands in the Southwest that is not a serious structural pest. Cedar Tree Borer Semanotus ligneus The cedar tree borer is a native longhorned beetle that develops in stressed, dying or dead cedar, juniper and arborvitae wood. Wharf Borer Nacerdes melanura The wharf borer is a slender, half-inch beetle whose larvae tunnel in wet, rotting wood; adults often emerge inside homes from hidden damp or buried timber and gather at windows and lights. Golden buprestid Buprestis aurulenta The golden buprestid is a wood-boring beetle native to western North America that develops in dead and dying conifers such as Douglas-fir, pines and western hemlock. Larvae that end up in lumber can live for decades in a building and emerge at any season, chewing oval exit holes through floors, framing and trim, but real structural damage is rare. Desert termites Gnathamitermes Find a dead shrub, a fence post or a patch of dried grass in the Sonoran Desert plastered with thin sheets of sand and soil, and you have found desert termites at work. Gnathamitermes perplexus is extremely common there, feeding on dead grasses, weeds, small shrubs and even cow chips under the cover of its tubes, and the University of Arizona's termite guide rates it a nuisance at most: it will not cause structural damage to a home, and any feeding on the weathered outer layer of wood is cosmetic. Texas A&M says the same of the desert termite of western Texas, which does not damage structures and rarely harms rangeland, crops or turf. Light western drywood termite Marginitermes hubbardi Arizona has two drywood termites that matter, and the light western drywood termite is the one built for the low desert. It tolerates and prefers conditions much drier than the dark western drywood termite, lives below about 4,000 feet from Phoenix to Tucson and along the Colorado River, and in the southern part of its range it is now found more often in wooden buildings than in the saguaro skeletons and streambed cottonwoods it evolved on. The University of Arizona calls its damage there extensive enough to threaten a building's structural integrity. No photo yet Wheeler's desert termite Amitermes wheeleri Wheeler's desert termite is the other 'desert termite' of the Southwest, a cousin of the mud-sheet builder Gnathamitermes that lives near washes and dry streambeds and shows itself as dark carton on a dead cholla stump, the base of a mesquite or a fence post. It eats deeper into wood than Gnathamitermes does, but the University of Arizona still ranks it a nuisance at most: it will not cause structural damage to a home, and treatment is unnecessary unless it turns up in a structure. Arid-land subterranean termite Reticulitermes tibialis Where the Sonoran desert gives way to higher, cooler country, the subterranean termite in the walls is usually this one. The arid-land subterranean termite ranges across the semi-arid prairies, steppes and deserts of the Great Basin and the Rocky Mountains, east as far as Indiana and west into California, and in Arizona it is found throughout the state and is the most common termite pest around Flagstaff. It belongs to Reticulitermes, the most widespread and destructive termite genus in the United States, though it is less persistent at tubing up into buildings than its relatives and prefers wood that is already damp.

Southern Black Widow Latrodectus mactans Black widows are shy, web-building spiders with a neurotoxic venom; they live throughout North America and are most common in the southern and western United States. The southern black widow is found throughout states such as South Carolina. Western Black Widow Latrodectus hesperus The western black widow is the only black widow species in the western United States, ranging from British Columbia and Alberta to Mexico, and it is often very common around homes, barns, outbuildings and rock walls. Its bite is venomous, though NIOSH notes that spiders are usually not aggressive and most bites happen when one is trapped or touched. Brown Widow Latrodectus geometricus The brown widow is a non-native widow spider. It was found only in Florida for decades, then in the 2000s turned up from Texas along the Gulf Coast and up the Atlantic coast and became common around homes and parks in Southern California. Brown Recluse Loxosceles reclusa The brown recluse is a secretive spider of the south-central and Midwestern United States whose bite can occasionally cause serious wounds; it is widely over-reported outside its range. The Illinois Department of Public Health says it occurs in roughly the southeastern quarter of the country and that bites are uncommon even where the spider is common. Carolina Wolf Spider Hogna carolinensis Wolf spiders are large hunting spiders that don't use webs; they wander into homes by accident, especially males searching for mates, and they don't persist indoors. Hobo Spider Eratigena agrestis The hobo spider is a European funnel weaver that was labeled potentially toxic in the 1980s. Later research questioned that, and UC IPM says it is no longer considered of probable medical importance. Yellow Sac Spider Cheiracanthium species (shown: C. inclusum) Yellow sac spiders are small, pale hunting spiders that rest by day in silk sacs in the corners of walls and ceilings, under siding or among leaves, and come out at night to hunt instead of building a web. Common House Spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum The common house spider is a cobweb weaver found through most of the world. It builds its tangled webs in the corners of walls and windows, along floor joists and in basements, barns and crawl spaces. Bold Jumping Spider Phidippus audax Jumping spiders are compact, day-active hunters that build no web; they stalk prey by sight and pounce from a short distance. They live on plants, bark and walls and only occasionally wander indoors. Scorpions Order Scorpiones (shown: striped bark scorpion, Centruroides vittatus) Scorpions are arachnids, relatives of spiders, ticks and mites, that hide by day and hunt insects at night. They live across the southern United States, and most U.S. stings are reported from Arizona, Texas and Nevada. Longbodied Cellar Spider Pholcus phalangioides The longbodied cellar spider is the most common cellar spider in the United States: a small, pale spider with extremely long legs that lives in buildings all year. Penn State says it isn't known to be harmful in any way; its main offense is messy webbing. Orb Weaver Spiders (yellow garden spider) Argiope aurantia Orb weavers are the spiders that spin classic wheel-shaped webs in gardens and around porches. The best known is the yellow garden spider, a large black-and-yellow spider whose web has a white zigzag down the middle. They eat insects and aren't considered dangerous. Joro Spider Trichonephila clavata The Joro spider is a large, colorful orb weaver from East Asia, first documented in the U.S. in northeast Georgia in 2014. It spins big golden webs outdoors, is timid around people, and isn't considered a threat to people. Grass Spiders (Funnel Weavers) Agelenopsis species Grass spiders are common funnel weavers whose flat, sheet-like webs with a funnel off to one side show up in lawns, ground covers and shrubs. They are fast and shy, often wander indoors in fall, and are considered beneficial. False Widow Spiders Steatoda species (mainly S. grossa; also S. triangulosa) False widows are Steatoda cobweb spiders, close relatives of black widows with the same round-bellied shape. The false black widow, Steatoda grossa, is common in homes and often mistaken for a black widow; its bite can hurt but is usually much milder. Arizona Bark Scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus The Arizona bark scorpion is a slender, climbing scorpion of the desert Southwest that often lives in and around homes. It is the only scorpion in the United States whose sting is considered a medical concern. Fishing Spiders Dolomedes species (e.g., D. tenebrosus, the dark fishing spider) Fishing spiders, genus Dolomedes, are large brown hunting spiders that can run across water and even dive. The dark fishing spider, the species most often found around homes, lives mainly in wooded areas and is harmless despite its size. Harvestmen (Daddy Longlegs) Opiliones (e.g., eastern harvestman, Leiobunum vittatum) Harvestmen, widely called daddy longlegs, are arachnids related to spiders but are not true spiders. They make no silk, have no venom, and are beneficial predators and scavengers in yards and gardens. Southern House Spider Kukulcania hibernalis The southern house spider, also called a crevice weaver, is a spider of buildings in the southern United States. It worries people mainly because its males are mistaken for brown recluses, but verified bites have been minor. Tarantulas Aphonopelma species (e.g., Texas brown tarantula, A. hentzi) Tarantulas are the heaviest spiders in Texas and alarm people with their size and hairiness, but bites of native species are generally not serious. Texas A&M AgriLife says they are not pests and don't warrant control. Vinegaroon (Giant Whip Scorpion) Mastigoproctus giganteus The vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus), also called the whip scorpion, is an arachnid that a New Mexico poison center describes as commonly found in the southwestern United States, parts of Mexico and southern Florida. It is best known for the acid spray, mostly the acid in vinegar, that it aims at predators. Pseudoscorpions Pseudoscorpiones (e.g., house pseudoscorpion, Chelifer cancroides) Pseudoscorpions are tiny arachnids with pincer-like claws that are neither dangerous nor destructive. Homeowners usually find them in bathroom sinks and tubs and often mistake them for ticks or small spiders. Woodlouse Spider Dysdera crocata The woodlouse spider, or woodlouse hunter, is a Mediterranean spider now found around homes across much of North America. It hunts sowbugs and pill bugs in damp places and looks fierce because of its large fangs, but Utah State calls it beneficial. Sun Spiders (Windscorpions, Camel Spiders) Order Solifugae (e.g., Eremobates species) Sun spiders go by many names, including windscorpions, camel spiders and solpugids. They are not true spiders but speedy, mostly nocturnal predators with huge jaws, and none are known to have venom. Trapdoor Spiders (cork-lid trapdoor spiders) Ummidia species (e.g., Ummidia audouini) Trapdoor spiders are chunky relatives of tarantulas that spend their lives in silk-lined burrows hidden under a hinged lid. They are rarely seen, and their bite, while it can hurt, is not considered dangerous. Crab Spiders (e.g., goldenrod crab spider) Family Thomisidae (e.g., Misumena vatia) Crab spiders are small hunters that sit still on flowers, leaves or the ground and grab insects that come within reach. They spin no webs, they rarely bite people, and flower crab spiders are some of the most familiar spiders in gardens. Spitting Spider Scytodes thoracica The spitting spider is a slow-moving, spotted spider found in and around buildings. It builds no web; instead it spits a zigzag of silk, glue and venom that pins insects in place. Parson Spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus The parson spider is the most commonly encountered ground spider in the United States. It hunts at night without a web, hides in a silken retreat by day, and enters buildings in fall looking for a place to spend the winter. Desert Recluse Loxosceles deserta The desert recluse is the most common recluse spider in California and the one most likely behind a true recluse find there. It is native to the desert Southwest, lives mainly outdoors in native vegetation and is seldom found indoors. Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion Hadrurus arizonensis The giant desert hairy scorpion, also called the Arizona giant hairy scorpion, is the largest scorpion in the United States. Despite its size, its venom is mild, and extension entomologists consider it harmless and even beneficial. Giant House Spider Eratigena atrica (formerly Tegenaria gigantea and T. duellica) The giant house spider is one of the largest spiders in the Pacific Northwest, with a leg span that can reach 4 inches. It is common in and around homes west of the Cascades and is often mistaken for the hobo spider, but its bite is not known to threaten people. Mouse Spider Scotophaeus blackwalli The mouse spider is a European ground spider, named for its gray, furry-looking abdomen, that was introduced to North America. Along the Pacific coast it often lives in and around houses, where it hunts at night instead of building a web. Northern Black Widow Latrodectus variolus The northern black widow is the most medically significant spider in the Northeast. It is timid and rarely bites, usually only when pressed against bare skin, but its venom is a neurotoxin and a bite calls for medical help right away. Spiny-Backed Orb Weaver (spinybacked orbweaver) Gasteracantha cancriformis The spiny-backed orb weaver is a small, hard-shelled spider with six pointed spines, common throughout the South in late summer and fall. A bite is rare and usually no big deal: about like a fire ant sting, with no lasting effects. Golden Silk Orb Weaver (banana spider) Trichonephila clavipes (formerly Nephila clavipes) The golden silk orb weaver, often called the banana spider, is a large native spider known for its golden webs. It is docile, would rather run than bite, and eats many flying insects. Hentz Striped Scorpion Centruroides hentzi The Hentz striped scorpion is one of the three scorpions seen most often in Florida, and it occurs statewide there. Researchers who analyzed its venom describe it as a Centruroides species that poses no serious threat to people, though a sting still hurts. Zoropsis Spider Zoropsis spinimana The Zoropsis spider is big enough to startle people in Bay Area homes, but it's harmless and needs no control. Green Lynx Spider Peucetia viridans The green lynx spider is a bright, neon-green hunter with spiny legs that stalks insects on plants instead of building a web. Females guard their egg sacs fiercely, but bites to people are rare and cause only local symptoms. Pantropical Huntsman Spider Heteropoda venatoria The pantropical huntsman spider is a large, fast, flattened brown spider with a leg span of 3 to 5 inches. It hunts cockroaches and other insects without a web and is not dangerous, though it can give a painful bite if handled carelessly. Regal Jumping Spider Phidippus regius The regal jumping spider is the largest jumping spider in eastern North America and, apart from two pantropical species, the one most often seen in Florida. It is a harmless, beneficial hunter. Pantropical jumper Plexippus paykulli and Menemerus bivittatus The pantropical jumper (Plexippus paykulli) and the gray wall jumper (Menemerus bivittatus) are jumping spiders from Africa that have been introduced to the Americas and many other parts of the world. In the United States most records of both come from Texas, Florida and other Gulf states (plus California for the gray wall jumper), and the gray wall jumper is often found close to buildings. Broad-Faced Sac Spider Trachelas tranquillus The broad-faced sac spider is a small hunting spider that wanders into homes as temperatures fall in autumn; its bite can be painful. Hacklemesh Weavers Amaurobius and Callobius species (shown: Callobius bennetti) Hacklemesh weavers are mahogany-brown spiders with gray abdomens that spin tangled mesh webs outdoors and often turn up in damp basements in fall and winter. Barn Funnel Weaver Tegenaria domestica The barn funnel weaver is a fast, shy funnel-web spider of sheds, barns and door crevices, found in buildings at any time of year. Banded Garden Spider Argiope trifasciata The banded garden spider is a large orb weaver with a silvery-yellow abdomen crossed by many thin black bands. Adults hang in big wheel-shaped webs in open, sunny spots from midsummer until the first freeze, catching grasshoppers and other insects. Marbled Orbweaver Araneus marmoreus The marbled orbweaver has a large, rounded abdomen, usually orange marbled in brown and purple; it builds webs in moist woods and hides in a leaf retreat beside them. Its color and fall timing have earned it the name pumpkin spider. Cross Orbweaver Araneus diadematus The cross orbweaver, also called the garden cross spider, is a variable yellow-to-brown orb weaver with pale spots forming a cross on its abdomen. Probably introduced from Europe, it is often found on or next to buildings with outdoor lighting from late summer through autumn. Orchard Orbweaver Leucauge venusta and L. argyrobapta (shown: L. venusta) Orchard orbweavers are small, gleaming silvery spiders with long green legs that build horizontal or slanted orb webs in low shrubs and hedges. They hang under the center of the web, belly up. Nursery Web Spider Pisaurina mira The nursery web spider (Pisaurina mira) is a long-legged, slender hunting spider of tall grass, shrubs and woodland edges. It doesn't spin a web to catch prey. Its name comes from the leaf tent the female builds and guards around her egg sac. The Missouri Department of Conservation calls nursery web spiders harmless to people and useful predators of garden insects. Spined Micrathena Micrathena gracilis The spined micrathena is a small orbweaver with a spiny, pyramid-like abdomen whose webs often stretch across woodland trails and yard openings in late summer; it is not known to bite people. Spotted Orbweaver Neoscona crucifera The spotted orbweaver, also called the barn spider, Hentz orbweaver or arboreal orbweaver, is a large orbweaver that spins a big wheel-shaped web on eaves, porches, trees and shrubs. Through much of the season the female eats her web at dawn and spins a new one at dusk. It eats flying insects and is not one of the venomous spiders of concern in the U.S. Striped Lynx Spider Oxyopes salticus The striped lynx spider is a small, spiny-legged hunting spider of fields, prairies, grasses and gardens. It builds no web; it runs down and jumps on insects. Twin-Flagged Jumping Spider Anasaitis canosa (iNaturalist: Anasaitis canosus) The twin-flagged jumping spider is a small jumping spider from Florida that is unusual among jumping spiders because it eats ants, and it takes them in preference to other insects. Zebra Jumping Spider Salticus scenicus The zebra jumping spider is a small black-and-white striped jumping spider that hunts by day on walls, fences and windows and often comes indoors. It was introduced from Europe and western Asia, and Penn State calls it harmless and beneficial to have around.

Western Yellowjacket Vespula pensylvanica Yellowjackets are social wasps that nest mostly in the ground and in wall voids, defend their nests vigorously, and become persistent scavengers at picnics and garbage cans in late summer and fall. European Paper Wasp Polistes dominula Paper wasps hang open, umbrella-shaped paper nests under eaves and in sheltered spots; they are much less defensive than yellowjackets and rarely sting unless a nest is disturbed. Bald-faced Hornet Dolichovespula maculata The bald-faced hornet is a large black-and-white aerial yellowjacket that builds gray, football-shaped paper nests in trees, shrubs and on buildings and defends them aggressively. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera Honey bees are important pollinators, but a colony that moves into a wall void or attic can become a stinging hazard. A swarm is temporary and usually best left alone, while an established colony in a building should be removed along with its comb. Common Eastern Bumble Bee Bombus impatiens Bumble bees are social bees that form annual colonies in soil cavities, old rodent burrows and similar voids; they are valuable pollinators and defend their nests only when disturbed. Eastern Carpenter Bee Xylocopa virginica Carpenter bees are large, solitary bees that bore round tunnels into bare, weathered wood to rear their young; they rarely cause severe damage but can weaken wood that is reused year after year. Black and Yellow Mud Dauber Sceliphron caementarium Mud daubers are solitary wasps that build mud nests on walls, ceilings, eaves and equipment and stock them with paralyzed spiders. They don't defend their nests and rarely sting. Eastern Cicada Killer Sphecius speciosus Cicada killers are very large solitary wasps seen mostly in July and August. Females dig burrows and stock them with annual cicadas. They look alarming, but the Missouri Department of Conservation calls them virtually harmless unless handled roughly, and Kentucky says they aren't a stinging hazard unless directly disturbed. European Hornet Vespa crabro The European hornet is a large wasp introduced from Europe and first reported in the United States in 1840. It is now widespread in the East and is the only true hornet (genus Vespa) established in North America. Sweat Bees Family Halictidae (e.g., Halictus, Lasioglossum and Agapostemon) Sweat bees are small native bees, many of them shiny metallic green or blue, that are drawn to human perspiration for its moisture and salt. They are not aggressive and are important pollinators of wildflowers and crops. Velvet Ants (eastern velvet ant, "cow killer") Dasymutilla occidentalis Velvet ants aren't ants at all. They are solitary wasps in the family Mutillidae, and the wingless, fuzzy females look like large hairy ants as they run across open ground. Northern Giant Hornet Vespa mandarinia The northern giant hornet is the world's largest hornet. It was first found in the United States near Blaine, Washington, in December 2019, and WSDA and USDA have since declared it eradicated from Washington and the United States. Saddleback Caterpillar Acharia stimulea The saddleback caterpillar is a slug caterpillar, a stinging moth larva named for the saddle-shaped spot in the middle of its green back. Clemson calls it the most common slug caterpillar, and poison center records list it among the caterpillars that actually cause stings. Puss Caterpillar (southern flannel moth) Megalopyge opercularis The puss caterpillar is the larva of the southern flannel moth. Its soft, fur-like coat hides short venomous spines, and medical reviews count it among the most serious stinging caterpillars in North America. Io Moth Caterpillar Automeris io The io moth caterpillar is the larva of a giant silkworm moth. Most giant silkworm caterpillars are harmless, but this one carries stinging spines, and Clemson calls it the largest stinging caterpillar commonly encountered in South Carolina. Buck Moth Caterpillar Hemileuca maia The buck moth caterpillar is the larva of a giant silkworm moth that feeds mainly on oaks in spring. Its branched spines carry venom, and a sting can be severely painful; Poison Control lists it among the venomous caterpillars of the U.S. Great Golden Digger Wasp Sphex ichneumoneus The great golden digger wasp is a large solitary wasp often seen on flowers in summer. Females dig burrows in sandy soil and stock them with paralyzed katydids and crickets for their young. It isn't aggressive and doesn't harm people or property. Africanized Honey Bee Apis mellifera scutellata and its hybrids with European honey bees (Apis mellifera) Africanized honey bees descend from African honey bees taken to Brazil in the 1950s that got into the wild and bred with European honey bees. They look like ordinary honey bees and carry the same venom, but colonies respond faster, in greater numbers and over a wider area when their nest is disturbed. Giant Ichneumon Wasps Megarhyssa species (e.g., M. macrurus, M. atrata) Giant ichneumon wasps, genus Megarhyssa, are among the largest wasps people notice, with egg-laying tubes several inches long. They are parasites of horntail larvae inside dying hardwood trees, don't damage the trees, and ignore people. Tarantula Hawks Pepsis species (e.g., Pepsis thisbe) Tarantula hawks are large spider wasps that paralyze tarantulas to feed their young. Females have one of the most painful stings of any insect, but they are docile and rarely sting people. Potter Wasps Eumenes species (e.g., E. fraternus), subfamily Eumeninae Potter wasps are solitary wasps whose females build tiny urn-shaped mud nests, or use existing holes, and stock them with caterpillars for their young. They are rarely provoked enough to sting, and the caterpillar control makes them welcome in gardens. Mason Bees Osmia species (e.g., O. lignaria, the blue orchard bee) Mason bees are solitary native bees that nest in existing holes and crevices, walling off each egg chamber with mud. They are gentle, active only in early spring, and prized as fruit-tree pollinators, so they are worth welcoming rather than controlling. Leafcutter Bees Megachile species Neat semicircles cut from the edges of rose leaves are the work of leafcutter bees. These solitary pollinators carry the pieces off to line their nest cells and don't eat the leaves. Giant Resin Bee Megachile sculpturalis The giant resin bee is a large East Asian bee that moves into holes carpenter bees and other insects have already made, because it can't bore its own tunnels in wood. Chimney bee (miner bee) Anthophora abrupta The chimney bee is a solitary digger bee that nests in the ground, often in large groups, and builds a mud chimney over its nest entrance. Digger bees are not aggressive. Hag Moth Caterpillar Phobetron pithecium The hag moth caterpillar resembles a dried leaf, yet all of its fleshy lobes carry stinging hairs. Spiny Oak-Slug Euclea delphinii The spiny oak-slug is a stinging slug caterpillar, less venomous than the saddleback but still worth avoiding. Stinging Rose Caterpillar Parasa indetermina The stinging rose caterpillar's bright stripes and spiny horns are warning colors: the spines sting. It is a slug caterpillar of eastern forests, widespread but not particularly common. Grass-Carrying Wasps Isodontia species (Isodontia mexicana and relatives) Grass-carrying wasps nest in holes and tight spaces they pack with grass; Penn State calls them at worst a minor nuisance. Yellow-Legged Hornet Vespa velutina The yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) is an invasive hornet from Southeast Asia that preys on honey bees and other insects. It was first detected near Savannah, Georgia, in August 2023, and state and federal teams in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina are trapping it and destroying its nests. Sclerodermus Wasps Sclerodermus species (S. carolinensis, S. macrogaster and S. ventura in North America) Sclerodermus are tiny, ant-like flat wasps that parasitize wood-boring beetle larvae; when they share infested furniture or rafters with people, the females can sting. Hickory Tussock Moth Lophocampa caryae Hickory tussock moth caterpillars are fuzzy white and black caterpillars, often common in fall, whose loose, barbed hairs can lodge in skin and cause a local rash. Browntail Moth Euproctis chrysorrhoea The browntail moth is an invasive moth whose caterpillars and cocoons carry toxic hairs that cause skin rashes and, if breathed in, breathing problems. The National Park Service calls it a pest of both human and forest health; Maine has had outbreaks for about a decade. Mining Bees Andrena species Mining bees, genus Andrena, are solitary native bees that nest in the ground, often in dense spring aggregations in lawns and bare soil. They pollinate spring flowers and fruit crops, aren't aggressive, and Penn State says they aren't considered pests. Eastern Yellowjacket Vespula maculifrons The eastern yellowjacket is a native, ground-nesting yellowjacket common across the eastern US in lawns, woodlands, pastures and parks; it defends its nest aggressively and can sting repeatedly. German Yellowjacket Vespula germanica The German yellowjacket is an invasive wasp from Eurasia that has spread across the northern US, displaces native yellowjackets and often nests in buildings. Southern Yellowjacket Vespula squamosa The southern yellowjacket is a native yellowjacket that normally nests in the ground. Its large, burnt-orange queens often start colonies by taking over eastern yellowjacket nests. Blue-Winged Wasp Scolia dubia The blue-winged wasp is a large, gentle scoliid wasp often seen hovering a few inches over lawns in late summer; females hunt beetle grubs in the soil, so it is a beneficial insect that rarely, if ever, stings people. Crowned Slug Caterpillar Isa textula The crowned slug is a flat, pale green slug caterpillar ringed with plumes of stinging hairs; it feeds on oak, maple, cherry and other hardwoods in summer and fall and can sting painfully if touched. Spider Wasps Pompilidae (shown: rusty spider wasp, Tachypompilus ferrugineus) Spider wasps are solitary wasps that sting and paralyze spiders, then drag them to a nest as food for their young; the rusty spider wasp, with its orange body and blue wings, is a common eye-catching example. European Wool Carder Bee Anthidium manicatum The European wool carder bee is a stout, solitary, yellow-and-black bee about the size of a honey bee; females scrape the fuzz off plants such as lamb's ear to line their nests, and males aggressively guard flower patches. Black-waved Flannel Moth Megalopyge crispata (also listed as Lagoa crispata) The black-waved, or crinkled, flannel moth caterpillar is a fuzzy caterpillar that looks a lot like the puss caterpillar. Its coat of long, soft hairs hides short venomous spines that sting if you brush against it or pick it up. White Flannel Moth Norape ovina The white flannel moth caterpillar, also called the hackberry leafslug, is a stinging caterpillar that NC State says turns up more often on redbud than on hackberry. Brushing bare skin against it breaks off stinging hairs, and the sting is about like a bee's or wasp's. Red Wasp Polistes carolina The red wasp (Polistes carolina) is a paper wasp with an almost entirely rust-red body that builds open, umbrella-shaped paper nests under roofs and other overhangs. Paper wasps are not aggressive but will sting to defend the nest. Guinea Paper Wasp Polistes exclamans The guinea paper wasp is a small paper wasp, yellow with brown bands, that hangs single open combs in sheltered spots like eaves, grills, gates and shrubs; it is not very aggressive until its nest is jarred. Great Black Wasp Sphex pensylvanicus The great black wasp is a large, solitary, satiny black wasp with smoky black wings that shine blue. Missouri gives its length as about 1 to nearly 1 1/2 inches. It visits flowers for nectar and pollen in summer and is not aggressive. Small Carpenter Bees Ceratina species Small carpenter bees are tiny, shiny black bees with blue or green highlights that hollow out nests in the pith of broken weed stems, dead canes and freshly cut rose stems. They are gentle pollinators, though nesting in a fresh rose cut can make the cane die back. Cellophane Bees Colletes Cellophane bees are solitary, ground-nesting bees that line their underground brood cells with a clear, waterproof membrane. Chemically it is a polyester the female makes from her own gland secretions. Small Hive Beetle Aethina tumida The small hive beetle is an invasive beetle from sub-Saharan Africa. Strong colonies can live with the adults, but in weak or stressed colonies the larvae eat brood, pollen and honey and leave the comb a slimy, fermenting mess. American Sand Wasp Bembix americana The American sand wasp is a solitary wasp that digs its nest burrows in sandy ground, often beside many others of its kind, and catches flies to feed its young. Red and Black Mason Wasp Pachodynerus erynnis The red and black mason wasp is a solitary wasp in the potter and mason wasp group. Females nest in existing holes and hollow stems and stock them with caterpillars for their young. Common Long-Horned Bee Melissodes communis The common long-horned bee is one of the longhorn bees, fuzzy, medium-sized native bees named for their long antennae. Missouri's conservation department calls longhorn bees valuable native pollinators that are not aggressive. Pure Gold-Green Sweat Bee Augochlora pura The pure gold-green sweat bee is one of the most common bees in eastern North America and one of the most tied to woodlands. It nests in rotting wood, lives alone rather than in a colony, and pollinates many flowers. Oriental Moth Monema flavescens (formerly Cnidocampa flavescens) The oriental moth is an Asian slug moth whose brightly colored caterpillars, called stinging nettle caterpillars, carry spines that sting like nettles. Varroa Mite Varroa destructor The Varroa mite is the most damaging pest of honey bees: it feeds on adult bees and developing brood, weakens the colony and spreads viruses, and an unmonitored infestation can kill the hive. Wax Moths Galleria mellonella (greater wax moth) and Achroia grisella (lesser wax moth) Two moths, the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) and the lesser wax moth (Achroia grisella), live with honey bee colonies. Their caterpillars tunnel through beeswax comb, leaving silk webbing and droppings, and do most harm in weak or dead colonies and in stored comb. American yellowjacket Vespula alascensis The American yellowjacket, also called the common yellowjacket, is a black-and-yellow social wasp that nests in underground cavities or inside structures and scavenges protein and sugar. North American references long called it Vespula vulgaris, but that name now belongs to a European species. It is considered a pest because its nesting and scavenging habits bring it into frequent contact with people. Aerial yellowjacket Dolichovespula arenaria The aerial yellowjacket is a black-and-yellow social wasp that builds its enclosed paper nest above ground: in shrubs and trees, under eaves and on outbuildings. It hunts live prey instead of raiding picnics, but it defends its nest fiercely and sometimes bites and stings at the same time. Blackjacket Vespula consobrina The blackjacket is a yellowjacket that is black with narrow white markings instead of yellow ones. It lives across Canada and the northern United States and south through the western mountains, hunts live insects, and nests in cavities such as hollow logs, rodent burrows and the wall voids of houses. Entypus spider wasps Entypus (e.g., Entypus unifasciatus, E. aratus, E. fulvicornis) Entypus spider wasps are among the largest spider wasps, sometimes nearly an inch and a quarter long, black with a bluish sheen, smoky wings washed with amber and very long, spined legs. Seven species occur north of Mexico and none has a common name. They are seen mostly in late summer and early fall, drinking nectar at flowers or dragging a paralyzed wolf spider to a cavity another animal dug, where a single egg is laid on the spider and the larva eats it. Like other spider wasps they are solitary and hunt spiders, not people; no control is needed. Auplopus spider wasps Auplopus (about 10 North American species) Auplopus spider wasps are small spider wasps, up to about half an inch long, black with a bluish or turquoise sheen and usually reddish or honey-colored legs. They are best known for a trick: after stinging a spider, the female snips off its legs so the compact body is easier for a wasp this size to carry. She stocks a mud cell with the spider and lays a single egg on it. North America has about 10 species, most common in wooded areas, and females occasionally build their mud cells in cracks on the outside of house foundations. They are solitary, beneficial and need no control. Blue-black spider wasps Anoplius (nearly 50 North American species, e.g., Anoplius depressipes) Blue-black spider wasps are the Anoplius wasps, nearly 50 North American species of long-legged, nervously wing-flicking wasps that are either entirely black with a bluish sheen or black with an orange patch on the abdomen. Females hunt wolf spiders, grass spiders and similar ground spiders, sting them, drag them into a burrow and lay a single egg on each; the larva eats the paralyzed spider alive. One species even walks on water to catch fishing spiders. The adults are common at flowers, can sting if handled, but are solitary hunters that need no control. Poecilopompilus spider wasps Poecilopompilus (Poecilopompilus algidus and P. interruptus) Poecilopompilus spider wasps are the spider wasps that specialize in orbweavers, while most of their relatives take jumping, wolf or crab spiders. Two species, Poecilopompilus algidus and P. interruptus, are widespread in North America. Depending on the region they may be banded yellow and orange or mostly black with an orange patch on the side of the abdomen, a pattern that tends to copy whatever stinging wasp is most common locally. Females dig burrows in sandy ground, stock each with one paralyzed spider and an egg, and are otherwise seen at flowers in open country. They are solitary and need no control. Psorthaspis spider wasps Psorthaspis (about 13 North American species, e.g., Psorthaspis sanguinea) Psorthaspis spider wasps look so much like velvet ants that Missouri's field guide calls them 'velvet ant mimics'. About 13 species occur north of Mexico; in the central states they are usually velvety red and black, and elsewhere the same yellow, orange or striped patterns as the velvet ants of that region. Females hunt on the ground in woods, apparently favoring trapdoor spiders, and nest like other spider wasps, stocking a burrow with one paralyzed spider. They are said to have a very painful sting but are not aggressive, and they need no control. Common blue mud dauber Chalybion californicum The common blue mud dauber is a shiny metallic blue wasp with a thread-like waist. Unlike most mud daubers it doesn't carry mud. It brings water to an old mud nest, reworks it, and packs the cells with paralyzed spiders, including large numbers of black widows. Organ pipe mud dauber Trypoxylon politum The organ pipe mud dauber is a black, solitary wasp that builds long mud tubes side by side on walls, eaves and equipment, so the finished nest looks like the pipes of an organ. Females stock the tubes with paralyzed orb weaver spiders, and the male stays at the nest to guard it.

Mosquito Culicidae (shown: Culex pipiens complex) Mosquitoes are small, delicate flies whose females feed on blood and can pass on viruses such as West Nile; the control that works best goes after the larvae in standing water. House Fly Musca domestica The house fly is a worldwide companion of people and domestic animals; it breeds in garbage, manure and other moist organic matter and is most numerous in hot summer months. Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster Fruit flies, also called vinegar or pomace flies, are tiny flies drawn to ripe and fermenting fruits and vegetables. They can show up any time of year, but they are most common from summer into fall. Drain Fly (Moth Fly) Psychodidae (shown: Clogmia albipunctata) Drain flies, also called moth flies or filter flies, are small, fuzzy, non-biting flies whose larvae live in the slimy film inside drains, toilets and other places where water stands. Fungus Gnat Bradysia and related species Fungus gnats are small flies whose larvae live in moist potting mix and organic matter. Indoors the adults emerge from houseplants and become a nuisance; they don't bite, and Colorado State calls the larvae minor pests of houseplants. Cluster Fly Pollenia species (e.g., P. rudis) Cluster flies gather on the sunny sides of buildings in fall to find places to overwinter and then appear indoors, often in large numbers, on warm days through winter and spring. They do not breed indoors. Common Green Bottle Fly Calliphoridae (shown: Lucilia sericata) A sudden crowd of shiny green or blue flies indoors often means an animal has died in a chimney, wall or ceiling. Outdoors, most blow flies come from garbage with food waste and from pet waste. Biting Midges Culicoides spp. No-see-ums, also called biting midges, punkies, sand gnats or sand flies, are tiny flies, mostly in the genus Culicoides, whose bites itch intensely; most people feel them without ever seeing them. Stable Fly Stomoxys calcitrans The stable fly, also called the biting house fly or dog fly, looks much like a house fly but feeds on blood. Cattle are its main hosts, but it also bites horses, dogs and people, especially in neighborhoods near livestock. Phorid Fly Megaselia scalaris Phorid flies, also called humpbacked, scuttle or coffin flies, are small flies that breed in moist, decaying material. Indoors they most often come from drains and plumbing, and a hidden sewer leak can feed a large, stubborn infestation. Asian Tiger Mosquito Aedes albopictus The Asian tiger mosquito is an invasive, aggressive mosquito that bites during the day and breeds in small water-holding containers around homes. First found at a tire dump near Houston in 1985, it spread rapidly through the southern United States and up the East Coast. Deer Fly Chrysops spp. (shown: Chrysops callidus) Deer flies (genus Chrysops) are biting flies in the horse fly family. Only females bite, slicing the skin and lapping up the blood, mostly on warm days near the swamps, streams and woodland edges where their larvae develop. Flesh Flies Sarcophaga species (family Sarcophagidae) Flesh flies are large gray flies whose maggots develop in dead animals, excrement and other decaying matter. When a sudden crowd of them appears indoors in summer, a small animal has most likely died in a wall void, attic or similar hidden spot. Black Flies Simulium and related genera (family Simuliidae) Black flies are tiny, stout, humpbacked biting flies, often called gnats or buffalo gnats. Their larvae live only in running water, and the females swarm around people and animals for blood, mostly in spring and early summer. Yellow Fever Mosquito Aedes aegypti The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is a container-breeding mosquito that lives close to people and prefers to bite them. It lives indoors and outdoors, and the CDC calls it the main type of mosquito that spreads Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses. Northern House Mosquito Culex pipiens The northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens, is often the most common pest mosquito in cities and suburbs. It bites from dusk to dawn, breeds in stagnant and polluted water, and is a major carrier of West Nile virus in North America. Lesser House Fly Fannia canicularis The lesser house fly, also called the little house fly, is a smaller relative of the house fly that breeds in manure, compost and fermenting grass clippings. Swarms of males circle at head height in shady porches and garages, so it is mainly a nuisance, and Texas A&M says it can annoy people living near poultry farms even more than the house fly does. Non-Biting Midges Family Chironomidae Non-biting midges (family Chironomidae) are small, delicate flies that grow up in water and emerge in large swarms near ponds, lakes and streams. They are often mistaken for mosquitoes, but they don't bite; the problem is sheer numbers. Face Fly Musca autumnalis The face fly is a serious pest of pastured cattle that also invades homes and barns near pastures. In fall the adults look for sheltered places to spend the winter, often inside attics and wall voids, much like cluster flies. Horse Flies Tabanus spp. (shown: black horse fly, Tabanus atratus) Horse flies (Tabanus and related genera) are large, stout biting flies in the same family as deer flies. Only the females bite, during the day, slicing the skin and lapping up the blood. Inland Floodwater Mosquito Aedes vexans The inland floodwater mosquito is one of the most widespread pest mosquitoes in the world. Its eggs wait in dry ground for months or years, then hatch in huge numbers when rain or floodwater covers them. Black Soldier Fly Hermetia illucens The black soldier fly is best known for its larvae: flat, leathery brown maggots that churn through wet food scraps, compost and manure. Both larvae and adults are harmless to people, and the larvae are useful decomposers. Robber Flies Asilidae (e.g., Proctacanthus milbertii) Robber flies, also called assassin flies, are a large family of predatory flies. They perch in open, sunny spots, then dart out to catch flying insects. They are generally beneficial, though they eat helpful insects too, and a robber fly that is grabbed or swatted can bite. Western Encephalitis Mosquito Culex tarsalis The western encephalitis mosquito, Culex tarsalis, is the main mosquito that carries West Nile virus to people in the western United States. It feeds on birds, where the virus multiplies, and also on people and horses. Asian Bush Mosquito Aedes japonicus The Asian bush mosquito, also called the Asian rock pool mosquito, is an invasive container-breeding mosquito from East Asia, first detected in New York in 1998. Its cold tolerance keeps it active earlier in spring and later in fall than similar container mosquitoes. Rodent and rabbit bot flies Cuterebra species Cuterebra bot flies are large flies whose maggots grow under the skin of rodents and rabbits, forming lumps called warbles. They occasionally turn up in cats, dogs and other animals, and rarely in people. Spotted-Wing Drosophila Drosophila suzukii Spotted-wing drosophila is a small fruit fly native to Asia that attacks healthy, ripening soft fruit such as raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and cherries. Most vinegar flies only go after rotting or damaged fruit. Southern House Mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus The southern house mosquito bites in the evening, at night and in the early morning, and Texas A&M calls it the most important carrier of West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis, especially in the eastern U.S. It prefers birds but will come through unscreened windows and open doors to bite sleeping people. Black Salt Marsh Mosquito Aedes taeniorhynchus The black salt marsh mosquito is a severe biter of people and livestock along the southern U.S. coasts. Its eggs hatch when tides or heavy rain flood salt marshes and mangroves, broods can number in the millions, and females fly miles inland looking for blood. In Florida, hurricane flooding has set off huge outbreaks. Yellow Fly Diachlorus ferrugatus The yellow fly, Diachlorus ferrugatus, is a biting fly in the same family as deer flies and horse flies and is common in the southeastern United States. Only the females bite, and their bites are painful and can swell fast. Eastern Treehole Mosquito Aedes triseriatus The eastern treehole mosquito is an aggressive daytime biter in and near deciduous woods and the primary vector of La Crosse virus. It lays its eggs in water held in tree holes and in containers, especially discarded tires. Florida SLE mosquito Culex nigripalpus Culex nigripalpus is the primary mosquito vector of encephalitis viruses in Florida. It carried St. Louis encephalitis virus in the state's 1990 epidemic and can also transmit West Nile and eastern equine encephalitis viruses. Rainfall, drought and temperature set how many there are each year. Elephant Mosquito Toxorhynchites rutilus The elephant mosquito never takes blood: adults can't take a blood meal and feed only on nectar. Its larvae prey on the larvae of other mosquitoes, including container breeders such as the yellow fever and Asian tiger mosquitoes. Cattail Mosquito Coquillettidia perturbans The cattail mosquito's larvae live attached to the roots and stems of cattails and other emergent plants in permanent wetlands, and adult females readily bite people. CDC lists it as a primary bridge vector that carries eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus from birds to people and horses. African Fig Fly Zaprionus indianus The African fig fly is an invasive vinegar fly that breeds in rotting and damaged fruit and can also infest some ripening crops, especially figs and caneberries. It is often found in fruit alongside spotted-wing drosophila. Eye Gnats Liohippelates collusor and Hippelates species Female eye gnats persistently feed at the eyes, nose, mouth and open wounds of people and animals, a severe nuisance near breeding sites. They swarm around the head and dart at the face, and brushing them away does little good. Common Malaria Mosquito Anopheles quadrimaculatus (a complex of five sibling species) The common malaria mosquito is a large, dark Anopheles mosquito of the eastern United States. It was the most important malaria carrier in the Southeast, still serves as the primary vector in eastern outbreaks, and bites livestock, deer and, to a lesser extent, people. White-Footed Woods Mosquito Psorophora ferox Psorophora ferox, the white-footed woods mosquito, breeds in temporary woodland pools that fill with rain and is a persistent, painful biter that attacks readily during the day. Dark-Tailed Mosquito Culiseta melanura The dark-tailed mosquito, Culiseta melanura, is the main mosquito that keeps eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus cycling among birds in freshwater hardwood swamps. EEE is rare in people but serious: about 30% of people who develop severe disease die. New World Screwworm Cochliomyia hominivorax The New World screwworm is a parasitic blow fly whose maggots burrow into the living flesh of animals, and rarely people, through wounds; USDA confirmed cases in Texas in June 2026. Mydas Flies Mydidae Mydas flies are large, harmless flies that mimic wasps. The eastern Mydas clavatus is velvety black with a bright orange or reddish mark on the second abdominal segment. Horn fly Haematobia irritans The horn fly is a small, dark gray biting fly that lives on pastured cattle and breeds in their fresh manure. It counts among the most economically important pests of cattle, and without control a herd can carry several hundred flies per animal by late summer. Horse bot flies Gasterophilus species (common horse bot G. intestinalis, throat bot G. nasalis, nose bot G. haemorrhoidalis) Horse bot flies are bee-like flies that glue their eggs to the hair of horses, donkeys and mules. The larvae, called bots, end up attached to the lining of the stomach, where they spend most of a year. Sheep bot fly Oestrus ovis The sheep bot fly, also called the sheep nose bot, is a hairy fly that deposits live larvae around the nostrils of sheep and occasionally goats. The larvae grow in the nasal passages and sinuses until they are sneezed out. No photo yet Cattle grubs (heel flies) Hypoderma lineatum (common cattle grub) and Hypoderma bovis (northern cattle grub) Cattle grubs are the larvae of warble flies, better known as heel flies: bee-like flies that glue their eggs to the hair of cattle. The grubs burrow in, travel through the body for months, and finish in lumps called warbles along the animal's back. Fleeceworms Blow fly larvae (Calliphoridae), mainly the black blow fly (Phormia regina) and the common green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata) Fleeceworms, or wool maggots, are blow fly larvae that infest sheep, a condition called flystrike. Flies lay eggs in wool soiled by urine or scours or matted with blood, and the maggots feed down to the skin, causing wounds and infection that can kill a sheep if it is not treated promptly. Black dump fly Hydrotaea aenescens The black dump fly, also called the black garbage fly, is a shiny black fly found around poultry houses alongside house flies. Its larvae prey on other fly larvae and can cut house fly numbers sharply, but large numbers can also build up, wander into nearby communities, and carry bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter. False stable fly Muscina stabulans The false stable fly looks much like a house fly, and Arkansas Extension lists it among the few flies that are persistent pests in and around buildings. It breeds in manure and rotting plant waste, and it is most plentiful in early spring, before house flies reach their peak. Secondary screwworm Cochliomyia macellaria The secondary screwworm, Cochliomyia macellaria, is a metallic blue-green blow fly whose maggots develop in carcasses and rotting meat. It is the closest relative of the New World screwworm and the fly most likely to be mistaken for it, but it does not lay its eggs on healthy living animals. Eastern saltmarsh mosquito Aedes sollicitans The eastern saltmarsh mosquito is a major pest along the coast from Atlantic Canada to Texas. Huge broods hatch from salt marsh pools after unusually high tides or heavy rain, and the females fly inland and bite persistently, by day or night. Dark ricefield mosquito Psorophora columbiae The dark ricefield mosquito is a floodwater mosquito whose eggs wait on damp ground until rain or irrigation floods it. Its numbers can explode after heavy rains, especially in rice-growing areas, and it is both a fierce biter of people and a significant pest of livestock. Gallinipper Psorophora ciliata The gallinipper is a very large mosquito, about the size of a quarter, with heavily scaled legs banded in yellow and black. It breeds in rain-flooded pools and fields, its larvae eat other mosquito larvae, and the females bite painfully, even in the daytime. Unbanded saltmarsh mosquito Culex salinarius The unbanded saltmarsh mosquito breeds in fresh and brackish water thick with decaying plants, especially coastal impoundments, where it can reach enormous numbers. It bites mainly at twilight and after dark, readily comes indoors, and keeps looking for blood well into the fall. No photo yet Culex coronator Culex coronator Culex coronator is a mosquito from the American tropics that has spread east across the southern United States since the early 2000s, reaching Florida in 2005, Memphis and Virginia by 2016 to 2017. It breeds in ditches, ponds and containers such as old tires, feeds mostly on mammals, and researchers are still working out how much it matters for disease. Phlebotomine sand flies Lutzomyia species (subfamily Phlebotominae; in the U.S. mainly Lu. anthophora, Lu. diabolica, Lu. shannoni and Lu. vexator) Phlebotomine sand flies are tiny, hairy-winged biting flies that are active mostly from dusk to dawn. In the United States, Lutzomyia sand flies carry the Leishmania parasites that cause cutaneous leishmaniasis, a skin disease people occasionally catch locally, mostly in Texas. Brown saltmarsh mosquito Aedes cantator The brown saltmarsh mosquito breeds in brackish and fresh pools along the upland edge of salt marshes from Atlantic Canada to Virginia. It is normally the first mosquito to appear on the marsh in spring and an aggressive biter of people, most troublesome at dusk. Woodland pool mosquito Aedes canadensis The woodland pool mosquito hatches from leaf-lined woodland pools in early spring and is New Jersey's most abundant early-season mosquito. It doesn't fly far, but in shady woods near its breeding pools it can be a serious, aggressive biter. Plains floodwater mosquito Aedes trivittatus The plains floodwater mosquito hatches from warm floodwater in late spring and summer and seldom strays far from where it bred. Near homes it is a persistent, aggressive biter that often attacks in swarms, even in bright sun. Woodland malaria mosquito Anopheles punctipennis The woodland malaria mosquito breeds in ponds, rock pools and the weedy edges of slow streams. Females bite people persistently, especially in the early evening, and they will also bite during the day in shady spots. White-dotted mosquito Culex restuans The white-dotted mosquito (Culex restuans) is very common in the eastern and central United States. Its larvae live in an unusually wide range of standing water, from clear water in an old tire to sewage seepage, and the adults feed mostly on birds, although they are reported to bite people when they are abundant and when they first leave their winter shelters in spring. Aedes stimulans Aedes stimulans Aedes stimulans is a spring mosquito of the northeastern United States that hatches once a year from shaded woodland pools lined with fallen leaves. Rutgers counts it among northern New Jersey's most important early-season pests: it bites avidly in the woods near its breeding pools and will also come into nearby communities in numbers looking for blood. Aedes excrucians Aedes excrucians Aedes excrucians is a forest mosquito of the northern United States, Canada and Alaska that hatches once a year from snow pools lined with fallen leaves. It seldom strays far from those pools, so its irritating bite is a local problem, but in wooded or shaded spots the females will bite at any hour of the day or night. Culex erraticus Culex erraticus Culex erraticus is a mosquito found mainly in the southeastern United States, where its larvae live among plants and roots in ponds, lakes and slow streams. Studies in the Southeast have found it to be the most common mosquito at many sites where eastern equine encephalitis virus circulates in wildlife, and it is often infected with the virus. Anopheles crucians complex Anopheles crucians Anopheles crucians is really a complex of three mosquitoes so alike that the only way to tell them apart is to examine the larvae under a microscope. They breed in long-standing, leaf-stained water in ponds and swamps, especially cypress swamps, and the females feed on mammals at night. Aedes dorsalis Aedes dorsalis Aedes dorsalis is a pale-scaled floodwater mosquito that is most abundant from the Plains states to the Pacific coast, where it is regarded as an important pest. Its larvae thrive in salty and brackish pools as well as fresh ones, and the adults are strong fliers that bite people and domestic animals at any hour of the day or night. No photo yet Aedes aurifer Aedes aurifer Aedes aurifer is a spring mosquito of the northeastern United States that breeds in freshwater swamps and bogs. It never occurs in large numbers and rarely flies far from its breeding habitat, but it bites viciously and persistently: hikers on the trails of New Jersey's Great Swamp find it intolerable in late May. No photo yet Aedes fitchii Aedes fitchii Aedes fitchii is a spring mosquito of the northern United States and southern Canada that breeds in open, plant-filled water such as grassy roadside ditches and abandoned cranberry bogs. It is a pest in some of the more northern states, and the females readily bite people both during the day and at night. No photo yet Mushroom Phorid Fly Megaselia halterata The mushroom phorid fly (Megaselia halterata) is a tiny humpbacked fly whose larvae feed on the mycelium in commercial mushroom compost. It cuts mushroom yields and spreads fungal diseases on farms, and in parts of Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland wind-blown adults have become a nuisance in homes near mushroom farms. Zombie Fly Apocephalus borealis The zombie fly (Apocephalus borealis) is a tiny North American phorid fly whose maggots develop inside bumble bees and wasps. In 2012 researchers in San Francisco found that it also attacks honey bees. Infected honey bees leave their hives at night, wander toward lights and die, which earned the fly its name, and researchers have called it a possible emerging threat to beekeeping. No photo yet Mushroom Sciarid Fly Lycoriella mali The mushroom sciarid fly (Lycoriella mali) is a fungus gnat (family Sciaridae) that breeds in mushroom compost and casing. Its larvae chew mycelium, destroy developing pins and burrow into the stems and caps of maturing mushrooms, and the adults carry mites, nematodes and mold spores from room to room. The Pacific Northwest handbook calls it the major insect pest of mushrooms, and Penn State says it has been the most devastating insect in the Pennsylvania mushroom industry at least since September 1979. No photo yet Raspberry Cane Maggot Pegomya rubivora The raspberry cane maggot (Pegomya rubivora) is a small gray fly, a little smaller than a house fly, whose maggot bores into the tip of a new raspberry or blackberry cane in spring and tunnels downward, girdling the shoot from the inside. The tip wilts suddenly, droops and turns purplish or blackish, which is often blamed on the raspberry cane borer even though it happens weeks earlier and leaves no girdle on the outside. It kills individual canes but does not appear to reduce fruit yield, and the usual advice is to prune out wilted tips rather than spray. Sunflower Receptacle Maggot Gymnocarena diffusa The sunflower receptacle maggot (Gymnocarena diffusa), listed simply as the sunflower maggot in the Pacific Northwest handbook, is a bright yellow fruit fly with metallic green eyes and brown-mottled wings. Its larvae feed on the receptacle, the fleshy base of the sunflower head, and leave exit holes there in late summer. Both sources treat it as a minor pest: its feeding has not been shown to cause significant yield loss, and insecticide treatment is not considered necessary.

Bed Bug Cimex lectularius Bed bugs are wingless, blood-feeding insects that feed on sleeping or resting people, mostly at night; they have resurged worldwide and now turn up even in the finest hotels. CDC says they turn up in five-star hotels and resorts, and how clean a place is does not determine whether bed bugs are present. Cat Flea Ctenocephalides felis The cat flea is the most common external parasite of domestic cats and dogs, and the flea most often found on both. Adults spend most of their time on the pet, while eggs, larvae and pupae build up wherever the pet rests. Blacklegged Tick Ixodes scapularis The blacklegged tick, often called the deer tick, is widely distributed across the eastern United States and transmits the bacteria that cause Lyme disease along with several other diseases. Lone Star Tick Amblyomma americanum The lone star tick is a very aggressive tick that readily bites people and pets across the Northeast, South and Midwest; its bite is linked to alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy. American Dog Tick Dermacentor variabilis The American dog tick, also called the wood tick, is widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains. Adult females are the stage most likely to bite people, especially in spring and summer, and adults commonly climb to the crown of the head. Eastern Bloodsucking Conenose Triatoma spp. (shown: T. sanguisuga) Kissing bugs are blood-feeding insects, active mostly at night, that can carry Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. They have been found in 29 U.S. states, and studies of bugs collected in the United States have found the parasite in roughly one in six to nearly two in three of those tested, depending on the place. Chiggers Trombiculidae (e.g., Trombicula / Eutrombicula alfreddugesi) Chiggers are the tiny larvae of mites; only the larva bites, and its feeding causes intense itching and small red welts. Contrary to popular belief, chiggers don't burrow into the skin or suck blood. Brown Dog Tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus The brown dog tick is unusual: unlike most ticks, it can complete its entire life cycle indoors. It occurs across the United States, is met more often in the southern states, and can build up to high numbers on dogs and in homes and kennels. Bat Bugs Cimex adjunctus (eastern bat bug) and Cimex pilosellus (western bat bug) Bat bugs are close relatives of bed bugs that feed on the blood of roosting bats. They turn up in homes that have bats in the attic or walls, and they may bite people when the bats leave or are shut out. Gulf Coast Tick Amblyomma maculatum The Gulf Coast tick is a hard tick of grass prairies, coastal uplands and shrubby, recently disturbed ground with little or no tree cover. Adults bite people, and it is the principal carrier of Rickettsia parkeri, which causes a form of spotted fever, and of the parasite behind American canine hepatozoonosis in dogs. Rocky Mountain Wood Tick Dermacentor andersoni The Rocky Mountain wood tick is the tick most often found on people and pets in Colorado and Utah. It is most active in spring, then goes dormant as the weather turns hot and dry, and it is the vector of Colorado tick fever. Asian Longhorned Tick Haemaphysalis longicornis The Asian longhorned tick is an invasive tick first reported in the United States in 2017. U.S. females lay eggs without mating, which APHIS describes as essentially cloning themselves, so huge numbers can build up on livestock, pets and wildlife and in grass. Oak Leaf Itch Mite Pyemotes herfsi The oak leaf itch mite is a tiny predatory mite that feeds on gall-making midge larvae on oak leaves. When its numbers explode in late summer, mites fall from the trees and bite people underneath. Head Louse Pediculus humanus capitis Head lice are wingless insects that live their whole lives on the human head, feeding on tiny blood meals from the scalp. They don't spread disease, and the fix is treating the person and combing out nits, not treating the house. Western Blacklegged Tick Ixodes pacificus The western blacklegged tick is the West Coast relative of the eastern deer tick and the only tick that spreads Lyme disease bacteria to people in California. It bites people more often than any other tick in the state. Pacific Coast Tick Dermacentor occidentalis The Pacific Coast tick is one of the most widespread ticks in California and one of a handful that regularly bite people. It is the only tick known to spread Pacific Coast tick fever, and it can also carry spotted fever and tularemia. Soft Ticks (relapsing fever ticks) Ornithodoros species (mainly O. hermsi and O. turicata in the U.S.) Soft ticks live in rodent nests, often inside the walls and floors of rustic cabins, and come out at night to feed briefly on sleeping people. In the U.S., infected Ornithodoros soft ticks spread soft tick relapsing fever. Masked Hunter Reduvius personatus The masked hunter is a predatory assassin bug that often lives inside homes and hunts other insects at night. It doesn't feed on blood, but it gives a painful bite if it is handled or pressed against skin. Swallow Bug Oeciacus vicarius Swallow bugs are close relatives of bed bugs that feed on the blood of swallows, mainly cliff swallows and sometimes barn swallows. They live in and around mud nests on buildings and bite people mainly when their birds are away. Tropical Bed Bug Cimex hemipterus The tropical bed bug is one of two bed bug species that feed on people. UC IPM says it is the dominant species in the tropics, and a 2021 study describes it spreading to new areas, including the United States, northern Australia, the Middle East, Russia and Central Europe. Body lice Pediculus humanus humanus Body lice are small insects that feed on human blood but live and lay their eggs on clothing and bedding. Unlike head lice, they can spread disease, and an infestation is usually cleared with regular bathing and hot-water laundering. Oriental Rat Flea Xenopsylla cheopis The oriental rat flea is a parasite of rats and other small mammals and is best known for spreading two diseases to people: plague and flea-borne (murine) typhus. People are incidental hosts. Dog Flea Ctenocephalides canis The dog flea looks very much like the cat flea but is the less common of the two on U.S. pets: UC IPM says the cat flea is the most common external parasite on domestic cats and dogs and calls the dog flea rare in California. In some countries, such as South Korea and Uzbekistan, surveys have found it to be the main flea on dogs. Human Flea Pulex irritans The human flea is a bloodsucking flea with a long association with people, one of its main hosts, though it also feeds on a wide range of wild and domestic animals. Crab Lice (Pubic Lice) Pthirus pubis Crab lice, or pubic lice (Pthirus pubis), are blood-feeding insects found only on people, usually in pubic hair, and they spread mostly through sexual contact. Chicken Mite Dermanyssus gallinae The chicken mite (poultry red mite, roost mite) is a tiny blood-feeding mite that hides in cracks, nests and litter by day and crawls onto chickens and wild birds to feed at night. Mites from coops or bird nests can also crawl onto people and bite. Azalea Plant Bug Rhinocapsus vanduzeei The azalea plant bug is a tiny native plant bug that feeds on azalea flowers and is best known for biting gardeners. Northern Fowl Mite Ornithonyssus sylviarum The northern fowl mite is a tiny blood-feeding mite that Mississippi State Extension calls the most serious external parasite of poultry in North America. It lives its whole life on chickens and other birds, crowding around the vent, and heavy infestations cause anemia, fewer eggs and even death. Poultry Lice Several chewing lice, including the chicken body louse (Menacanthus stramineus) and the shaft louse (Menopon gallinae) Poultry lice are small, flat, wingless, straw-colored insects that live their entire lives on the bird, chewing on feathers, dry skin scales and scab tissue. Heavy infestations irritate birds, damage feathers and can cut growth and egg production. Sticktight Flea Echidnophaga gallinacea The sticktight flea is a small, dark flea that embeds its mouthparts in its host's skin and stays put for days or weeks. Texas A&M's veterinary diagnostic lab calls it the main flea pest of poultry, and it also attaches to dogs, cats and people. Scaly Leg Mite Knemidokoptes mutans The scaly leg mite is a tiny mite that burrows into the skin under the scales of chickens' legs and feet, lifting the scales and leaving the legs thick, crusty and deformed. Fowl Tick Argas persicus The fowl tick, also called the blue bug, is a soft tick that hides in cracks near chicken roosts by day and climbs onto the birds at night to feed on blood, causing weight loss, blemishes and fewer eggs. European Deer Ked Lipoptena cervi (European deer ked); also L. mazamae, L. depressa and Neolipoptena ferrisi Deer keds are flat, brown flies that feed on the blood of deer; once they land on a host they shed their wings and look like odd ticks, and they often land on and bite hunters, deer processors and hikers in fall. Backswimmers Notonectidae (about 32 North American species) Backswimmers are predatory water bugs that swim upside down. They fly at night, often land in swimming pools, and, unlike the look-alike water boatmen, can give a painful bite if handled. Cattle lice Four species: shortnosed cattle louse (Haematopinus eurysternus), longnosed cattle louse (Linognathus vituli), little blue cattle louse (Solenopotes capillatus) and cattle biting louse (Bovicola bovis) Cattle lice are small, flattened insects that spend their entire lives on cattle. Their numbers climb through the winter, and heavy infestations bring itching, rubbing, hair loss and poorer weight gains. Sheep ked Melophagus ovinus The sheep ked, often called the sheep tick, is actually a wingless fly. It spends its whole life in the wool of sheep, and sometimes goats, feeding on their blood. Winter tick Dermacentor albipictus The winter tick, also called the moose tick, is a hard tick that spends its whole life on a single animal and feeds through the fall and winter, when most ticks are inactive. Moose suffer most, but it also turns up on deer, elk, horses and cattle. Cattle fever ticks Rhipicephalus annulatus and R. microplus Cattle fever ticks are two closely related hard ticks, Rhipicephalus annulatus and R. microplus, that can carry the Babesia parasites behind cattle fever. Most infected cattle that have never been exposed to the disease die, so a find in Texas sets off a quarantine and supervised treatment. Spinose ear tick Otobius megnini The spinose ear tick is a soft tick whose larvae and nymphs live deep in the ear canals of cattle, horses and other animals, sometimes for months. The adults never feed. Heavy infestations irritate and inflame the ears and invite infections, though the tick isn't known to transmit any disease agents. Hog louse Haematopinus suis The hog louse is the only louse found on swine and one of the largest lice on any domestic animal, about 1/4 inch long. It sucks blood, and infested pigs scratch and rub, eat less and lose weight; in young pigs it can contribute to anemia. No photo yet Goat lice Bovicola caprae, B. crassipes and B. limbata (biting lice); Linognathus stenopsis, L. africanus and L. pedalis (sucking lice) Goat lice are small, wingless insects that spend their entire lives on goats, and some also infest sheep. Their numbers build through fall and peak in late winter and early spring, when infested goats rub, scratch and chew at their coats, lose condition and give less milk. Scabies mite Sarcoptes scabiei Scabies is a skin infestation caused by a microscopic mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, that burrows into the upper layer of the skin of people and many other mammals. Its hallmark is intense itching, especially at night, and it spreads mainly through direct, prolonged skin-to-skin contact. Bat tick Carios kelleyi (formerly Ornithodoros kelleyi; iNaturalist: Alectorobius kelleyi) The bat tick, Carios kelleyi, is a soft tick that lives in the cracks and crevices of bat roosts in houses and other buildings. It feeds on bats, and people usually meet it only after the bats leave or are evicted and the hungry ticks start to wander in search of another meal. No photo yet Goat mange mites Demodex caprae (goat follicle mite), Sarcoptes scabiei (scabies mite), Psoroptes cuniculi (psoroptic ear mite) and Chorioptes bovis (chorioptic scab mite) Four mites cause most mange in goats: the goat follicle mite, the scabies mite, the psoroptic ear mite and the chorioptic scab mite. They spread by close contact, cause anything from barely noticed foot lesions to crusting, hair loss and anemia, and need whole-herd treatment to control. Ear mite Otodectes cynotis Ear mites (Otodectes cynotis) are tiny mites that live on the skin of the ear canal in cats, dogs and some wild carnivores. They pass easily from animal to animal, and an infestation can fill the ears with dark brown, crusty debris and set the pet scratching and shaking its head. They are a common cause of outer ear inflammation, particularly in cats. No photo yet Cheyletiella mites Cheyletiella yasguri (dogs), C. blakei (cats) and C. parasitivorax (rabbits) Cheyletiella mites live in the fur of dogs, cats and rabbits, each host with its own species. They can often be seen moving in the hair coat, which gives the infestation its nickname, walking dandruff. The mites pass readily to people, who may break out in itchy red bumps even when the pet shows no signs. Demodex mites (dog and cat follicle mites) Demodex canis, D. injai and D. cornei (dogs); D. cati and D. gatoi (cats) Demodex mites live in the hair follicles of dogs and are considered a normal part of the skin's residents; most dogs that carry them never show signs. In some dogs, mainly puppies and older dogs with other health problems, the mites multiply and cause demodectic mange (demodicosis), which ranges from a few bald patches that heal on their own to a severe skin disease. Cats have their own species, one of which spreads from cat to cat. Dog and cat lice Trichodectes canis (dog chewing louse), Linognathus setosus (dog sucking louse) and Felicola subrostratus (cat chewing louse) Dogs are hosts to a chewing louse, Trichodectes canis, and a sucking louse, Linognathus setosus, while cats usually carry only a chewing louse, Felicola subrostratus. These lice spend their whole lives on the animal, spread by contact and through bedding and grooming tools, and can cause itching and hair loss. They stay more or less with their own host species, and pets are not a source of human lice. No photo yet Horse lice Bovicola equi (horse biting louse; also called Werneckiella or Damalinia equi) and Haematopinus asini (horse sucking louse) Horses can carry two kinds of lice: the horse biting louse, Bovicola equi, and the horse sucking louse, Haematopinus asini. They live their whole lives on the horse, spread mostly by direct contact, and build up in winter. The itch makes horses rub and bite until the coat can look moth-eaten. No photo yet Sheep scab mite (psoroptic mange mite) Psoroptes ovis The sheep scab mite, Psoroptes ovis, causes psoroptic mange in sheep and cattle: intensely itchy, crusted, scabby skin with hair or wool loss and weight loss, and in extreme cases death. Psoroptic mange in cattle is a federally reportable disease throughout the United States, so a confirmed case means reporting, quarantine and regulated treatment. No photo yet Straw itch mite Pyemotes tritici The straw itch mite is a microscopic mite that lives in hay, straw, dried beans and stored grain, where it preys on the insects infesting them. People who carry, handle or sit on infested bales get intensely itchy red welts, usually 11 to 18 hours later, on whatever skin touched the material. Groundhog tick Ixodes cookei The groundhog tick, also called the woodchuck tick, is a hard tick of eastern North America that lives in the dens and nests of groundhogs and other mammals. It bites people far less readily than the blacklegged tick, but it is the tick that keeps lineage I of Powassan virus circulating among groundhogs and weasel-family mammals. No photo yet Ixodes affinis Ixodes affinis Ixodes affinis is a hard tick of the southeastern coastal plain that looks so much like the blacklegged (deer) tick that researchers developed a DNA test to help tell the two apart. In Georgia and South Carolina it is considered an enzootic vector of the Lyme disease bacterium, helping to keep it circulating among wild animals, and it has been spreading north into Virginia. Water scorpions Nepidae (Ranatra species and Nepa apiculata) Water scorpions are not scorpions at all but true bugs of still and slow water. The common ones, in the genus Ranatra, look like underwater walkingsticks: a slender body up to about 1 1/2 inches long, grasping mantis-like forelegs held out in front, and a long needle-like tail. That tail is not a stinger; it is a pair of half-tubes that form a snorkel so the insect can hang head-down below the surface and breathe air. They eat aquatic insects, including large numbers of mosquito larvae, tadpoles and very small fish, and like other predatory water bugs they can give a painful bite if handled carelessly. Chigoe flea, sand flea, jigger Tunga penetrans Every other flea bites and leaves. The female chigoe flea bites and moves in: she penetrates the skin, usually of a foot, and stays embedded for four to six weeks, swelling to 2,000 times her size within a week while her rear end stays open to the air so she can breathe, mate and expel eggs. The disease this causes, tungiasis, is a problem of poor communities in South America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa, and an emerging infection in travelers coming home from those places. It is not a flea of US homes, but it is one US travelers meet, so this page covers what it does and what actually helps. No photo yet Ground squirrel flea Oropsylla montana This is the flea behind the handful of plague cases the western United States records each year. It lives in the nests of ground squirrels, west of the Rockies, and it only bothers people when squirrels are abundant or dying. Researchers call it a moderately effective vector, which is the useful part: a bite is unlikely to transmit anything, but a burrow full of dead squirrels and hungry fleas is a situation worth backing away from. Triatoma rubida (Arizona's most abundant kissing bug) Triatoma rubida Triatoma rubida is the kissing bug most people in Arizona actually meet: the most abundant species in the state, most prevalent in the foothills around Phoenix and Tucson, and one of the three species that cause the most trouble around homes. It is a large, dark true bug with reddish or brownish-red markings along the sides of the abdomen, living mainly in pack rat nests but flying to porch lights on warm, calm evenings from May through July. Its bites are painless at first and then raise welts, repeated bites can sensitize people to dangerous allergic reactions, and a high share of bugs carry the Chagas parasite, though transmission to people in the United States is rare. Sealing the house and managing lights and rodent nests are the defenses. Western bloodsucking conenose Hospesneotomae protracta The western bloodsucking conenose (Hospesneotomae protracta, formerly Triatoma protracta) is the most important kissing bug in California and one of the three species most often found around homes in Arizona. It normally lives in the nests of wood rats (pack rats) and other wildlife, but adults fly to lights at night, get into houses and may feed on sleeping people. The bite is painless, yet it can leave itchy, swollen welts, and in people who become allergic it can trigger anaphylaxis. Snipe Flies Rhagionidae (e.g., Symphoromyia, Chrysopilus and Rhagio species) Snipe flies are slender, long-legged flies with a round head and a tapering abdomen, often seen perched head-down on leaves in damp, shady spots. Many use their piercing mouthparts to catch smaller insects. One genus, Symphoromyia, feeds on blood instead: these close relatives of deer flies give painful daytime bites in forested high country in the West, and they have been studied attacking people and animals in California. No photo yet Tropical rat mite Ornithonyssus bacoti The tropical rat mite is a tiny blood-feeding mite that lives in the nests of rats and mice. It isn't a true parasite of people, but when its hosts die, leave or are exterminated, the hungry mites wander through the house and bite readily, causing itchy red bumps.

House Mouse Mus musculus The house mouse is a small, adaptable rodent that lives close to people in homes, schools and food businesses, eating and contaminating food, gnawing wiring and carrying disease. Norway Rat Rattus norvegicus The Norway rat, also called the brown or sewer rat, is a large, burrowing rat found throughout the contiguous United States wherever people live. Roof Rat Rattus rattus The roof rat, also called the black or ship rat, is a sleek, agile climber that nests above ground in trees, ivy, attics and wall voids. Deer Mouse Peromyscus species (shown: P. maniculatus) The deer mouse is a wild mouse with a white belly and a furred, two-toned tail that sometimes moves into cabins, sheds and homes. In the United States it spreads the most common hantavirus that causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe and potentially deadly lung disease, so the droppings and nests it leaves need careful cleanup. Woodrats Neotoma species (e.g., N. fuscipes, N. lepida, N. floridana) Woodrats, also called pack rats or trade rats, are native rats about the size of a Norway rat. They are a nuisance mainly around cabins, sheds and other little-used buildings and in parked vehicles, where they shred furnishings for nests and chew wires. Hispid cotton rat Sigmodon hispidus The hispid cotton rat is a common native rat of dense, grassy fields, overgrown roadsides and fencerows across the southern U.S. It breeds year-round, and when populations peak it can damage crops, vegetables and fruit. Black-tailed prairie dog Cynomys ludovicianus The black-tailed prairie dog is a stocky, burrowing member of the squirrel family that lives in colonies called dog towns on the Great Plains. Towns support many other kinds of wildlife, but they conflict with ranching when prairie dogs compete with livestock for grass. Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel Ictidomys tridecemlineatus (formerly Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is a small, striped ground squirrel of the Midwest and Great Plains that favors short-mown grass. It digs up newly planted seeds and raids vegetable gardens, but it also eats many crop-damaging insects.

Indianmeal Moth Plodia interpunctella The Indianmeal moth is the most common moth infesting stored food in the home; all damage is done by the larvae, which feed in cereals, flour, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate and pet food. Drugstore Beetle Stegobium paniceum The drugstore beetle is a very general feeder said to "eat anything except cast iron"; in homes it most often infests pet food, drugs, cereals and spices. Confused Flour Beetle Tribolium confusum The confused flour beetle is a common pantry pest that feeds on flour, cereals, broken grain, nuts, dried fruit and many other dry foods. Webbing Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella The webbing clothes moth is probably the most commonly encountered clothes moth in the United States. Its larvae feed on wool, fur, feathers and other animal fibers in hidden spots, and the moths are seldom seen because they avoid light. Varied Carpet Beetle Anthrenus verbasci Carpet beetles are small beetles whose larvae damage wool, silk, fur, feathers, leather and other animal products; the adults feed on pollen outdoors and often fly in through windows. Rice Weevil Sitophilus oryzae Rice and granary weevils develop inside whole grains and seeds. Weevils in the house usually mean an infested package of whole grain or seed somewhere, such as popcorn, dried beans, saved seeds or decorative corn. Casemaking Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella The casemaking clothes moth is a small fabric pest whose larvae feed on wool, fur, feathers and other animal fibers. Each larva lives inside a portable silk tube that takes on the color of whatever it has been eating. Sawtoothed Grain Beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis The sawtoothed grain beetle is one of the most common beetles in home pantries; Georgia Extension rates it nearly as common as the Indianmeal moth. Both adults and larvae feed in dry foods of plant origin, and the first thing most people notice is small beetles crawling over shelves and counters. Cigarette Beetle Lasioderma serricorne The cigarette beetle is the most important insect pest of stored tobacco, and Texas A&M calls it the most common pantry pest in Texas. In homes its larvae feed in spices, pet food, flour, cereals and dried plant decorations. Granary Weevil Sitophilus granarius The granary weevil is a pest of stored grain and seeds. Its young develop hidden inside whole kernels, so the first sign in a home is usually small dark weevils near seeds, popcorn or decorative corn. Booklice Liposcelis species and other psocids (family Liposcelididae) Booklice, also called psocids, are tiny insects that feed on mold and fungi. Finding them indoors usually means high humidity or a moisture problem, and drying things out is the most effective control. Lesser Grain Borer Rhyzopertha dominica The lesser grain borer is one of the smallest beetles that attack stored grain. Unlike most pantry beetles, both the adults and the larvae are primary pests that bore into whole, undamaged kernels and feed there. Angoumois Grain Moth Sitotroga cerealella The Angoumois grain moth is a primary pest of stored grain: its caterpillars develop entirely inside single kernels, so infested corn or wheat can look normal until moths appear. USDA's stored-grain handbook calls it the moth most commonly found in infested grain in the United States. Larder Beetle Dermestes lardarius The larder beetle is a dermestid beetle named for its old attraction to larders and cured meats. Home curing is rare now, and it is more often found in dry pet food or feeding on dead insects trapped in attics and wall voids. Spider Beetles Ptinus fur Spider beetles are small scavenging beetles in the family Ptinidae, named for their long legs and rounded, spider-like bodies; the whitemarked spider beetle is shown here. USDA's stored-grain handbook says several species turn up in grain and cereal products but are rarely abundant enough in the U.S. to cause serious damage, and Washington State University says they are usually a problem only where sanitation is very poor. Bean Weevil Acanthoscelides obtectus The bean weevil is a small seed beetle, not a true weevil, whose larvae live inside dry beans and related seeds. Infestations can start in the garden and continue in storage, where the beetles breed continuously in warm pantries. Red Flour Beetle Tribolium castaneum The red flour beetle is a shiny reddish-brown beetle that lives in flour, mixes and other processed or broken grain products; it can't chew into whole, sound kernels. Researchers call it a major storage pest. Merchant Grain Beetle Oryzaephilus mercator The merchant grain beetle is a close relative of the sawtoothed grain beetle and looks almost the same. It favors nuts and other oilseed products, and the adults are strong fliers. Mediterranean Flour Moth Ephestia kuehniella (also listed as Anagasta kuehniella) The Mediterranean flour moth is a gray pantry moth whose caterpillars line flour and other dry foods with silk webbing. Washington State University calls it a frequent food-infesting moth in homes, though less common than the Indian meal moth. Hide Beetle Dermestes maculatus The hide beetle is a dermestid beetle that scavenges carrion and dried animal products. In homes and storage it attacks dried fish, cheese, bacon, dog treats, hides and fur, and taxidermists use it on purpose to clean skulls. Warehouse Beetle Trogoderma variabile The warehouse beetle is a dermestid beetle that infests a very wide range of dry foods, from cereals and flour to pet food, nuts, spices and candy. Its hairy larvae do the feeding, and their shed hairs make infested food unfit to eat. Khapra Beetle Trogoderma granarium The khapra beetle is a small dermestid beetle that customs officials call one of the world's most destructive pests of grain, cereals and stored foods. USDA says it is not known to occur in the United States, but it is intercepted at ports of entry often, mostly in passenger baggage. Maize Weevil Sitophilus zeamais The maize weevil is one of the most destructive pests of stored grain worldwide. Its larvae feed and grow hidden inside individual kernels, so the first thing most people notice is small, dark snout beetles near stored corn, grain or pasta. Almond Moth Cadra cautella The almond moth, also called the tropical warehouse moth, is a pantry moth whose caterpillars infest dried fruit, nuts, grain, seeds and candy. Despite the name, the University of Florida says its preferred foods are dried figs and dates. Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella The brown house moth is an omnivorous household scavenger that usually breeds in bird nests and dry debris in attics and roof spaces. Its wandering larvae occasionally damage carpets and other woolens, and it is also a minor pest of stored food. Dried Fruit Beetle Carpophilus hemipterus The driedfruit (dried fruit) beetle is a small sap beetle that lays its eggs on ripe and rotting fruit of all kinds. It is the most common driedfruit beetle in California fig orchards and a key pest of dates, infesting fruit both in the field and in storage. Cadelle Tenebroides mauritanicus The cadelle (Tenebroides mauritanicus) is the largest of the major stored-grain beetles. Adults and larvae feed mainly on the germ of stored grain, burrow into the wood of bins to pupate or overwinter, and can live a long time without food, so a bin that held infested grain can quickly infest the next batch. Yellow Mealworm Tenebrio molitor The yellow mealworm is one of the largest insects that infest stored cereal products. Its yellowish larvae feed on grain and meal that is damp or in poor condition, usually in undisturbed places such as basements. USDA's stored-grain handbook does not consider it a serious pest. Foreign Grain Beetle Ahasverus advena The foreign grain beetle is a tiny, reddish-brown beetle that feeds on molds rather than sound grain. It is best known for showing up in large numbers in newly built homes in late summer, where it feeds on mold growing on damp lumber and drywall inside the walls. Plaster Beetles Latridiidae (e.g., Melanophthalma americana and Dienerella species) Plaster beetles, also called minute brown scavenger beetles, are tiny beetles in the family Latridiidae that live on mold and mildew. They turn up in new homes with damp lumber or fresh plaster and anywhere moisture lets mold grow, and they pose no threat to people. Hairy Fungus Beetle Typhaea stercorea The hairy fungus beetle is a tiny brown beetle that feeds mainly on molds in stored grain and other foods. Purdue Extension calls it a good indicator that grain or food is too damp to store safely and may be going out of condition. Mold Mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae Mold mites are tiny mites that feed on mold and fungi, so they show up only where food or surfaces stay damp. Tyrophagus putrescentiae, a relatively common one, infests high-fat and high-protein stored foods. Black Carpet Beetle Attagenus unicolor The black carpet beetle is a shiny black carpet beetle whose larvae feed on wool, fur, feathers and other animal products, plus grains and other stored foods. In dry areas such as California, it is more often a pantry pest than a fabric pest. Colorado State Extension calls it one of the most common dermestid beetles. Black Larder Beetle Dermestes ater The black larder beetle (Dermestes ater) is a dark, unpatterned dermestid beetle. Adults and larvae feed on animal-based material such as skins, hides, carcasses, cured meat and dead insects, and the larvae can chew pupal chambers into wood. Redlegged Ham Beetle Necrobia rufipes The redlegged ham beetle is a stored-food pest of protein-rich products: dry-cured ham, cheese, dried fish and copra (dried coconut). It is a serious pest of dry-cured country hams, which are aged for up to two years, and it has recently become an emerging pest of pet food. Furniture Carpet Beetle Anthrenus flavipes The furniture carpet beetle is a small, round dermestid beetle whose hairy larvae chew upholstery, carpets, fur and other animal-fiber items. Cowpea Weevil Callosobruchus maculatus The cowpea weevil is a small seed beetle that breeds inside stored dried legumes such as cowpeas and black-eyed peas. Researchers describe it as the most important storage pest of grain legumes. Common Carpet Beetle Anthrenus scrophulariae The common carpet beetle is a small, nearly round dermestid beetle whose larvae eat wool, carpets, fur and other animal products. Flat Grain Beetles Cryptolestes spp. (rusty grain beetle C. ferrugineus, flat grain beetle C. pusillus, flour mill beetle C. turcicus) Flat grain beetles, a group that includes the rusty grain beetle, the flat grain beetle and the flour mill beetle (Cryptolestes turcicus), are tiny, flat, reddish-brown beetles that infest grain, cereal products and other stored foods. No photo yet Grain Mite Acarus siro The grain mite, also called the flour mite, is a tiny, pale mite that multiplies in damp flour, grain and other stored foods. When numbers get high, the food, the bag or the shelf looks like it is covered in moving dust. Odd Beetle Thylodrias contractus The odd beetle is a small relative of carpet beetles named for how different the sexes look: males are slender winged beetles, while the wingless females look like larvae; the bristly larvae feed on dry animal matter in buildings and collections. Meal Moth Pyralis farinalis The meal moth is a stored-food moth whose caterpillars feed on cereals, flour, meal, seeds and similar material, especially when it is damp or spoiled. It turns up in grain warehouses and in damp spots such as moist basements, and it is mostly a minor pest. Tobacco Moth Ephestia elutella The tobacco moth (Ephestia elutella), also called the warehouse moth, is a small pantry and warehouse moth. Its caterpillars feed in cereals, grain products, dried fruit, nuts, cocoa beans, chocolate, animal feed and stored tobacco, and they foul what they don't eat with droppings, webbing and shed skins. It is one of the two main pests of stored tobacco, along with the cigarette beetle. Cheese Skipper Piophila casei The cheese skipper (Piophila casei), also called the ham skipper, is a small fly whose maggots feed in aged and moldy cheese, cured and salted meats such as ham and bacon, smoked fish and animal carcasses. The maggots get their name from their habit of leaping several inches through the air. Swallowing them by accident can cause intestinal myiasis. Coffee bean weevil Araecerus fasciculatus The coffee bean weevil is a small, dome-shaped, dark brown beetle that breeds in coffee beans, cocoa, nutmeg, seeds and many other dry stored foods. It is mainly a pest of warm climates and, in cooler areas, of heated buildings.

Silverfish Lepisma saccharinum Silverfish are nocturnal, wingless insects that hide by day and graze at night on paper, book bindings, starch in clothing and dry foods, preferring damp, warm places such as laundry rooms. Firebrat Thermobia domestica Firebrats are close relatives of silverfish that thrive in very warm, dry spots such as around ovens, heaters, fireplaces and hot water pipes, grazing on paper, starch and dry foods. House Centipede Scutigera coleoptrata House centipedes are fast, long-legged predators that live in damp parts of buildings and feed on silverfish, cockroaches, carpet beetle larvae and other small arthropods; they are largely harmless. European Earwig Forficula auricularia The European earwig, introduced from Europe in the early 1900s, is a familiar garden insect that feeds at night and hides in dark, moist places by day; it damages seedlings and soft fruit but also eats aphids. Clemson says it is the most common earwig pest around homes, and Minnesota says it was first noticed there in the early 1990s. House Cricket Acheta domesticus The house cricket is a light brown cricket that is common outdoors, strongly attracted to light and often found inside houses, especially in late summer and fall. Camel Cricket Rhaphidophoridae (shown: Tachycines asynamorus) Camel crickets, also called cave crickets, are humpbacked, wingless crickets that live in cool, damp, dark places and often turn up in basements, crawl spaces and garages. They are a nuisance, not a danger. Greenhouse Millipede Oxidus gracilis Millipedes live in cool, damp places under leaves, mulch and stones; occasionally they migrate into buildings in large numbers but do no damage and soon die indoors. Clemson says the garden millipede (Oxidus gracilis) is the species that most often invades homes in large numbers. Common Pillbug Armadillidium vulgare Sowbugs and pillbugs are land-living crustaceans, more closely related to shrimp and crayfish than to insects, that feed mostly on decaying plant matter. They are harmless indoors, and finding many inside usually points to dampness, a large population outdoors or a gap at a door or window. Boxelder Bug Boisea trivittata Boxelder bugs feed mainly on the seeds of female boxelder trees and become a nuisance in fall, when large numbers gather on and around homes looking for a place to spend the winter. Indoors they can stain fabrics and smell when crushed, but they don't damage the structure and don't breed inside. Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Halyomorpha halys The brown marmorated stink bug is an invasive insect from east Asia that damages fruit and vegetable crops and invades homes in fall looking for overwintering sites. Minnesota Extension says it feeds on about 200 plant species and, unlike the native stink bugs there, prefers to spend the winter in homes. Clemson notes that the bugs gather on outside walls before they move in. Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle Harmonia axyridis The multicolored Asian lady beetle is a beneficial aphid predator outdoors but becomes a nuisance when it flies to buildings in fall to overwinter and ends up indoors. Clemson and Colorado State extension both describe it as a valuable aphid predator on crops, trees and shrubs. Clover Mite Bryobia praetiosa Clover mites are tiny plant feeders that invade homes in early spring and sometimes fall; they don't bite people or pets, don't breed indoors and soon die inside. Springtail Collembola (shown: Entomobrya sp.) Springtails are tiny jumping creatures that sometimes appear in large numbers in moist spots indoors. They don't bite or sting and don't damage furniture or food; their presence indoors points to a moisture problem. Spotted Lanternfly Lycorma delicatula The spotted lanternfly is an invasive planthopper from Asia that feeds on the sap of grapevines, hops, stone fruit trees, hardwoods and many landscape plants. It can't bite or sting, but it hitchhikes easily: females lay eggs on almost any hard outdoor surface, including vehicles, trailers, grills and firewood. Spongy Moth Lymantria dispar The spongy moth, formerly called the gypsy moth, is an invasive defoliator from Europe whose caterpillars feed on the leaves of hundreds of kinds of trees and shrubs, oaks above all. Management changes with the season to target whichever life stage is present. Eastern Tent Caterpillar Malacosoma americana Eastern tent caterpillars build silk tents in the crotches of wild cherry, apple and crabapple in spring. They can nearly defoliate a tree, but the tree usually recovers and puts out new leaves. It is a native insect with many natural enemies, and often no spraying is needed. Western Conifer Seed Bug Leptoglossus occidentalis The western conifer seed bug is a leaf-footed bug that feeds on the seeds and cones of pines and other conifers. In fall, adults look for sheltered places to spend the winter, and many end up inside houses, where they are a nuisance but harmless. Field Crickets Gryllus species (e.g., G. pennsylvanicus) Field crickets are several species in the genus Gryllus that live outdoors in fields, pastures, roadsides and yards. They come into homes most often in late summer and fall, when cooler nights and outdoor lights draw them toward buildings. Wheel Bug Arilus cristatus The wheel bug is the largest assassin bug in North America, named for the toothed crest on its back. It hunts caterpillars and other insects, but it gives an immediately painful bite if handled carelessly. Kudzu Bug Megacopta cribraria The kudzu bug is an invasive Asian insect, related to stink bugs, that feeds on kudzu, wisteria and soybeans. In late summer and fall it gathers in large numbers on houses, especially light-colored ones, hunting for places to spend the winter. Periodical Cicadas Magicicada species (e.g., M. septendecim) Periodical cicadas spend 13 or 17 years underground feeding on root sap, then emerge together in huge numbers in late spring. They don't bite or sting; the real harm is egg-laying damage to small twigs, which matters most on young trees. Ground Beetles Family Carabidae (e.g., Calosoma scrutator, the fiery searcher) Ground beetles are one of the largest groups of beetles in North America. They sometimes crawl indoors under doors or through small openings, but they prefer to live outside where prey is common, and outdoors they are valuable predators of garden pests. Mayflies Order Ephemeroptera (e.g., Hexagenia limbata, the giant mayfly) Mayflies spend most of their lives as aquatic nymphs, then emerge as winged adults that live only a few days at most. Big hatches near lakes and rivers can coat walkways, roads and lit buildings. Elm Leaf Beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola The elm leaf beetle is a leaf-chewing pest of elm trees that can strip large elms bare. In fall the adults look for winter shelter and often end up inside homes, where they are a nuisance but do no harm. Elm Seed Bug Arocatus melanocephalus The elm seed bug is a European insect that feeds on elm seeds and invades homes and buildings in great numbers. Unlike the boxelder bug, it peaks in summer, and crushed bugs give off a smell like bitter almonds. Black Vine Weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus The black vine weevil is a European root weevil now widespread in North American landscapes. Its grubs feed on the roots of yew, rhododendron, azalea and many other plants, and adults sometimes wander into homes in late summer and fall. Jerusalem Crickets Stenopelmatidae; e.g., Ammopelmatus fuscus (formerly Stenopelmatus fuscus) Jerusalem crickets are among the largest insects in western North America. Their bald, humanlike head and big jaws alarm people, but they are essentially harmless and rarely pests. Hackberry Psyllids Pachypsylla species (e.g., P. celtidismamma, the hackberry nipple gall maker) Hackberry psyllids are tiny insects that spend the summer inside galls on hackberry leaves. In fall the adults leave the galls looking for winter shelter, gather on windows and screens, and are small enough to squeeze through most window screening. False Chinch Bug Nysius raphanus The false chinch bug is a small gray insect that breeds on weeds in fields, pastures and foothills. When those weeds dry up, huge numbers migrate into yards, gardens and homes, sometimes so many that the ground seems to move. Rove Beetles Staphylinidae (e.g., Creophilus maxillosus, the hairy rove beetle) Rove beetles are the largest beetle family in North America, and most are beneficial predators and scavengers in soil, compost and leaf litter. They sometimes show up in homes, often drawn by lights or by something dead nearby, and indoors they are usually only a nuisance. Click Beetles Elateridae (e.g., Alaus oculatus, the eyed click beetle) Click beetles are named for the trick they use to escape predators and get back on their feet: a sudden snap that flips them into the air with a click. Adults are mostly nocturnal and do no harm, but the soil-dwelling larvae of some species, called wireworms, are serious pests of potatoes, root crops and grains. Miller Moth (Army Cutworm Moth) Euxoa auxiliaris Miller is a name for any moth that turns up in large numbers around homes. In Colorado and much of the Rocky Mountain West it is mainly the adult army cutworm, which passes through on a yearly migration from the plains to the mountains. House Dust Mites Dermatophagoides farinae (American house dust mite) and D. pteronyssinus (European house dust mite) House dust mites are microscopic relatives of ticks and spiders that live in house dust and feed on skin flakes shed by people and pets. They don't bite, but their body parts and droppings are a major indoor allergen and the main cause of dust allergy. Lovebug Plecia nearctica Lovebugs are small black-and-orange flies that show up in huge numbers for a few weeks each spring and late summer across the South. They don't bite, sting or carry disease; the trouble is their sheer numbers on roads, cars and buildings. Giant desert centipede (giant redheaded centipede) Scolopendra heros The giant desert centipede, also called the giant redheaded centipede, is the largest centipede in North America. It is a fast, brightly colored predator that hides under rocks and wood by day and can give a painful, venomous bite if handled. Darkling Beetles (Stink Beetles) Tenebrionidae; this profile centers on Eleodes species (stink or pinacate beetles) Darkling beetles (family Tenebrionidae) are one of the largest beetle families, and most are dull black or brown ground-dwelling scavengers. The ones homeowners in the West notice most are stink beetles, also called pinacate beetles, in the genus Eleodes: slow, flightless black beetles that tip up into a headstand and give off a foul-smelling spray when bothered. Bordered Plant Bug (Largus Bug) Largus succinctus Bordered plant bugs, also called largus bugs, are dark true bugs with bright orange edges that sometimes show up around Southern homes and yards in startling numbers. Despite the crowds, they are not serious pests of lawns, gardens or homes. Annual Cicadas (dog-day cicadas) Neotibicen species (e.g., N. canicularis) Annual cicadas, also called dog-day cicadas, are the large cicadas heard droning from trees every summer. Their life cycles overlap, so some adults come out every year. They can't bite or sting, and Clemson and Minnesota extension both say they pose no danger to people or pets. Rough Stink Bugs Brochymena species Rough stink bugs are commonly mistaken for the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, but they are partly predatory and aren't tied to significant plant damage. Horsehair Worms Nematomorpha (horsehair or Gordian worms) Horsehair worms look alarming, but they parasitize only insects and other invertebrates and can't infect people, pets, livestock or plants. Household Casebearer Phereoeca uterella Those small, flat, seed-like cases crawling up walls and garage ceilings are made by household casebearer larvae, also called plaster bagworms. They belong to the same family as clothes moths. Giant Water Bugs Belostomatidae (Lethocerus, Abedus, Belostoma) Giant water bugs are large, flattened aquatic predators also called toe-biters and electric light bugs. On summer nights adults leave the water to find mates and fly to lights, so they turn up on sidewalks and in pools; if handled or stepped on, they can give an extremely painful bite. Eastern Dobsonfly Corydalus cornutus The eastern dobsonfly is one of the largest aquatic insects in the country. Despite the male's scary-looking tusks, only the female's short jaws can give a painful pinch. Tropical House Cricket Gryllodes sigillatus The tropical house cricket is an introduced cricket of warm places and cities, often found around broken concrete and masonry. Arizona Extension says it readily comes indoors through cracks and is the only cricket there that may live and breed inside. Lawn shrimp (terrestrial amphipods) Talitridae (e.g., Talitroides topitotum) After heavy rain, lawn shrimp leave soaked mulch in large numbers, crawl into garages and under doors, and soon die. Red-shouldered bug (Jadera bug) Jadera haematoloma Red-shouldered bugs are seed-feeding true bugs that gather, sometimes by the hundreds or thousands, on the trunks of goldenrain trees and other soapberry-family hosts and on the fallen seeds beneath them. They are a nuisance, not a threat to the tree. Ringlegged Earwig Euborellia annulipes The ringlegged earwig is a wingless earwig found in the South and well beyond. It is both a predator of garden pests and an occasional minor plant feeder, so it is mostly a nuisance. Strawberry Root Weevil Otiorhynchus ovatus Strawberry root weevil is a common root weevil that chews notches in leaves at night and often wanders into homes. Caddisflies Order Trichoptera (many species) Caddisflies are moth-like insects whose young live in water; adults gather around lights near rivers, lakes and wetlands and are a harmless, temporary nuisance. Imported Longhorned Weevil Calomycterus setarius The imported longhorned weevil is a small, gray-brown weevil that wanders into homes by mistake in July and August; it is harmless and doesn't damage the house, furnishings, people or pets. Horned Passalus Odontotaenius disjunctus The horned passalus, also called betsy beetle or bessbug, is a large, glossy black beetle that lives in families inside rotting hardwood logs; it is harmless to people and is not a pest of buildings. Asiatic Oak Weevil Cyrtepistomus castaneus The Asiatic oak weevil is a small, greenish-gray, broad-nosed weevil from Japan that chews the edges of oak and chestnut leaves in summer and sometimes invades houses looking for a place to spend the winter. Stag Beetles Lucanidae (e.g., Lucanus elaphus, giant stag beetle; Lucanus mazama, southwestern stag beetle) Stag beetles are large, dark beetles. The males carry long, antler-like jaws that they use to push, pull and throw rival males, not to attack people, though one may pinch if you pick it up. The grubs spend years in rotting wood, breaking down fallen trees and stumps, and the adults live only a few months. Pleasing Fungus Beetles Erotylidae (e.g., Megalodacne, Tritoma, Triplax; Gibbifer californicus in the West) Pleasing fungus beetles (family Erotylidae) are shiny, often brightly marked beetles that feed and breed in bracket fungi and other fungi growing on dead trees, stumps and logs. They feed on the fungus itself. Eastern Hercules Beetle Dynastes tityus The eastern Hercules beetle is one of the largest and heaviest insects in the U.S.: a greenish-tan, black-spotted scarab whose males carry long horns; it is not a pest and is harmless to people. Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth Cosmosoma myrodora The scarlet-bodied wasp moth is a colorful moth with a velvety red body, blue and black markings and clear, black-tipped wings that mimics a wasp. It is harmless, and its caterpillars feed only on climbing hempvine. Common True Katydid Pterophylla camellifolia The common true katydid is a large leaf-green insect that lives high in trees and fills summer nights with its rasping 'Katy did, Katy didn't' call; it is harmless and rarely seen. Velvet Mites Trombidiidae (velvet mites) Velvet mites are tiny, bright red, velvety mites seen scurrying over patios, brick walls and soil in spring. The adults prey on small insects and insect eggs, and they are harmless to people. Oblong-Winged Katydid Amblycorypha oblongifolia The oblong-winged katydid is a false katydid that is usually leaf-green, though some individuals and whole populations are pink, yellow, orange or tan. Greater Angle-Winged Katydid Microcentrum rhombifolium The greater angle-winged katydid is a large green false katydid whose broad wings make it look like a leaf. Like most katydids it is heard far more often than seen, and it rarely does noticeable harm to plants. Ivory-Marked Borer Eburia quadrigeminata (iNaturalist: Coeleburia quadrigeminata) The ivory-marked borer is a golden-brown longhorned beetle with four pairs of ivory spots whose grubs bore into the heartwood of dead hardwood trees. Black-and-Yellow Lichen Moth Lycomorpha pholus The black-and-yellow lichen moth is a small moth that flies by day, often seen on goldenrod and other flowers. Its caterpillars feed on lichens growing on tree bark and rocks. Ornate Bella Moth Utetheisa ornatrix The ornate bella moth is a colorful day-flying tiger moth whose caterpillars feed on toxic rattlebox plants and store the plant's alkaloids, which make every life stage distasteful to predators. Polydrusus Weevils Polydrusus formosus and P. impressifrons Polydrusus weevils are small introduced weevils covered with iridescent green scales that feed on tree and shrub leaves in summer. Lesser mealworm Alphitobius diaperinus The lesser mealworm, also called the litter beetle or darkling beetle, is a small black beetle that breeds in the litter and manure of poultry houses. It also infests stored grain and flour, and swarms of adults can fly to homes near fields where infested litter has been spread. White-margined burrower bug Sehirus cinctus The white-margined burrower bug is a small black true bug that goes unnoticed for years, then appears by the thousands on lawns, driveways, buildings and plants. It doesn't bite or harm garden plants, and an outbreak fades on its own. Striped earwig Labidura riparia The striped earwig, also called the shore earwig, is a predatory earwig of the South. It hunts small insects and doesn't damage plants, but it can annoy people when it is drawn to lights, and it smells very bad when crushed. Outdoor centipedes (stone, soil and bark centipedes) Class Chilopoda: stone centipedes (Lithobiomorpha), soil centipedes (Geophilomorpha) and large centipedes (Scolopendromorpha) (shown: brown centipede, Lithobius forficatus) Besides the house centipede, homes get visits from outdoor species: the stone, soil and bark centipedes that hunt under rocks, mulch and logs. They wander in through cracks and gaps, especially in wet weather, but most die soon after because they dry out easily, so fixing moisture and entry points works better than spraying indoors. Yellow-collared Scape Moth Cisseps fulvicollis The yellow-collared scape moth is a slim black moth with a bright orange or yellow collar. Unlike most moths it flies by day, sipping nectar from goldenrods, asters and milkweeds, and its caterpillars feed on grasses, sedges and lichens. Western boxelder bug Boisea rubrolineata The western boxelder bug is a black-and-red true bug that feeds mostly on the leaves, flowers and seedpods of female box elder trees. It does little harm to plants. The trouble starts when clusters form on outside walls and then move into the house in fall and spring. Colorado State, writing about boxelder bugs in general, says they are a nuisance in and around homes from fall through early spring. Red firebug (European firebug) Pyrrhocoris apterus The red firebug, also called the European firebug, is a red-and-black true bug from Europe and Asia that feeds mainly on seeds of mallows, lindens and their relatives. First found in North America in Salt Lake City in 2008, it is now established across Utah and southern Idaho. It does little harm to plants, but large groups gather on homes and can move indoors in late fall. Fishflies Chauliodinae (eastern US genera: Chauliodes, Neohermes, Nigronia) Fishflies are smaller relatives of dobsonflies: usually gray, tan or rusty insects whose two pairs of wings fold flat along the body. Their larvae live in water for one to three years, and the short-lived adults stay in vegetation along streams and sometimes fly to lights at night. Broad-tipped conehead Neoconocephalus triops The broad-tipped conehead, Neoconocephalus triops, is a green or brown coneheaded katydid that feeds on grass seed. It is the only Neoconocephalus that spends the winter as an adult rather than as an egg, so its call can be heard in early spring, at least a month before any other conehead. Forked fungus beetle Bolitotherus cornutus The forked fungus beetle, Bolitotherus cornutus, is a long-lived darkling beetle of eastern North America that spends most of its life on or inside shelf fungi growing on decaying logs. Males carry a pair of forward-facing horns on the thorax, which they use in contests over females. Painted Lichen Moth Hypoprepia fucosa The painted lichen moth is a woodland moth with red-orange forewings striped in dark gray. It flies at night and is drawn to lights. Its caterpillars feed on lichens, the crusty growths found on trees and rocks, and on mosses and algae growing on trees. Long-tailed silverfish Ctenolepisma longicaudatum The long-tailed silverfish, Ctenolepisma longicaudatum, also called the gray silverfish or paperfish, is a large indoor silverfish that tolerates drier rooms than the common silverfish. It eats paper, book bindings, photos and cotton, and in recent years it has spread quickly in Europe, turning up in homes, museums and archives. Japanese camel cricket Diestrammena japanica The Japanese camel cricket, Diestrammena japanica, is an Asian camel cricket that a 2014 citizen-science study reported from houses in the northeastern United States. Like other camel crickets it is a wingless, humpbacked insect of damp, dark places, and it is harmless. Black Witch Ascalapha odorata The black witch is one of the largest moths in North America, a dark brown night flier with a wingspan that can exceed 6 inches. Each summer and fall some fly north from Mexico and Central America, and people who find one resting under the eaves by day may take it for a bat. It is a subtropical and tropical species that does not reproduce in Colorado. Rough strawberry root weevil Otiorhynchus rugosostriatus The rough strawberry root weevil, Otiorhynchus rugosostriatus, is one of the most common root weevils in Colorado and one of the root weevils that attack strawberries. The adults chew notches in leaf edges at night, but the C-shaped grubs in the soil do the real harm, tunneling in roots and crowns. Water striders Gerridae (e.g., Aquarius remigis and Gerris species) Water striders are the long-legged bugs that skate across the surface of calm water. Water-repellent hairs on their middle and hind legs keep them on top of the surface film, and velvety hairs on the body keep them dry. They are predators and scavengers of insects that fall onto the water, including mosquito larvae, and the Missouri Department of Conservation calls them harmless. In Missouri the most common and conspicuous species is the large water strider, Aquarius remigis, with a dark body half to three quarters of an inch long; Gerris species are smaller. Water boatmen Corixidae (about 125 North American species) Water boatmen are the small, streamlined water bugs that row through ponds with long, hair-fringed hind legs and occasionally show up in swimming pools and birdbaths after a night of flying toward lights. There are about 125 species in North America. Unlike most aquatic true bugs they are not predators and do not bite people; they feed on algae, plant juices and detritus. Their look-alikes, the backswimmers, do bite, so it is worth learning the difference. Deathwatch beetles Anobiinae Of the three groups of beetles that bore wood inside buildings, the deathwatch beetles are the ones a crawl space should worry about. True powderpost beetles stick to hardwood trim and furniture, but anobiids attack the spruce, pine, fir and Douglas-fir used for floor joists, studs, sills and beams, and because they digest cellulose rather than depending on the starch that fades from aging wood, they can keep reinfesting a house year after year. They need damp wood to do it, which is why Kentucky and NC State treat them as a moisture problem first and an insecticide problem second. Ground crickets Nemobiinae (Allonemobius, Eunemobius, Neonemobius and others) Every autumn someone asks why the pavement under the store lights is covered in baby crickets. They are not babies. Ground crickets, sometimes called pygmy field crickets, are a separate group from the big black field crickets, and the ones under the lights are full-grown adults with wings, less than half an inch long. They scavenge plants and other insects, are generally not pests of crops, gardens or landscapes, and are among the last insects still singing in late fall. Big-eyed toad bug Gelastocoris oculatus The big-eyed toad bug really does look like a toad shrunk to a quarter or half an inch: squat, warty-backed, mottled in the browns, grays and tans of the shoreline, with bulging eyes and a toad's habit of hopping. It lives at the edges of streams, ponds and lakes across North America from Mexico into southern Canada, where it ambushes smaller insects and grabs them with short grasping forelegs. It is a predator of the water's edge, not a pest, and needs no control. Plume Moths Pterophoridae (e.g., Emmelina monodactyla, the morning-glory plume moth) If you find a thin tan moth shaped like a letter T on the siding near your porch light in the morning, it's almost certainly a plume moth. Their wings are rolled tight at rest and open into feathery plumes in flight. North America has nearly 150 species. The caterpillars feed on many kinds of plants and once in a while chew garden flowers such as geraniums and snapdragons, but they rarely cause much trouble.

Japanese Beetle Popillia japonica The Japanese beetle damages landscapes twice: metallic green adults chew the leaves, flowers and fruit of hundreds of plants in early summer, and their white grubs feed on grass roots underground. A review of its biology calls it the most widespread and destructive insect pest of turf, landscapes and nursery crops in the eastern United States. May and June Beetles Phyllophaga species May and June beetles, or June bugs, are native scarab beetles in the genus Phyllophaga. The adults buzz around porch lights on early summer nights, while their C-shaped grubs feed on roots, mostly in turf. Southern Chinch Bug Blissus insularis The southern chinch bug is a tiny sap-sucking bug and the most important insect pest of St. Augustinegrass lawns in the southern United States. Feeding groups kill grass in spreading, irregular patches, often first in hot, dry, sunny spots. Grasshoppers Acrididae (e.g., differential grasshopper, Melanoplus differentialis) Grasshoppers are sporadic garden pests that build up in weedy, uncultivated land and move into yards as nearby vegetation dries out. The differential grasshopper is one of the common, large species that often shows up in gardens first. Spider Mites Tetranychus urticae Spider mites are tiny arachnids, relatives of spiders and ticks, that live in colonies on leaf undersides and suck out plant cells. The twospotted spider mite is the most important species in yards and gardens and on house plants, and Minnesota says it can infest over 200 species of plants. Snails and Slugs Cornu aspersum (brown garden snail), Deroceras reticulatum (gray garden slug) and related species Snails and slugs are garden mollusks that hide by day and feed at night, chewing holes in leaves, flowers and low fruit. Slugs are built and behave like snails, just without the external spiral shell, so this page covers both. Aphids Myzus persicae Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that pierce tender stems and leaves and suck out plant sap. Almost every plant hosts at least one aphid species, but established plants usually tolerate them, treating aphids for the plant's health is usually unnecessary, and natural enemies often bring numbers down. Whiteflies Trialeurodes vaporariorum Whiteflies are tiny sap-sucking insects that build large colonies on leaf undersides, especially in warm weather. Outbreaks usually follow disruption of their natural enemies, and heavy infestations are hard to control, so prevention matters most. Mealybugs Planococcus citri Mealybugs are soft, oval insects covered in white wax that suck sap from houseplants and outdoor plants. They thrive indoors and where winters are mild, and their wax and hiding habits make them hard to reach with sprays. Squash Bug Anasa tristis The squash bug is a common vegetable garden pest that sucks sap from squash, pumpkins, melons and other cucurbits. Heavy feeding makes plants wilt and can kill young plants outright. Tomato Hornworm Manduca quinquemaculata The tomato hornworm is one of the largest caterpillars in the vegetable garden, up to about 4 inches long, with a horn at its rear end. It chews leaves and fruit of tomato and related plants and can defoliate them quickly. Mole Crickets Neoscapteriscus species (tawny, southern and shortwinged mole crickets; N. vicinus shown) Tawny and southern mole crickets are introduced species, thought to have arrived from South America in ships' ballast and first found in Southeastern port towns in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They are now serious turf pests in the sandy coastal Southeast: both tunnel just under the lawn, uprooting and drying out grass, and the tawny mole cricket also feeds on grass roots and shoots. Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda Fall armyworms are moth caterpillars that prefer grasses. Often noticed in late summer, large numbers can turn a green lawn brown in a few hours or practically overnight, and they feed and move in groups, which is how they earned the armyworm name. Cutworms Several moth species, e.g., black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon) Cutworm is a general name for the caterpillars of dozens of moth species. They earned the name by cutting off young plants at or just below the soil line, and seedlings and fresh transplants suffer most. Imported Cabbageworm Pieris rapae The imported cabbageworm is the caterpillar of the familiar small white butterfly, the cabbage white. It chews ragged holes in cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and other cole crops, and it bores into heads as it grows. Striped Cucumber Beetle Acalymma vittatum Cucumber beetles are small yellow-and-black beetles that feed on squash, cucumbers, melons and other cucurbits. The striped cucumber beetle is the main concern because it can carry bacterial wilt into cucumbers and muskmelons. Squash Vine Borer Eichlinia cucurbitae The squash vine borer is a day-flying clearwing moth whose caterpillars feed inside the stems and crowns of summer squash, winter squash and pumpkins. A vine that wilts suddenly in midsummer is often the first sign, and in a bad year home gardens and small farms can lose the whole crop. Colorado Potato Beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata The Colorado potato beetle, the black and yellow-striped 'potato bug' of home gardens, is the most serious insect pest of potatoes. Adults and larvae eat the leaves of potatoes, eggplant and tomatoes and can strip plants completely. Leaffooted Bug Leptoglossus zonatus Leaffooted bugs are medium to large sap-feeding bugs named for the small leaf-like flaps on their hind legs. They pierce fruits, vegetables and nuts to feed, especially on the seeds, and gardeners most often find them on tomatoes and pomegranates. Harlequin Bug Murgantia histrionica The harlequin bug is a brightly colored stink bug that attacks cabbage, collards, kale, mustard and other cole crops. It sucks plant juices, and heavy infestations can wilt, brown and kill young plants or even whole fields. Crane Flies Family Tipulidae (e.g., Tipula paludosa, the European crane fly) Adult crane flies are long-legged, mosquito-shaped insects that bump around walls and ceilings in late summer. They don't bite or eat mosquitoes. The concern is the larvae of two invasive European species, called leatherjackets, which feed on lawn roots, crowns and shoots. Sod Webworms Crambinae lawn moths, e.g., Parapediasia teterrella (bluegrass sod webworm), Pediasia trisecta and Crambus species Sod webworms are caterpillars of small, pale lawn moths with snout-like mouthparts. The larvae hide in silk-lined tunnels in the thatch by day and chew grass blades at night, leaving small brown patches that can merge during dry summers. Billbugs Sphenophorus species, e.g., S. parvulus (bluegrass billbug) and S. venatus vestitus (hunting billbug) Billbugs are small weevils with a long snout. Their legless grubs bore inside grass stems and later feed on crowns and roots, killing scattered patches that are one of the most commonly misdiagnosed lawn problems. Oriental Beetle Anomala orientalis (Exomala orientalis) The oriental beetle (Anomala orientalis, also placed in the genus Exomala) is a small scarab from Asia whose white grubs chew the roots of turf and ornamental plants. It is considered the most serious grub pest of turf and woody ornamentals on Long Island, in northern New Jersey and in Connecticut, and in parts of the Northeast most lawn grubs turn out to be oriental beetles rather than Japanese beetles. Thrips Frankliniella occidentalis Thrips are tiny, slender insects with fringed wings that scar and distort leaves, flowers and fruit. Woody plants usually tolerate them, but flowers, vegetables and young plants can be hurt badly, and thrips are hard to control. Leafhoppers Empoasca fabae Leafhoppers are small, wedge-shaped sap feeders found on flowers, vegetables, fruit and woody ornamentals. Most just speckle leaves and need no control, but a few, like the potato leafhopper, injure crops or spread plant diseases. Flea Beetles Phyllotreta striolata Flea beetles are tiny, shiny beetles with enlarged hind legs that jump like fleas when disturbed. Adults chew small holes and pits in the leaves of radishes, cabbage and other crucifers, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes and many other vegetables, and they do the most harm to seedlings in spring. Spittlebugs Philaenus spumarius Spittlebugs are sap-sucking insects whose nymphs surround themselves with frothy white foam on stems and leaves. The foam is unsightly, but it doesn't seriously harm established woody plants, and most spittlebugs can be ignored. Cabbage Looper Trichoplusia ni The cabbage looper is the caterpillar of a gray-brown moth that flies mainly at night. It chews ragged holes in cabbage-family crops and many other vegetables and flowers, and it crawls by looping its body like an inchworm. Corn Earworm (Tomato Fruitworm) Helicoverpa zea The corn earworm is the caterpillar usually found feeding at the tip of a sweet corn ear. The same species is called the tomato fruitworm when it bores into tomatoes, and the cotton bollworm in cotton, and it also feeds on peppers, beans, lettuce, okra, eggplant and other crops. Mexican Bean Beetle Epilachna varivestis The Mexican bean beetle is a plant-eating member of the lady beetle family. Adults and spiny yellow larvae feed almost entirely on the undersides of bean leaves, leaving them lacy, and heavy infestations can defoliate plants and cut yields. Rose Chafer Macrodactylus subspinosus The rose chafer is a native scarab beetle that feeds on flowers, fruits and leaves for a few weeks in late spring and early summer. It is worst on sandy soils, where its grubs develop, and the adults contain a toxin that can kill chickens and other birds. Asparagus Beetles Crioceris asparagi (common) and Crioceris duodecimpunctata (spotted) Two beetles attack garden asparagus: the common asparagus beetle and the spotted asparagus beetle. The common species is found more often and does more damage, scarring spears in spring and stripping the ferns later in the season. Tarnished Plant Bug Lygus lineolaris The tarnished plant bug is a small, fast-moving true bug that feeds on buds, flowers, shoot tips and young fruit of hundreds of plants. Because it targets fast-growing tissue, it can cause noticeable damage even at low numbers. Green Stink Bugs Chinavia hilaris (green stink bug) and Nezara viridula (southern green stink bug) Two bright green stink bugs damage gardens and orchards in the U.S.: the green stink bug, a native of North America that feeds on a wide range of crops, and the southern green stink bug, one of the three most abundant stink bug pests in a North Florida tomato study. Both suck juices from developing fruit, seeds and shoots. Giant African Land Snail Lissachatina fulica The giant African land snail is one of the most damaging snails in the world, feeding on at least 500 kinds of plants. It is prohibited in the United States, can carry the rat lungworm parasite, and any sighting should be reported. Blister Beetles Epicauta spp. (shown: striped blister beetle, Epicauta vittata) Blister beetles (family Meloidae) are plant-feeding beetles that carry cantharidin, a defensive chemical. Crushing one against your skin can raise a painful blister, and beetles baled into hay can poison horses and other livestock. Sap Beetles (Picnic Beetles) Nitidulidae; representative species Glischrochilus quadrisignatus (picnic beetle) Sap beetles are small beetles that feed on plant sap, especially fermenting sap from ripe, overripe or damaged fruits and vegetables. The best known is the four-spotted picnic beetle, which also crashes cookouts, crowding around trash cans, food and drinks. Some sap beetles matter for another reason: they carry the oak wilt fungus to fresh wounds on oak trees. Masked Chafers Cyclocephala species (northern masked chafer, C. borealis; southern masked chafer, C. lurida) Masked chafers are native North American beetles whose larvae, called white grubs, feed on turfgrass roots. The adults don't feed at all; the grubs do the damage, mostly in late summer and fall. Jumping Worms Amynthas species (e.g., A. agrestis, A. tokioensis) Jumping worms are invasive earthworms from eastern Asia that live in leaf litter and the top few inches of soil. They turn soil into dry, granular pellets like coffee grounds, strip it of nutrients and can kill plants, and they spread mostly in soil, mulch, compost and potted plants that people move. Ten-lined June Beetle Polyphylla decemlineata The ten-lined June beetle is a big, striped scarab of the western U.S. and Canada. Males fly to lights on summer nights and the beetles can hiss loudly when disturbed, but Colorado State calls them harmless. In yards the grubs rarely cause noticeable injury, though in some orchards and new poplar plantings they kill trees. Green June Beetle Cotinis nitida Green June beetles are large, metallic green scarabs that cruise a few feet above lawns on summer days with a loud buzz. They are harmless to people; the adults damage ripe fruit, and their oversized grubs burrow in lawns rich in organic matter. Asiatic Garden Beetle Maladera formosae (long known as Maladera castanea) The Asiatic garden beetle is an imported scarab about the size and shape of a coffee bean. It hides in the soil by day and comes out at night to shred leaves and flowers, and it is so drawn to lights that it can gather in large numbers on windows and screen doors. Hammerhead Flatworms (Land Planarians) Bipalium species (e.g., B. kewense) Hammerhead flatworms are invasive land planarians that turn up in damp gardens, mulch and plant pots, and on sidewalks after rain. They don't attack plants, but they eat earthworms. True Armyworm Mythimna unipuncta (formerly Pseudaletia unipuncta) The true armyworm, often just called the armyworm, is a moth caterpillar that prefers grasses, including lawns, grain crops and hay. Larvae feed mostly at night, and when the grass is gone they move in a mass to new food, which gave the insect its name. European Chafer Amphimallon majale The European chafer is an invasive beetle whose C-shaped white grubs are a severe pest of lawns. The grubs feed longer during the year than Japanese beetle grubs, so they are considered more destructive to turf. Black Turfgrass Ataenius Ataenius spretulus The black turfgrass ataenius is a small scarab beetle whose tiny white grubs feed on grass roots. It is mainly a golf course pest of greens, tees and fairways, and it only occasionally damages home lawns. Rose Slugs (Rose Sawflies) Cladius difformis (bristly roseslug; listed by iNaturalist as Cladius pectinicornis), Endelomyia aethiops and Allantus cinctus Rose slugs, or roseslugs, are the larvae of sawflies, wasp relatives that feed on rose leaves. The bristly roseslug causes the most trouble because it keeps producing new generations all season, while other rose sawflies feed mainly early on. Apple Snails (island and channeled) Pomacea maculata (island apple snail) and P. canaliculata (channeled apple snail) Invasive apple snails are large freshwater snails from South America, most likely spread through the aquarium trade. The island apple snail, also called the giant applesnail (Pomacea maculata), is established in most southeastern states, and its bright pink egg masses above the waterline are usually the first sign. Decollate Snail Rumina decollata The decollate snail eats brown garden snails and slugs. It can be released only in certain Central and Southern California counties to protect native snails. Seedcorn Maggot Delia platura When beans, corn or other seeds fail to come up in a cool, wet spring, seedcorn maggots feeding on the germinating seeds are a likely cause. Iris Borer Macronoctua onusta The iris borer is the most destructive insect pest of iris. Its caterpillars tunnel down through the leaves and hollow out the rhizome. Katydids Tettigoniidae (shown: Scudderia furcata) Most katydids nibble a little foliage and move on, but the forktailed bush katydid also chews young fruit, leaving corky scars later. Apple Maggot Rhagoletis pomonella The apple maggot is a small fruit fly whose larvae tunnel through apples and leave brown, rotting trails. Minnesota Extension calls it the most important insect pest of Minnesota-grown apples, and Wisconsin's fruit specialists say few pests are as damaging to home apple growing. Garden Symphylan Scutigerella immaculata and relatives (family Scutigerellidae) Garden symphylans aren't insects. These small white soil dwellers with 12 pairs of legs feed on roots and can stunt or kill seedlings. Diamondback Moth Plutella xylostella The diamondback moth is a small moth whose caterpillars feed on cabbage, broccoli, kale and other cole crops. Natural enemies often keep it in check in California, but it has developed resistance to many insecticides. Bagrada Bug Bagrada hilaris The Bagrada bug is an invasive stink bug that can wipe out young cabbage, broccoli, kale and other mustard-family seedlings, and populations build fast. Cabbage Maggot Delia radicum The cabbage maggot is the larva of a small gray fly. The maggots tunnel into the roots of cabbage-family crops, and young plants can wilt, yellow and die, especially after a cool, wet spring. Potato Tuberworm Phthorimaea operculella Potato tuberworm larvae tunnel into potato tubers, stalks and leaves, and in tomatoes they bore into fruit and stem tips. Vegetable Weevil Listroderes difficilis (also listed as L. costirostris) Vegetable weevils feed at night on seedlings and roots and hide by day; since adults can't fly, damage tends to be spotty. Figeater Beetle Cotinis mutabilis (green fruit beetle, figeater) The figeater is a large metallic green beetle drawn to ripe fruit; its grubs live in compost and manure piles. Hoplia Beetle Hoplia callipyge (shown: a Hoplia species) Hoplia beetles chew holes in light-colored rose blossoms for a few spring weeks; handpicking is the main remedy, since sprays rarely reach them. Saltmarsh Caterpillar Estigmene acrea The saltmarsh caterpillar is a very hairy, color-variable caterpillar that feeds mainly on broadleaf weeds such as pigweed and sometimes moves onto beans, lettuce, tomatoes, grapes and other crops. UC IPM calls it a sporadic, uncommon pest, and Utah State rates the threat as very low. Bulb Flies Merodon equestris and Eumerus species (shown: lesser bulb fly, E. funeralis) Bulb fly maggots tunnel inside bulbs such as daffodil, iris, lily and tulip; buying clean bulbs is the best prevention. Fourlined Plant Bug Poecilocapsus lineatus Fourlined plant bug feeding leaves neat, dark, sunken spots that are often mistaken for leaf spot disease; it's usually only cosmetic. Bean Leaf Beetle Cerotoma trifurcata Bean leaf beetles chew small round holes in bean leaves and can kill young seedlings when numbers are high. Swede Midge Contarinia nasturtii You'll rarely see swede midges, but their larvae can keep broccoli from heading and leave twisted, scarred brassica plants. Threelined Potato Beetle Lema daturaphila Threelined potato beetles rarely matter on potatoes, but on tomatillos their frass-covered larvae can strip plants. Pickleworm Diaphania nitidalis The pickleworm is a tropical moth whose caterpillars bore into the blossoms and developing fruit of cucumbers, squash, zucchini and cantaloupe. It overwinters only in the far South and spreads north each summer. Eastern Lubber Grasshopper Romalea microptera Eastern lubbers are big, slow grasshoppers that are too heavy to fly and don't even hop well. They hatch in spring, and a horde of hungry nymphs or one big female can do real damage to lilies and other prized garden plants. Brown Stink Bug Euschistus servus The brown stink bug is a native stink bug and often the first one to show up in Southern vegetable gardens, where it feeds on tomatoes, green beans and other crops. On farms it is a damaging pest of corn, cotton and soybeans, especially in the southeastern United States. Melonworm Diaphania hyalinata Melonworm caterpillars strip squash and cucumber leaves down to the veins, leaving them lacy, and sometimes feed in blossoms or on the fruit. Cabbage Aphid Brevicoryne brassicae Dense, gray, powdery colonies on broccoli, cabbage, kale or Brussels sprouts are cabbage aphids. They feed only on the cabbage family and are worst on long-season fall crops, when cool weather lets populations explode. Beet Armyworm Spodoptera exigua Beet armyworm caterpillars hatch in groups from cottony egg masses, feed together near the egg cluster, then spread out; older larvae chew leaves and bore into fruit and lettuce heads. Golden Tortoise Beetle Charidotella bicolor (Charidotella sexpunctata in iNaturalist) Golden tortoise beetles look like tiny drops of gold on morning glories, sweetpotato and bindweed. They feed only on plants in the morning glory family. Chilli Thrips Scirtothrips dorsalis Chilli thrips are pale thrips under 2 mm long whose feeding curls, bronzes and scars the young leaves, buds and fruit of roses, peppers and many ornamentals. Damage is usually noticed before the insects are. Giant Woolly Bear Hypercompe scribonia The giant woolly bear is a large black caterpillar covered in stiff black bristles, the biggest woolly bear in Missouri. It grows into the giant leopard moth, a big white moth with black, often hollow spots. Cotton Stainer Dysdercus suturellus The cotton stainer (Dysdercus suturellus) is a plant-feeding bug of south Florida, also called the red bug, that feeds on hibiscus, okra, citrus and related plants. It was once rated Florida's most destructive cotton pest, and today it is mostly noticed on fruits and ornamentals. Banded Cucumber Beetle Diabrotica balteata The banded cucumber beetle is a leaf beetle native to the American tropics whose range has expanded into the southern United States. Adults chew leaves, flowers and pods of many crops, and the larvae feed on roots underground. Cowpea Curculio Chalcodermus aeneus The cowpea curculio is a small snout beetle (weevil) and the most destructive insect pest of southern peas, also called cowpeas or black-eyed peas, in the Southeast. Adults puncture the pods to feed and lay eggs, and the grubs develop inside the peas. Tropical Sod Webworm Herpetogramma phaeopteralis Tropical sod webworm caterpillars feed at night on warm-season lawn grasses, and in Georgia their activity peaks in fall, September through November, when patches can turn brown and dry. Granulate Cutworm Feltia subterranea The granulate cutworm is a night-feeding caterpillar that cuts off young vegetable plants near the ground. It ranges across the Americas, and NC State Extension finds it more abundant in the southern part of its range, while the black cutworm is more abundant in the north. American Grasshopper Schistocerca americana The American grasshopper is a large, long-winged grasshopper that flies off into trees when flushed. It can feed destructively on crops and garden plants, especially in Florida, where it is a notable pest of citrus groves. Melon aphid (cotton aphid) Aphis gossypii The melon aphid, also called the cotton aphid, is a small sap-feeding aphid with an unusually long host list. Large colonies distort leaves, coat plants and fruit with sticky honeydew and spread several plant viruses, and many populations resist common insecticides. Bean Leafroller Urbanus proteus Ragged and rolled-up bean leaves often mean bean leafroller caterpillars, the young of the longtailed skipper. Older caterpillars roll a leaf into a shelter and feed inside it. Larger canna leafroller (Brazilian skipper) Calpodes ethlius The larger canna leafroller is the caterpillar of a skipper butterfly, the Brazilian skipper, also called the canna butterfly or arrowroot butterfly. It shelters in rolled canna leaves and chews large, ragged pieces out of them. Sweetpotato Weevil Cylas formicarius The sweetpotato weevil is the most damaging pest of sweet potato in the country and one of the most destructive in the world. Its larvae tunnel roots in the field and keep breeding in storage. Southern Armyworm Spodoptera eridania Young southern armyworms feed together and skeletonize leaves; older caterpillars spread out and can bore into fruit, often damaging tomatoes. Yellowstriped Armyworm Spodoptera ornithogalli The yellowstriped armyworm is a striped caterpillar that feeds on hundreds of kinds of herbaceous plants, from beans and cabbage to cotton, and tunnels into tomato and pepper fruit. Yellowmargined Leaf Beetle Microtheca ochroloma The yellowmargined leaf beetle is a small, dark leaf beetle whose adults and larvae chew holes in turnips, mustard and other crucifers. It is a major pest of organic crucifer vegetables in the southern United States. Pepper Weevil Anthonomus eugenii The pepper weevil is one of the worst insect pests of peppers in the southern United States. Females lay eggs in flower buds and young pods, the larvae feed inside, and the buds and small fruit turn yellow and fall off. Tomato Pinworm Keiferia lycopersicella Tomato pinworm caterpillars mine tomato leaves, hide in folded leaves, then bore into the fruit near the stem, leaving a pinhole ringed with dark frass. Pepper Maggot Zonosemata electa Pepper maggots tunnel inside sound pepper fruit, leaving little outside evidence except a small dimple where the egg was laid. Cabbage Webworm Hellula rogatalis Cabbage webworms can bore into the bud of cabbage and broccoli, killing it and preventing a marketable head. Garden Fleahopper Halticus bractatus Garden fleahoppers are tiny plant bugs that suck sap from vegetables, weeds and ornamentals, leaving pale stippled leaves. European Pepper Moth Duponchelia fovealis European pepper moth is an invasive greenhouse moth recorded on more than 70 host plants; in the United States it is a pest of greenhouse and container plants, and it is not yet clear whether it is establishing outdoors. Tobacco Budworm Chloridea virescens Tobacco budworm caterpillars, also called geranium budworms, feed on the buds and petals of geranium, petunia, nicotiana and other garden flowers. Rose Curculio Merhynchites bicolor Rose curculio adults drill holes in rose buds, which can kill the bud or leave ragged holes in the open flower. Potato/Tomato Psyllid Bactericera cockerelli The potato/tomato psyllid is the most damaging insect of tomatoes and potatoes in Colorado, mostly through its toxic saliva. Whitelined Sphinx Hyles lineata The whitelined sphinx is a large hawk moth found across most of North America. It is the most common hornworm in Colorado and by far the most commonly seen 'hummingbird moth.' Potato Aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae Potato aphids are common in home vegetable gardens, feeding on tomato, potato and many other crops and weeds. Two-Spotted Cotton Leafhopper Amrasca biguttula The two-spotted cotton leafhopper is an Asian leafhopper first found on the US mainland in Florida in December 2024; it injures cotton, okra, eggplant, hibiscus and other plants. Broad Mite Polyphagotarsonemus latus Broad mites are microscopic mites with a very wide host range. They distort new leaves and flowers, scar young fruit, and are a common problem in greenhouse crops, peppers, citrus and blackberries. Fuchsia Gall Mite Aculops fuchsiae Fuchsia gall mites are microscopic mites that make fuchsia tips, leaves and flowers distorted, twisted and blistered; they're mainly a problem where summers are cool. Hollyhock Weevil Rhopalapion longirostre The hollyhock weevil is a tiny, long-snouted gray weevil that chews small holes in hollyhock leaves and lays its eggs in the developing buds. Cabbage Whitefly Aleyrodes proletella The cabbage whitefly is a newer pest of cabbage, kale and other brassicas, including ornamental kale, that curls and yellows outer leaves and coats them with honeydew. Spanish Moth (Convict Caterpillar) Xanthopastis timais Spanish moth caterpillars, nicknamed convict caterpillars, feed in groups on the thick, fleshy leaves of amaryllis, spider lilies and related plants that few other insects eat, and they will move on to the bulbs once the leaves are gone. Cactus Moth Cactoblastis cactorum The cactus moth is a South American moth whose caterpillars feed inside the pads of prickly pear cactus. First detected in the Florida Keys in 1989, it has spread through coastal areas of the Southeast, and state agriculture agencies treat it as a serious threat to native prickly pears. Aster Leafhopper Macrosteles quadrilineatus The aster leafhopper, also called the sixspotted leafhopper, is a small leafhopper whose own feeding does little harm but which is the main carrier of aster yellows, a plant disease caused by a phytoplasma (Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris). Strawberry Crown Moth Synanthedon bibionipennis The strawberry crown moth is a native clearwing moth whose larvae feed in strawberry crowns and roots; the adult strongly resembles a yellowjacket. Artichoke Plume Moth Platyptilia carduidactyla (iNaturalist: Platyptilia carduidactylus) The artichoke plume moth is a moth with feathery, lobed wings whose larvae tunnel into artichoke stalks and buds, mainly where artichokes are grown as perennials. Snowy Tree Cricket Oecanthus fultoni The snowy tree cricket is a frail, pale green cricket with a regular, melodious chirp; females drill rows of small egg holes in canes, which can make them break. Eastern Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes asterius Eastern black swallowtail caterpillars, often called parsleyworms, feed on dill, parsley, fennel and other carrot-family plants. They are usually not numerous enough to be a real problem. No photo yet Cyclamen Mite Phytonemus pallidus Cyclamen mites usually go unnoticed until their damage, stunted, curled and distorted new leaves and buds, becomes severe. No photo yet Sixspotted Spider Mite Eotetranychus sexmaculatus The sixspotted spider mite is a major pest of plumeria and occasionally of avocado, citrus and other tropical plants. No photo yet Bermudagrass Mite Eriophyes cynodoniensis Bermudagrass mites feed only on bermudagrass, stunting stems into tufted witches' brooms. No photo yet Bermudagrass Scale Odonaspis ruthae Bermudagrass scale is a tiny armored scale that feeds on the stolons, crowns and stems of warm-season lawn grasses. No photo yet Rhodesgrass Mealybug Antonina graminis Rhodesgrass mealybugs feed on sap beneath leaf sheaths and in the crowns of warm-season grasses, causing discolored, wilting turf. No photo yet Ground Pearls Eumargarodes laingi Ground pearls are small scale-like insects that feed on turfgrass roots from inside hard, round shells in the soil. No photo yet Allium Leafminer Phytomyza gymnostoma Allium leafminer is an invasive fly whose larvae feed in the leaves of onions, leeks, chives and garlic and burrow into the bulb, stunting plants. No photo yet Southern Red Mite Oligonychus ilicis The southern red mite is a cool-season spider mite of broadleaf evergreens such as azalea, camellia, holly and rhododendron. It sucks fluid from leaf cells, leaving leaves stippled, dull and grayish. Banded Woolly Bear Pyrrharctia isabella The banded woolly bear is the fuzzy caterpillar of the Isabella tiger moth, famous in folklore for predicting winter. Most are noticed in fall, crossing roads in search of a sheltered spot to spend the winter. Hummingbird Moths Hemaris species (mainly H. thysbe, hummingbird clearwing, and H. diffinis, snowberry clearwing or bumblebee moth) Hummingbird moths are sphinx moths that hover at flowers in daylight and sip nectar through a long tongue, looking like small hummingbirds or bumble bees. The ones usually meant are the clearwing moths in the genus Hemaris, chiefly the hummingbird clearwing and the snowberry clearwing. They have no stinger and are completely harmless. Large Milkweed Bug Oncopeltus fasciatus Large milkweed bugs are reddish-orange and black bugs that gather on milkweed seed pods in late summer. They feed mainly on the seeds, do little harm to the plants and don't bother monarch caterpillars. Twolined Spittlebug Prosapia bicincta The twolined spittlebug is a small black bug with two red, orange or yellow bands across its wings. Its nymphs feed at the base of lawn grasses, especially centipedegrass and St. Augustinegrass, inside frothy spittle, and the adults also damage holly leaves. Heavy infestations can turn turf yellow, then brown. Bumble Flower Beetle Euphoria inda The bumble flower beetle is a hairy, yellow-brown scarab beetle that buzzes like a bumble bee in flight and feeds on ripe or damaged fruit, corn, flowers and tree sap; its grubs develop in compost and manure. Whitefringed Beetles Naupactus leucoloma and related species (whitefringed beetle complex) Whitefringed beetles are flightless South American weevils about 1/2 inch long. Every one found in North America is a female. Adults notch leaf edges, but the real damage comes from their legless grubs feeding on roots. Lesser Canna Leafroller Geshna cannalis The lesser canna leafroller is a small caterpillar that feeds only on canna, living inside new leaves that are still rolled or older leaves it ties shut. Left alone, it can ruin the look of a canna bed. Spined Stilt Bug Jalysus wickhami The spined stilt bug is a slender, long-legged brown bug that lives on hairy-leaved plants like tomato and tobacco; it preys on caterpillar eggs but also feeds on the plant and can damage tomato flowers and fruit. Red Milkweed Beetle Tetraopes tetrophthalmus (other milkweed longhorns: Tetraopes spp.) The red milkweed beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus) is a red longhorned beetle with black spots and long black antennae that feeds and breeds on milkweeds. Adults chew the leaves, buds and flowers, and the larvae live underground on milkweed roots. Its bright color is a warning: like other milkweed feeders, it takes in the plant's toxic chemicals. Yellow Woollybear Spilosoma virginica The yellow woollybear is the hairy caterpillar of the Virginian tiger moth (Spilosoma virginica), a white moth. It feeds on more than 100 kinds of vegetables, field crops, fruits, flowers and weeds and chews irregular holes in leaves; how much that matters depends on how many there are and on the plant. Its hairs aren't venomous, though they can bother sensitive skin. Eight-spotted Forester Alypia octomaculata The eight-spotted forester is a black, butterfly-like moth that flies by day; its banded caterpillars feed on grape and Virginia creeper leaves and are occasionally a pest of grapes. Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus The fiery skipper is a small, fast-flying orange-and-brown butterfly of lawns and other open, grassy places; its caterpillars feed on lawn grasses such as bermudagrass and St. Augustinegrass. Dark Flower Scarab Euphoria sepulcralis The dark flower scarab, also called the spangled flower beetle, is a dark, white-flecked scarab that eats pollen, nectar and perhaps other parts of flowers. In flight it buzzes like a huge bee, and it sometimes becomes an agricultural pest. Checkered White Pontia protodice The checkered white is a white butterfly with black checkered markings. Its caterpillar, the southern cabbageworm, eats mustard-family plants and today is only a minor pest of cabbage-family crops. Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae The cloudless sulphur is a large, bright yellow butterfly, bigger than other sulphurs in Missouri, often seen flying rapidly south in late summer and fall. Its caterpillars feed on partridge pea, wild senna and other legumes. Carolina Grasshopper Dissosteira carolina The Carolina grasshopper is a large, gray-brown band-winged grasshopper that rests on bare ground and flashes black, pale-yellow-bordered hind wings in a crackling flight, looking like a butterfly in the air. Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta The red admiral is a common black butterfly with an orange-red band across each forewing, an orange-red border on the hindwings and white spots near the wingtips. Its spiny caterpillars hide in folded leaf shelters on nettles and don't feed on most garden plants. Common Buckeye Junonia coenia The common buckeye is a brown butterfly with bold eyespots on all four wings, two orange bars and an off-white band on each forewing. It lives in open, sunny places with low plants and some bare ground. Painted Lady Vanessa cardui The painted lady is an orange-and-black butterfly with white-spotted wingtips that migrates north each spring and some years appears in huge numbers; its spiny caterpillars chew and web the leaves of thistles and many other plants. Small Milkweed Bug Lygaeus kalmii The small milkweed bug is a half-inch black bug with a reddish-orange X across its back and a reddish-orange band behind the head. It is one of the most common bugs on garden milkweeds. Goatweed Leafwing Anaea andria With its wings closed, the goatweed leafwing mimics a dry dead leaf; in flight it flashes bright rusty orange. Its gray-green caterpillars feed on goatweed and other Croton plants. Grapevine Beetle Pelidnota punctata The grapevine beetle (spotted pelidnota) is a robust, one-inch, tan to reddish-brown scarab beetle, usually with three black spots on each wing cover. It feeds on grape leaves, comes to lights at night and is not usually considered a pest; its grubs live in rotting stumps and logs. Strawberry Clipper Anthonomus signatus The strawberry clipper (strawberry bud weevil) is a tiny reddish-brown snout beetle that lays an egg in an unopened strawberry bud and then chews partway through its stem, so the bud hangs by a thread or drops. Spring Rose Beetle Strigoderma arbicola (often written arboricola) The spring rose beetle (false Japanese beetle) is a scarab about half an inch long that chews the flowers of roses, especially pale and white ones, and of iris, peony and lilies. Its grubs live in the soil and often attack crops grown in sandy soil, which is why it is also called the sand chafer. Lesser Cornstalk Borer Elasmopalpus lignosellus (iNaturalist: E. lignosella) The lesser cornstalk borer is a small moth whose slender, bluish-green caterpillars bore into plant stems at or just below the soil line from silk tubes that become covered in sand, making plants wilt. Damage is worst in hot, dry weather on sandy soil. Spinach and Beet Leafminers Pegomya hyoscyami and P. betae Spinach and beet leafminers are small gray to brown flies whose white maggots feed between the upper and lower surfaces of spinach, chard, beet and related leaves, leaving blotchy mines that turn brown. Green Peach Aphid Myzus persicae The green peach aphid is a small, pale green to yellowish aphid that overwinters on peach and other Prunus trees and spreads in summer to hundreds of vegetables, flowers and weeds. It carries many plant viruses and builds up so fast that it is a major greenhouse pest. Western Flower Thrips Frankliniella occidentalis Western flower thrips are slender yellow to dark brown insects, about 1/16 inch long or smaller, that feed in flowers and buds and on fruit and leaves. Their feeding leaves silvery or pale scars and distorted growth, and they spread tospoviruses such as tomato spotted wilt and impatiens necrotic spot. Carrot Rust Fly Psila rosae (now often Chamaepsila rosae) The carrot rust fly is a small, slender black fly whose creamy-white maggots tunnel into the roots of carrots, parsnips, celery and related plants, leaving tunnels filled with rusty-red frass. Tomato Russet Mite Aculops lycopersici The tomato russet mite is a microscopic, cone- or cigar-shaped yellowish to pink mite that makes tomato stems and leaves look greasy, then bronzed and dry, starting at the bottom of the plant and moving up. American Serpentine Leafminer Liriomyza trifolii The American serpentine leafminer is a tiny fly whose maggots tunnel winding, whitish trails through the leaves of many vegetables and garden flowers. Common Stalk Borer Papaipema nebris The common stalk borer is a slender, purple-and-white striped caterpillar that tunnels inside the stems of many garden plants and weeds. No photo yet Gladiolus Thrips Thrips simplex The gladiolus thrips is a tiny, dark-brown thrips and one of the most damaging pests of gladiolus. It feeds on the corms, stems, leaves and flowers, and it travels from garden to garden on infested corms. Greenhouse Thrips Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis The greenhouse thrips is a tiny, dark thrips that bleaches and silvers the foliage of greenhouse, house and landscape plants, mostly broadleaved evergreens, and scars avocado and citrus fruit. Red-Banded Hairstreak Calycopis cecrops The red-banded hairstreak is a small gray-brown butterfly with a white line edged by a red-orange band across the underside of the wings and threadlike tails on each hindwing. Its caterpillars live in leaf litter and eat fallen leaves. Red-Legged Grasshopper Melanoplus femurrubrum The red-legged grasshopper is a common, inch-long grasshopper with red hind legs that feeds on many garden plants and weeds. Twostriped Grasshopper Melanoplus bivittatus The twostriped grasshopper is a large grasshopper, one of the two largest of its genus in Nebraska, with two pale yellow stripes running from the head to the wing tips. It eats many kinds of plants, moves into gardens from weedy roadsides and empty lots, and in Colorado is often the most common grasshopper damaging gardens. Pandorus Sphinx Eumorpha pandorus The pandorus sphinx is a large sphinx moth whose spotted caterpillars feed on grape, Virginia creeper and other vines in the grape family. Southern Purple Mint Moth Pyrausta laticlavia The southern purple mint moth is a small native moth whose caterpillars, called rosemary webworms, web together and kill the foliage of rosemary. No photo yet Bulb Mites Rhizoglyphus Bulb mites are tiny, shiny white mites that feed on flower and vegetable bulbs and open the way for root and bulb rots. Squash Beetle Epilachna borealis The squash beetle is a plant-eating lady beetle. While most lady beetles hunt aphids and other small insects, adults and larvae of this one chew the leaves of squash, zucchini, cucumber and pumpkin. Rosy Wolf Snail Euglandina rosea The rosy wolf snail is a large land snail that hunts and eats other snails, and sometimes slugs. In southeastern gardens it needs no control; on islands where people released it, it has wiped out native snails. Tersa Sphinx Xylophanes tersa The tersa sphinx is a sphinx moth whose large, eyespotted caterpillars feed on pentas, firebush and related plants. Columbine Sawfly Pristiphora rufipes The columbine sawfly is a small sawfly whose leaf-green larvae eat columbine foliage in spring. Columbine Leafminers Phytomyza aquilegivora Columbine leafminers are tiny native flies whose maggots tunnel white, winding trails inside columbine leaves. Waterlily Leafcutter Elophila obliteralis The waterlily leafcutter is a small moth with an aquatic caterpillar. The caterpillars feed on waterlilies and more than 60 other water plants, and BAMONA calls it a minor pest of aquatic ornamentals that is sometimes a problem in greenhouses. Chinese Mystery Snail Cipangopaludina chinensis (iNaturalist: Margarya chinensis) The Chinese mystery snail is a large invasive freshwater snail that lives on the soft bottoms of ponds, lakes, ditches and slow streams. Vegetable Leafminer Liriomyza sativae The vegetable leafminer is a tiny fly whose maggots tunnel winding mines through the leaves of tomatoes, melons, beans and many other vegetables. It is native to the Americas and has spread to Africa, Asia and Oceania. Spotted Cucumber Beetle Diabrotica undecimpunctata The spotted cucumber beetle, also called the southern corn rootworm, is a yellow-green beetle with 12 black spots. Adults feed on cucurbits and many other plants and can carry bacterial wilt into cucumbers and muskmelons. Greenbug Schizaphis graminum The greenbug is a small aphid that feeds on grass blades and grain crops. In lawns it can turn patches of turf yellow to burnt orange, often under shade trees. American Lady Vanessa virginiensis The American lady is an orange-and-black butterfly closely related to the painted lady. It lives year-round in the southern United States and south to Colombia, and spreads north each year into the northern U.S. and southern Canada. Hibiscus Sawfly Atomacera decepta The hibiscus sawfly is a small sawfly whose green larvae feed in groups on hibiscus, hollyhock and mallow leaves. Sugarcane Beetle Euetheola humilis (syn. E. rugiceps) The sugarcane beetle is a native black scarab beetle whose adults damage bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and other lawns by digging and feeding at the roots and crowns. Yucca Plant Bug Halticotoma valida The yucca plant bug is a tiny native plant bug that feeds on yucca leaves, leaving yellow stippling and black specks. Florida Fern Caterpillar Callopistria floridensis The Florida fern caterpillar is a moth caterpillar that specializes on ferns, especially Boston and Kimberly Queen ferns. No photo yet Onion Maggot Delia antiqua The onion maggot is the larva of a small gray fly; it feeds below ground on onions and their relatives, killing seedlings and tunneling into bulbs that later rot. No photo yet Onion Thrips Thrips tabaci Onion thrips are tiny insects that hide in the necks of onion plants and rasp the youngest leaves, leaving white to silvery patches and streaks and, when numbers are high, smaller bulbs. Cross-Striped Cabbageworm Evergestis rimosalis The cross-striped cabbageworm is a moth caterpillar that feeds on cabbage, collards, broccoli and other brassicas. Because the moths lay their eggs in clusters, one plant can carry many caterpillars that riddle the leaves and bore into the heads while the plant next to it is left alone. Zebra Caterpillar Melanchra picta The zebra caterpillar is a boldly striped moth caterpillar that feeds on many vegetables, flowers and small fruits. The young caterpillars feed in groups and skeletonize leaves before they spread out, but it is generally not considered a serious pest. Garden Webworm Achyra rantalis The garden webworm is a small, spotted caterpillar that ties leaves together with silk and feeds inside, skeletonizing soybeans, alfalfa, many vegetables and weeds; badly damaged plants end up covered in webbing. It is usually an occasional pest. Variegated Cutworm Peridroma saucia The variegated cutworm, nicknamed the climbing cutworm, is a plump moth caterpillar that climbs plants at night to eat leaves, flowers, buds and fruit, and it also cuts off seedlings near the soil line. Green Cloverworm Hypena scabra The green cloverworm is a slender green caterpillar with a white stripe along each side that chews the leaves of soybeans, beans, alfalfa, clover and other legumes; it is common but rarely does enough damage to need control. Achemon Sphinx Eumorpha achemon The achemon sphinx, also called the grape sphinx, is a large sphinx moth whose hornworm caterpillars, up to about 3.5 inches long, feed on grape and Virginia creeper leaves. Variegated Fritillary Euptoieta claudia The variegated fritillary is a tawny orange butterfly whose spiny, salmon-red caterpillars eat the leaves and flowers of violets, pansies, passionflower and other plants; it is at most an occasional minor pest of ornamental pansies and violets. Silverleaf Whitefly Bemisia tabaci (the B biotype is also called Bemisia argentifolii) The silverleaf whitefly, also called the sweetpotato whitefly, is a tiny yellowish whitefly that can feed on more than 500 kinds of plants, from ornamentals to warm-season vegetables, weakening plants, coating leaves with honeydew and sooty mold, and spreading plant viruses. Carrot Weevil Listronotus oregonensis The carrot weevil is a small, snouted brown beetle whose legless grubs tunnel into the roots and crowns of carrots, parsley, celery and parsnips, often killing the plants. Cuban Brown Snail Zachrysia provisoria The Cuban brown snail, also called garden zachrysia, is an invasive land snail about 1 inch across that feeds at night on ornamental plants and garden vegetables. It is also a known host of rat lungworm, a parasite that can make people sick. Pea Aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum The pea aphid is a light green, long-legged aphid that is the main aphid attacking peas; it also feeds on fava beans, lentils, alfalfa, vetch and clover. Root-Knot Nematodes Meloidogyne spp. (most often M. incognita in South Carolina gardens) Root-knot nematodes are microscopic roundworms in the soil that feed inside plant roots and make them swell into knots and galls, leaving tomatoes, okra, beans, squash and many other plants stunted and quick to wilt. Foliar Nematodes Aphelenchoides spp. (including A. fragariae and A. ritzemabosi) Foliar nematodes are microscopic roundworms in the genus Aphelenchoides that live inside the leaves of hostas, ferns, anemones and hundreds of other plants, leaving yellow, then brown, patches and stripes bounded by the leaf veins. No photo yet Annual bluegrass weevil Listronotus maculicollis The annual bluegrass weevil is a tiny snout beetle whose larvae bore into and eat short-mown annual bluegrass on golf course greens, tees and fairways; it has spread from the Northeast into the Midwest and South, but Illinois Extension says home lawns are not at risk of damaging injury. Cereal leaf beetle Oulema melanopus The cereal leaf beetle is a small leaf beetle from Europe and Asia whose larvae scrape the green tissue off wheat, oat and barley leaves; heavy infestations can turn whole fields white. Dectes stem borer Dectes texanus The Dectes stem borer is a small, gray, native long-horned beetle whose larvae tunnel inside soybean and sunflower stems; the real losses come at season's end, when larvae girdle the stems near the ground and the plants fall over. Amber snails Succineidae (amber snails, e.g. Succinea and Oxyloma species) Amber snails (family Succineidae) are small air-breathing land snails with very thin, translucent, often amber-colored shells. They live near water and feed on plants, bacteria, fungi, algae and diatoms, and are ordinarily not considered plant pests. Sunflower moth Homoeosoma electella (often written H. electellum) The sunflower moth, or head moth, lays its eggs on blooming sunflowers; the larvae eat pollen and florets, then tunnel into the seeds, and it is the most important sunflower pest in Texas. In gardens it also ruins echinacea flowers. Chrysanthemum lace bug Corythucha marmorata The chrysanthemum lace bug is a tiny, lacy-winged bug that sucks sap from asters, mums, goldenrod, sunflowers and other aster-family plants, leaving leaves pale-speckled and spotted with tar-like droplets. No photo yet Phlox plant bug Lopidea davisi The phlox plant bug is a small, red-and-black plant bug that sucks sap from garden phlox; it is the most serious pest of phlox, leaving leaves stippled, browned and curled. No photo yet Asparagus aphid Brachycorynella asparagi The asparagus aphid is a tiny, waxy aphid from Europe whose feeding injects a toxin that makes asparagus ferns grow short and bushy, a 'witches' broom', and weakens the next year's spears; young plantings suffer most. Black bean aphid Aphis fabae The black bean aphid is a small, dark aphid that forms dense colonies on the shoot tips, leaves and flowers of beans, nasturtiums and many other plants, overwintering on shrubs such as euonymus and viburnum. Sunflower stem weevil Cylindrocopturus adspersus The sunflower stem weevil is a small, white-spotted weevil whose larvae tunnel inside sunflower stalks and overwinter at the base; the weakened stalks break and lodge before harvest, especially in drought or high wind. Ebony bugs Thyreocoridae (ebony bugs, e.g. Corimelaena pulicaria) Ebony bugs, also called black bugs, are tiny, shiny black true bugs that look like small round beetles; they sip juices from flowers and developing seeds, and the common garden species, Corimelaena pulicaria, occasionally injures plants the way other plant bugs do. European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis The European corn borer is a moth whose caterpillars tunnel into the stalks, ears, fruit and stems of more than 200 kinds of plants. Gardeners meet it most in sweet corn and peppers, and it also bores into flowers such as chrysanthemums and dahlias. Hessian fly Mayetiola destructor The Hessian fly is a tiny, gnat-like fly whose maggots feed at the base of wheat plants, and less often barley and rye. Kansas State says it is often ranked the most important insect pest of winter wheat, yet its damage frequently goes unnoticed until harvest. Thrips parvispinus (short-spined or pepper thrips) Thrips parvispinus Thrips parvispinus, called the short-spined or pepper thrips, is an invasive thrips from Southeast Asia that feeds on dozens of plants and is especially damaging to peppers and to tropical ornamentals such as gardenia, mandevilla and hibiscus. It became established in Florida in 2020 and has since turned up in other states, most likely carried on ornamental plants. Daylily leafminer Ophiomyia kwansonis The daylily leafminer is a tiny black fly from Japan and Taiwan whose maggots tunnel through daylily leaves, leaving long pale lines. It was first confirmed in North America in 2011 and mostly disfigures the leaves rather than harming the plants. No photo yet Pasture mealybugs Heliococcus novovillei and H. summervillei Pasture mealybugs are two closely related invasive mealybugs, Heliococcus novovillei and H. summervillei, that feed on warm-season grasses and cause pasture dieback. They were confirmed in Texas in 2025 after hay and pasture producers reported dying grass, and they have since been found in Louisiana, Florida and Georgia. Sugarcane aphid Melanaphis sacchari The sugarcane aphid became a pest of sorghum in the United States in 2013, starting in Texas, and has become one of the most damaging pests of grain and forage sorghum. Colonies on the undersides of leaves multiply fast, cut yields and leave so much sticky honeydew that it can foul harvest equipment. Alfalfa weevil Hypera postica The alfalfa weevil is a small brown snout beetle whose green larvae feed on alfalfa tips and leaves in spring. It is an important pest of first-cutting alfalfa, and badly fed fields look bleached, as if hit by frost. Corn rootworms Diabrotica virgifera (western corn rootworm) and Diabrotica barberi (northern corn rootworm) Corn rootworms are small beetles whose white larvae feed on corn roots, and across the US Corn Belt they are the number one group of corn insect pests. In gardens, the adult beetles also chew the silks of sweet corn and the blossoms of squash and cucumbers. No photo yet Egyptian alfalfa weevil Hypera brunnipennis (also spelled H. brunneipennis) The Egyptian alfalfa weevil is a small weevil whose larvae feed on alfalfa tips and leaves in late winter and spring, skeletonizing and bronzing the crop before the first cutting. It looks identical to the alfalfa weevil but differs in its life cycle, and in most of California's alfalfa areas it may have displaced that species. No photo yet Hemp russet mite Aculops cannabicola The hemp russet mite is a microscopic eriophyid mite that feeds only on hemp and other cannabis plants. Kentucky ranks it among the most damaging sap-feeding pests of industrial hemp: heavy infestations bronze and curl the leaves, stunt young plants and shrink the flower buds. Beet leafhopper Neoaliturus tenellus (formerly Circulifer tenellus) The beet leafhopper is a small, pale, wedge-shaped leafhopper whose feeding spreads curly top virus, which leaves tomatoes, peppers, beets and beans curled, yellowed and stunted. It is the only insect known to carry the virus, and an infected leafhopper can pass it on within minutes of feeding. Mormon cricket Anabrus simplex The Mormon cricket is not a true cricket but a large, flightless shield-backed katydid of western rangelands. In outbreak years it forms huge bands that walk and hop across the land, eating forage, crops and garden vegetables in their path. Plains lubber grasshopper Brachystola magna The plains lubber is one of the largest grasshoppers in North America, a heavy, flightless insect banded in green, brown and pink. It lives mostly in patches of sunflowers and other weeds along roadsides and field margins on the western plains, where it does little harm, but large populations sometimes move into gardens and young cotton. Wheat stem sawfly Cephus cinctus The wheat stem sawfly is a slender plant-eating wasp, not a fly, whose larvae feed inside the stems of wheat and some grasses. Before harvest each larva chews a notch around the inside of the stem near its base, so the weakened stems break and the crop lodges. Bermudagrass stem maggot Atherigona reversura The bermudagrass stem maggot is a small, non-native fly whose larvae bore into the tips of bermudagrass shoots and kill the top leaves. First found in Georgia in 2010, it can cut hay yields sharply, while grazed pastures and mowed lawns usually escape serious damage. Russian wheat aphid Diuraphis noxia The Russian wheat aphid is a small, lime-green aphid that feeds inside tightly rolled leaves of wheat and barley, out of reach of predators and sprays. It arrived in the Great Plains in 1986 and became a serious pest of wheat and barley in the dry country west of the 100th meridian. No photo yet Southwestern corn borer Diatraea grandiosella The southwestern corn borer is a moth caterpillar that feeds in corn whorls and then bores into the stalks. At the end of the season, full-grown larvae chew a ring around the inside of the stalk base before winter, and the girdled plants snap and fall over, making them hard to harvest. Sunflower beetle Calligrapha exclamationis (formerly Zygogramma exclamationis) The sunflower beetle (Calligrapha exclamationis, formerly Zygogramma exclamationis) is a striped leaf beetle closely tied to sunflowers. Adults chew holes in young plants soon after they leave the soil in spring, and their humpbacked larvae chew larger windows in the leaves. Heavy infestations can strip a field. Western bean cutworm Striacosta albicosta The western bean cutworm is a moth native to North America whose caterpillars feed inside corn ears and on dry beans in late summer. Its feeding cuts yield and lets ear rot fungi into the kernels. Once larvae are inside the ear, sprays are much less likely to reach them, so control depends on finding egg masses and young larvae in time. Bird cherry-oat aphid Rhopalosiphum padi The bird cherry-oat aphid is a dark olive-green aphid of wheat, oats, barley and wild grasses. Its feeding leaves little visible damage, but it is a key carrier of barley yellow dwarf virus, and it stays active in weather too cold for other cereal aphids, so it can infest seedling wheat late into the fall. English grain aphid Sitobion avenae The English grain aphid is a large, long-legged aphid of wheat, other small grains, corn and wild grasses. It is common in Kansas wheat but does not normally cause economic damage there, and natural enemies usually hold it in check. The concerns are in the fall, when it can spread barley yellow dwarf virus to young wheat, and at flowering, when heavy infestations in the heads may lower test weight. Corn leaf aphid Rhopalosiphum maidis The corn leaf aphid forms dense blue-green colonies in the whorls, tassels and upper leaves of corn and sorghum, and also feeds on wheat and barley. Despite the sticky honeydew it leaves, it is not considered an important pest of any of these crops, and only very large numbers after tasseling affect field corn yield. Strawberry sap beetle Stelidota geminata The strawberry sap beetle is a tiny brown beetle that moves into strawberry plantings as the berries ripen and chews holes and cavities in ripe and overripe fruit. The adults drop and scurry away when a berry is disturbed, but the larvae stay in the fruit, which leads to customer complaints. Threecornered alfalfa hopper Spissistilus festinus The threecornered alfalfa hopper is a green, wedge-shaped insect about 1/4 inch long that rings the stems of alfalfa, soybean, peanut and other legumes with feeding punctures. The girdled stems swell, discolor, and lodge or snap off, and in soybean the damage counts most on young plants. Clover root curculio Sitona hispidulus The clover root curculio is a small weevil whose white, legless grubs chew furrows into the roots of alfalfa and clovers and can girdle the taproot. Losses are worst in young alfalfa stands planted after a legume, especially under drought stress, and no insecticides are registered against the larvae. Red turnip beetle Entomoscelis americana The red turnip beetle is a bright red beetle with three black stripes down its back that feeds on turnip, radish, mustard, canola and other plants in the mustard family. Both the larvae and the adults chew seedlings, and heavy infestations can strip and kill young plants. Pallid-winged grasshopper Trimerotropis pallidipennis The pallid-winged grasshopper is a tan or gray bandwinged grasshopper of western deserts. Between outbreaks it is rare, but its numbers can explode for a year or two, and its strong-flying swarms, drawn to city lights, land at night in huge numbers on streets, sidewalks and buildings. During outbreaks, nymphs and adults that move into irrigated fields can defoliate wheat and eat cotton seedlings to the ground. Alfalfa caterpillar (orange sulphur) Colias eurytheme The alfalfa caterpillar is the larva of the orange sulphur, also called the alfalfa butterfly (Colias eurytheme). Its velvety green caterpillars with a white stripe along each side eat whole alfalfa leaves, but parasites and diseases usually hold them in check, and cutting the field early can stand in for an insecticide. Cowpea aphid Aphis craccivora The cowpea aphid is a small, shiny black aphid with a wide host range that includes alfalfa, beans, cotton and weeds. It feeds near the tips of stems, injects a toxin that can stunt or kill plants when numbers are high, and leaves sticky honeydew on which black sooty mold grows. Blue alfalfa aphid Acyrthosiphon kondoi The blue alfalfa aphid is a blue-green aphid of alfalfa that looks much like the pea aphid but does more harm. Its toxin stunts stems and shortens internodes, and it can keep holding back regrowth into the next cutting or two. It likes cool weather and appears earlier in the season than the pea aphid. Spotted alfalfa aphid Therioaphis trifolii (also called Therioaphis maculata) The spotted alfalfa aphid is a tiny pale yellow aphid with rows of black spots on its back that feeds on alfalfa, and some clovers, in warm weather. Its toxic saliva yellows leaves and veins, uncontrolled populations can destroy new stands, and its honeydew makes hay sticky and moldy. Corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis The corn leafhopper is a small, pale leafhopper native to tropical and subtropical Central and South America. It breeds only on corn, and its feeding matters less than the diseases it spreads, above all corn stunt. It was detected in southern Texas in 2016 and recorded in Oklahoma and Kansas in 2024, and in California it now attacks early-planted as well as late-planted silage, grain and sweet corn. Hairy chinch bug Blissus leucopterus hirtus The hairy chinch bug is the chinch bug of northern lawns. Adults and nymphs hide in the thatch and suck sap from grass stems, and the saliva they inject clogs the plant's water-conducting tissue, so patches turn yellow, then brown, and can die in hot, dry weather even when watered. No photo yet Brown wheat mite Petrobia latens The brown wheat mite is a tiny spider mite that feeds on winter wheat, mostly dryland wheat, during dry weather. In western Kansas it is a common pest, and in Colorado it is most active on drought-stressed winter wheat on the Eastern Plains. Heavily infested fields look scorched and withered, damage that is easy to mistake for drought. Winter grain mite Penthaleus major The winter grain mite is a cool-weather mite that feeds on small grains and grasses in temperate regions around the world. It is active from fall through spring, and nymphs and adults climb the plants to feed at night and on cool or cloudy days. Heavily infested wheat takes on a grayish or silvery cast, and plants that survive are often stunted and produce little forage or grain. No photo yet Banks grass mite Oligonychus pratensis The Banks grass mite is a spider mite that feeds on grasses. It can be destructive in turfgrass, and on farms it attacks corn and sorghum in summer and moves into winter wheat in the fall. Drought-stressed grass suffers the most, and in healthy turf chemical control is usually not warranted. Wheat curl mite Aceria tosichella The wheat curl mite is a mite too small to see without a lens, found wherever wheat is grown. Its feeding curls wheat leaves, but its real importance is as the carrier of wheat streak mosaic virus, along with the High Plains virus and Triticum mosaic virus. In western Kansas wheat streak mosaic is one of the most destructive wheat diseases, and in Colorado severe infections can sometimes destroy a crop. Because sprays don't control it, management depends on breaking the green bridge of volunteer wheat and grassy weeds. No photo yet Black grass bugs Labops hesperius, Irbisia brachycera and related Labops and Irbisia species Black grass bugs are small, black plant bugs in two genera, Labops and Irbisia, native to western rangelands. They feed on grasses in spring, especially crested wheatgrass, and their feeding leaves white spots and straw-colored leaves that look like frost damage. Colorado State also treats two species as lawn pests, and in California they turn up at the edges of grain fields. Pale western cutworm Agrotis orthogonia The pale western cutworm is a moth caterpillar that feeds underground on the crowns of winter wheat and other small grains. Outbreaks are sporadic and follow dry weather, but when they hit, the larvae sever the stems just below the soil and whole fields can be lost in a matter of days. It occurs from the western High Plains to the Pacific and is a more consistent problem in the northern plains states and southern Canada. Clover leaf weevil Brachypera zoilus The clover leaf weevil is a European weevil that has been in North America for well over a century and is now established in most places where alfalfa and clover are grown. Its larvae feed at night on the lower leaves of alfalfa and hide around the crown by day. It is usually kept in check by disease and parasites and seldom does economic damage, though it can flare up in cool, dry springs. Sunflower headclipping weevil Haplorhynchites aeneus The sunflower headclipping weevil is a small black weevil that cuts partway through the stalk just below a sunflower head, leaving the head hanging from the plant. It lives on native and cultivated sunflowers and is occasionally a pest in home gardens as well as fields. In fields it usually affects only a small share of plants, mostly in the border rows. Swamp milkweed leaf beetle Labidomera clivicollis The swamp milkweed leaf beetle is a round, orange-and-black leaf beetle found on milkweeds, especially swamp milkweed. Adults and larvae feed on the leaves, and the adults first clip the leaf veins to drain off the plant's sticky, toxic sap. Migratory grasshopper Melanoplus sanguinipes The migratory grasshopper is a medium-sized, reddish-brown spur-throated grasshopper that causes more crop damage than any other grasshopper species in the United States, and Alberta calls it one of the most destructive pests in western Canada. Outbreaks that build on weedy rangeland and idle cropland can take off in swarms and land on crops, rangeland or city gardens miles away. Grape colaspis Colaspis brunnea The grape colaspis is a small, clay-orange leaf beetle whose grubs feed on the roots of young plants. Most of the injury comes from larvae feeding on soybean, corn and rice roots soon after planting, in patches that are easily mistaken for nematode damage. Dogbane leaf beetle Chrysochus auratus The dogbane leaf beetle is an iridescent blue-green leaf beetle with a coppery sheen that MDC counts among Missouri's most beautiful insects. It lives on dogbanes, especially hemp dogbane (Indian hemp): adults chew the leaves in summer, and the larvae feed on the roots underground. Green-striped grasshopper Chortophaga viridifasciata The green-striped grasshopper is a medium-sized band-winged grasshopper of moist grassy places. In the North it spends the winter as a nearly grown nymph and matures in early spring, and its populations stay too low to reach outbreak levels. Admirable grasshopper Syrbula admirabilis The admirable grasshopper is a large, slender grasshopper with a strongly slanted face, found in dry, grassy and weedy places. Males and females look very different from each other, and although it can be numerous locally, it rarely does real damage. Pine tree spur-throat grasshopper Melanoplus punctulatus The pine tree spur-throat grasshopper, also called the grizzly spur-throat grasshopper or grizzled grasshopper, lives in woodlands instead of open fields. Its mottled gray-brown colors hide it on tree bark, and people who live near woods sometimes find one resting on a car or the side of the house. Obscure bird grasshopper Schistocerca obscura The obscure bird grasshopper is a large, strikingly colored grasshopper with an olive-green body and a yellow stripe down its back. Like other bird grasshoppers it has big wings, and when disturbed it can fly off gracefully and land up in a tree. It is a relative of the desert locust, but most species in its genus don't swarm, and Nebraska rates its economic importance as none. Spotted bird grasshopper Schistocerca lineata The spotted bird grasshopper, also called the lined bird grasshopper, is a large, strong-flying grasshopper of tallgrass and mixed-grass prairie. It prefers legumes such as leadplant, and once in a while it becomes numerous enough to damage forage legumes and cultivated trees and shrubs. Alfalfa Looper Autographa californica The alfalfa looper is a pale green caterpillar that arches its back as it crawls, like an inchworm. It chews ragged holes in the leaves of alfalfa, mint, peas, beans, potatoes, sugarbeets and spinach, fouls the heads of cole crops, and grows into a gray-brown moth with a pale mark on each forewing. Black Onion Fly Tritoxa flexa The black onion fly is a black picture-winged fly, about the size of a house fly, with three white bands across each dark wing. Its maggots feed inside the bulbs of onions, garlic and ornamental alliums, and it has been known as an onion pest since at least 1865. Purple Carrot-seed Moth Depressaria depressana The purple carrot-seed moth is a small moth from Europe and Asia, first found in North America around 2008, whose caterpillars web together and eat the flower heads and unripe seeds of dill and other plants in the carrot family. Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba The large yellow underwing is an accidentally introduced moth named for the bright yellow to orange hindwings it flashes in flight. Its larvae, known as winter cutworms, tolerate cold and keep feeding through fall and winter, moving in groups like armyworms and cutting down lawns, gardens and crops. Javelin Moth Bactra verutana The javelin moth is a small, light brown native moth whose caterpillars bore into sedges and rushes, including purple and yellow nutsedge. It can damage ornamental sedges, and USDA researchers studied it as a way to suppress purple nutsedge. Rice stink bug Oebalus pugnax The rice stink bug is a narrow, yellowish-brown stink bug that feeds on developing grass seed and grain. It was first reported as a rice pest in the 1880s and is the most abundant stink bug in Florida rice, where its feeding empties heads and leaves spotted, easily broken kernels known as pecky rice. Cotton fleahopper Pseudatomoscelis seriatus The cotton fleahopper is a tiny, pale green plant bug that feeds on cotton's pinhead-size flower buds (squares) in the first weeks of squaring. Damaged squares turn brown and drop, though cotton can often make up the loss when the season allows. Alfalfa plant bug Adelphocoris lineolatus The alfalfa plant bug is a pale green to brown plant bug, about 3/8 inch long, for which alfalfa is a primary host. Its feeding on leaves, buds and flowers can stunt plants and lower forage quality, and in alfalfa grown for seed, late-season feeding cuts seed yield. Meadow plant bug Leptopterna dolabrata The meadow plant bug is a narrow, yellowish and dark brown plant bug of grassy places such as hay fields and road ditches. It feeds mainly on grasses: in grass seed crops, heavy numbers cut seed yield and cause 'silver top', but it does little harm to alfalfa. Clear-winged grasshopper Camnula pellucida The clear-winged grasshopper is a grassland grasshopper with mottled forewings and transparent hind wings. In much of its range it is a severe pest of small grains and grasses: it hatches early in the season from densely packed egg beds, and its nymphs can march in bands and its adults fly in swarms. Two-striped mermiria Mermiria bivittata The two-striped mermiria, also called the two-striped slant-faced grasshopper, is a large, long-winged grasshopper with a strongly slanted face that spends day and night perched on tall grasses. It eats valuable forage grasses, but its numbers usually stay low, so it seldom becomes a real pest. False potato beetle Leptinotarsa juncta The false potato beetle is a striped leaf beetle of the eastern United States that is easily mistaken for the Colorado potato beetle. It feeds mostly on horsenettle and related weeds, and although it can feed on potato, it cannot complete its life cycle on that crop. Hawaiian Beet Webworm Spoladea recurvalis The Hawaiian beet webworm is a small brownish gray moth whose caterpillars feed on beets, spinach, lambsquarters and pigweeds. It can't survive New England winters, but it breeds year-round farther south and moves north as the season warms, and its caterpillars can strip a field's foliage in a short time. Goldenrod Gall Fly Eurosta solidaginis The goldenrod gall fly is a small fly with brown-mottled wings whose larva causes the round, ball-shaped swellings on goldenrod stems. Each gall holds a single maggot that feeds inside it through the summer and spends the winter there. The galls don't seem to weaken the plants, which still bloom. Garden Tortrix Clepsis peritana The garden tortrix is one of the most common and widespread leafroller moths in North America. Its caterpillars live in silk tubes and mostly eat dead or decaying leaves, but they also web leaves to strawberries and chew holes in berries that rest on the ground, and in citrus groves they can damage fruit near the ground or already dropped. Celery Looper Anagrapha falcifera The celery looper is an owlet moth that looks like a dead leaf when it rests. Its pale green caterpillars walk like inchworms and feed on a great variety of herbaceous plants, including beet, blueberry, cabbage, carrot, corn, lettuce and celery, as well as wild clovers, plantains and viburnums. Dingy Cutworm Feltia jaculifera The dingy cutworm is one of the more common and widely distributed owlet moths in North America. Its dull, mottled brown caterpillars spend the winter partly grown in the soil, then feed on the leaves of crop seedlings in spring and sometimes cut young plants off at or just below the soil surface. Soybean Looper Chrysodeixis includens The soybean looper is a light to dark green looper caterpillar, named for its favorite host and its looping walk, that also feeds on many other field, vegetable and flower crops. In the United States it overwinters only in south Florida and south Texas and spreads north each season, and it has become resistant to several kinds of insecticides. Velvetbean Caterpillar Anticarsia gemmatalis The velvetbean caterpillar is the major soybean pest of Florida and the southeastern states. It moves north each summer from southern Florida and tropical America, and in late summer its caterpillars can strip a soybean field's foliage in five to seven days. It also feeds on peanut, cowpea, kudzu and other legumes. Soybean aphid Aphis glycines The soybean aphid is a tiny yellow aphid from eastern Asia, first found in the United States in Minnesota in 2000 and now present in all major soybean-growing states. It spends the winter as eggs on buckthorn and moves to soybean fields in summer, where heavy colonies can cut yield, stunt plants and spread viruses. No photo yet Cannabis aphid Phorodon cannabis The cannabis aphid, also called the hemp aphid, is a specialist that feeds only on hemp. Newly recognized in North America, it is now found in several U.S. states and parts of Canada. Large, lasting colonies weaken plants, coat them with sticky honeydew and can spread plant viruses, and it does most damage in indoor production. Wavy-lined Emerald Synchlora aerata The wavy-lined emerald is a small green moth of fields, prairies and roadsides. Its caterpillar, the camouflaged looper, is an inchworm that covers itself with clippings of flower petals and other plant bits, so it either blends into the flower it is eating or passes for a crumb of debris. Nessus Sphinx Amphion floridensis The Nessus sphinx is a stout, furry hawk moth with two pale yellow bands across its dark abdomen. It hovers like a hummingbird while sipping nectar at dusk and during the day, and with its bold bands it looks a lot like a bumble bee. Its caterpillars feed on wild grapes, Virginia creeper and their relatives. Bandedwinged whitefly Trialeurodes abutiloneus The bandedwinged whitefly is a native whitefly that feeds on a very wide range of plants, from velvetleaf and ragweed to cotton, cucurbits, geraniums and poinsettias. Two zigzag bands across the adult's wings set it apart from the plain white greenhouse whitefly. Once a serious pest of ornamentals, it is now an occasional one that moves from weeds into landscapes and greenhouses, and it can spread tomato chlorosis virus. Tulip bulb aphid Dysaphis tulipae The tulip aphid, also called the tulip bulb aphid, feeds on tulips, lilies, crocuses, gladiolus, irises and other bulbs, both in storage and in the garden. Bulbs planted with aphids on them can send up distorted, stunted growth, and the aphid can carry tulip breaking virus to tulips. Goldenrod Bunch Gall Midge Rhopalomyia solidaginis The goldenrod bunch gall midge is a fly in the gall midge family (Cecidomyiidae) that causes the growing tip of a goldenrod stem to form a tight, rosette-like bunch of leaves. Ecologists study it as an ecosystem engineer: its bunch galls give shelter and food to other arthropods, and the mix of species on a goldenrod changes when a gall is present. Lettuce aphid Nasonovia ribisnigri The lettuce aphid, also called the currant-lettuce aphid, is a worldwide pest that feeds deep inside lettuce plants, almost always at the heart of head lettuce. Its short life cycle lets numbers build quickly, and its hiding place makes it hard to control. Lettuce root aphid Pemphigus bursarius The lettuce root aphid lives out of sight on lettuce roots, in clustered colonies covered with white powdery wax. It is a serious pest mostly where lettuce grows near Lombardy poplars, the trees it uses as a winter host, and once a crop is infested no insecticide will control it. Speckle-winged grasshopper Arphia conspersa The speckle-winged grasshopper, Arphia conspersa, is a wide-ranging western grasshopper whose adults are out in spring. It is a colorful early-season bandwing, usually with red hind wings, and its numbers stay too low to make much difference on grazing land. No photo yet Soybean Gall Midge Resseliella maxima The soybean gall midge (Resseliella maxima) is a tiny fly described as a new species in 2019 from Nebraska. Its larvae feed under the skin at the base of soybean stems, which turn dark and brittle, and heavy infestations stunt, wilt and kill plants, mostly along field edges next to fields that grew soybean the year before. Banded Sunflower Moth Cochylichroa hospes The banded sunflower moth (Cochylichroa hospes, formerly Cochylis hospes) is one of the most destructive seed-feeding pests of sunflower in the northern Great Plains. Its larvae feed on the bracts and florets of flowering heads, then tunnel into the seeds and eat them out, and each one can destroy several seeds before dropping to the soil for the winter. Sugarbeet Root Maggot Tetanops myopaeformis The sugarbeet root maggot (Tetanops myopaeformis) is a small, shiny black fly, one of the picture-winged flies (family Ulidiidae; older references such as University of Wyoming Extension use Otitidae). Its maggots feed on beet roots in late spring and early summer, scraping the root surface and, in seedlings, cutting the taproot, and it is the most economically significant insect pest of sugar beets in the Red River Valley. Bertha Armyworm Mamestra configurata The bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) is a native North American moth whose caterpillars are among the most significant insect pests of canola in Canada. Outbreaks come in cycles every six to eight years in western North America, and infestations can spread over millions of acres, with the caterpillars eating leaves and then seed pods and seeds. Omnivorous Leaftier Cnephasia longana The omnivorous leaftier (Cnephasia longana) is a small moth native to Europe, northwestern Africa and Asia that was introduced into western North America in the late 1920s. Its caterpillars feed on a long list of herbaceous plants; on strawberries they web the leaves and flowers together and tunnel into green and ripe berries. No photo yet Sugarbeet root aphid Pemphigus betae The sugarbeet root aphid is a pinhead-sized, pale aphid that lives on beet roots under a coat of white wax that can look like mold. Heavy infestations wilt plants in patches and cut sugarbeet yields, and because it hides in the soil it is hard to reach with insecticides, so management relies on rotation, sanitation and good irrigation. Pea leaf weevil Sitona lineatus The pea leaf weevil, Sitona lineatus, is an introduced weevil that feeds on many kinds of legumes and can cut yields of field pea and faba bean. Adults chew scalloped notches in the edges of seedling leaves in spring, but the larger losses come from the grubs, which eat the root nodules that fix nitrogen for the plant. Three-banded grasshopper Hadrotettix trifasciatus The three-banded grasshopper, Hadrotettix trifasciatus, is one of the largest grasshoppers of western rangeland. Three bold dark bands across its back break up its outline on bare, gravelly ground, and it feeds mostly on broadleaf plants, many of them poor forage, so it is not considered an economic pest. Lichen grasshopper Trimerotropis saxatilis The lichen grasshopper, Trimerotropis saxatilis, lives on sunny, rocky glades, mostly in the Ozarks, and its mottled, speckled body looks like lichens growing on stone. It is a harmless grasshopper of a specialized habitat, and because it will not cross woodland, each glade holds its own small, isolated population. Cabbage seedpod weevil Ceutorhynchus obstrictus The cabbage seedpod weevil, Ceutorhynchus obstrictus, is a weevil from Europe and Asia now established in North America and an important pest of canola (oilseed rape). Its grubs develop inside the seed pods and eat the seeds, which can cut yields by up to 35 percent, while the adults feed on flower buds and green pods. Rhubarb curculio Lixus concavus The rhubarb curculio, Lixus concavus, also called the rhubarb weevil, is a North American weevil that originally fed on wild docks and took to rhubarb after rhubarb arrived from Europe. Adults chew notches and pits in rhubarb stalks, but eggs laid in rhubarb are crushed by the growing stalk, so the insect breeds in nearby weeds. It is a sporadic pest that is easy to manage without insecticides. Sunflower Bud Moth Suleima helianthana The sunflower bud moth (Suleima helianthana) is a small moth whose larvae bore into sunflower stalks and the backs of heads, pushing black frass out of the entrance hole. It is usually a minor pest, but larvae that tunnel into unopened buds can leave deformed heads, and in a North Dakota study it ranked as a major head-infesting pest of cultivated sunflower. Sunflower Maggot Strauzia longipennis The sunflower maggot (Strauzia longipennis) is a small orange fly with boldly banded wings whose larvae tunnel in the pith of sunflower stalks. SDSU Extension calls it widespread and present in most sunflower fields but not a major pest, because the larvae stay in the stalk and do not feed on heads or seeds, and Manitoba Agriculture says damage from larval feeding is usually light. Redbacked Cutworm Euxoa ochrogaster The redbacked cutworm (Euxoa ochrogaster) is a night-feeding cutworm that hides in the soil by day and cuts off seedlings at or just below the soil surface in late spring. It feeds on nearly all field crops, vegetables and garden plants, and outbreaks on the northern Prairies can leave bare patches across whole fields. No photo yet Wheat Midge Sitodiplosis mosellana The wheat midge (Sitodiplosis mosellana) is a tiny orange fly whose larvae feed on developing wheat kernels inside the florets. The heads look normal from outside, so growers often blame frost or drought for the shriveled grain, lost yield and lower grade. Significant damage has been reported in Minnesota, North Dakota and Idaho as well as the Canadian Prairies. No photo yet Sunflower Midge Contarinia schulzi The sunflower midge (Contarinia schulzi) is a tiny tan fly that is seldom seen, but its larvae can leave sunflower heads twisted, gnarled and cupped inward with few seeds. Damage is usually patchy and concentrated along field edges, though severe infestations can affect whole fields. Redbanded stink bug Piezodorus guildinii The redbanded stink bug is a small, glossy green stink bug with a colored band across its shoulders. It came from the American tropics, is now established in the southern United States, and feeds on soybeans and other legumes. It is more mobile, more damaging per bug and harder to kill with insecticides than the stink bugs growers are used to, so it has to be recognized early. No photo yet Strawberry aphid Chaetosiphon fragaefolii The strawberry aphid is a tiny, pale yellow to green aphid found on strawberry leaves and crowns. It seldom harms plants by feeding, but it can carry strawberry virus diseases, so it matters most in nurseries and in plantings kept for several years. Home gardeners can usually rinse it off, while growers rely on natural enemies, clean plants and virus-resistant varieties. Peanut burrower bug Pangaeus bilineatus The peanut burrower bug is a small, oval, blackish bug that spends most of its life underground. Adults and nymphs push their mouthparts through the peanut shell to feed on the kernels, leaving scarred, discolored peanuts that lower the crop's grade and can open the way to aflatoxin. Because it stays in the soil, it is hard to find and harder to control. Black stink bug Proxys punctulatus The black stink bug is an all-black stink bug with pointed shoulders and a small yellow spot at the tip of its back. It feeds mostly on plant juices but will also attack insect larvae, and although it turns up in crop fields and along woodland edges in the South, it never becomes numerous enough to do real damage. Ligurian leafhopper Eupteryx decemnotata The Ligurian leafhopper is a tiny leafhopper from the Mediterranean that feeds on culinary herbs in the mint family, such as sage, rosemary, basil, oregano and mint. Its feeding leaves pale stippling and yellowing that can be mistaken for thrips or mite damage. It has spread across Europe and turned up in several US states. Yellow sugarcane aphid Sipha flava The yellow sugarcane aphid is a small, bright yellow aphid with rows of dark spots that feeds on sorghum, sugarcane and many other grasses. Its feeding injects a toxin that turns leaves yellow, red or purple, stunts seedlings and can kill leaves and plants, so young sorghum and sugarcane need early scouting. Sunflower seed weevils Smicronyx fulvus and Smicronyx sordidus Two small weevils lay their eggs in developing sunflower seeds: the red sunflower seed weevil, Smicronyx fulvus, and the gray sunflower seed weevil, Smicronyx sordidus. The red species is the more common of the two, and its larvae reduce seed weight and oil content and get confection seed downgraded. No photo yet Cranberry weevil Anthonomus musculus The cranberry weevil, Anthonomus musculus, also called the blueberry blossom weevil, is a tiny native snout beetle whose larvae develop inside the flower buds of cranberry and blueberry. It is a major pest of Massachusetts cranberry bogs and a key pest of highbush blueberries in the northeastern United States. No photo yet Clover root borer Hylastinus obscurus The clover root borer, Hylastinus obscurus, is a small bark beetle that lives in the roots of red clover rather than in trees. It is considered one of the most important causes of the decline of red clover stands, and no insecticide controls it. Pygmy grasshoppers Tetrigidae (e.g., Paratettix, Tetrix, Tettigidea, Nomotettix) Pygmy grasshoppers, also called groundhoppers or grouse locusts, are small grasshoppers of the family Tetrigidae. Most live along streams, ponds and wetlands, where they feed mainly on decaying organic matter and mosses, and some will jump into the water and swim beneath the surface to escape danger. Pea Moth Cydia nigricana The pea moth (Cydia nigricana) is a small moth whose caterpillars bore into pea pods and eat the developing seeds. The entry hole is almost too small to see, so most gardeners only find the problem when they shell mature peas and turn up a pale caterpillar, droppings and hollowed seeds. Western Yellowstriped Armyworm Spodoptera praefica The western yellowstriped armyworm (Spodoptera praefica) is a caterpillar pest of alfalfa, tomatoes, lentils and other crops. Outbreaks come and go: natural enemies often keep it in check and large numbers turn up only every few years. Infestations in tomatoes often start with caterpillars or moths coming from an alfalfa field that has just been cut. Hop Looper Hypena humuli The hop looper (Hypena humuli) is a moth whose pale green caterpillars feed on hops; few other plants serve as hosts. In large numbers they chew leaves down to a lacy skeleton, and late in the season they can damage the cones themselves. It is one of the two caterpillars that most often reach damaging levels in hop yards. Lima Bean Pod Borer Etiella zinckenella The lima bean pod borer (Etiella zinckenella) is a small moth whose caterpillars chew into lima bean pods and eat the developing beans. It has been one of the most serious insect pests of lima beans in California, it has damaged bush limas in the Columbia Basin, and it breeds on wild lupines between crops. Hop aphid Phorodon humuli The hop aphid is a small, pale yellowish-green aphid that spends the winter as eggs on plum, prune and other Prunus trees and flies to hops in May or June. On hops it sucks plant juices and excretes honeydew that can contaminate the cones, especially once sooty mold grows on it. Foxglove aphid Aulacorthum solani The foxglove aphid, also called the glasshouse-potato aphid, is one of the most widely distributed aphids and feeds on plants in more than 82 families. It is a pest of greenhouse flowers such as geraniums and of crops including peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and soybeans, and it tends to distort leaves more than many other aphids. Consperse stink bug Euschistus conspersus The consperse stink bug is a native, shield-shaped stink bug about half an inch long that is the most common stink bug on California tomatoes and a pest of apples in the Pacific Northwest. Its feeding leaves pinprick spots on tomatoes and dimpled, corky patches on apples. Western tarnished plant bug Lygus hesperus The western tarnished plant bug, usually just called the lygus bug, is a generalist pest of alfalfa, strawberry, cotton and other crops in western North America. In strawberries it punctures the seeds, which stops the berry from developing around them and leaves misshapen, cat-faced fruit. Willow-carrot aphid Cavariella aegopodii The willow-carrot aphid is a pale greenish-yellow aphid that alternates between willows and plants in the carrot family. In summer it feeds on carrots, celery, parsley, dill and fennel, and it matters most because it can spread plant viruses. Waterlily aphid Rhopalosiphum nymphaeae The waterlily aphid is an aphid of ponds and stone-fruit trees. It overwinters as eggs on peach, apricot, almond and other Prunus trees, then moves to waterlilies, cattails and other wet-ground plants in summer, where large colonies can brown and dry out the leaves in late summer and early fall. Bean thrips Caliothrips fasciatus Bean thrips, Caliothrips fasciatus, is a small dark thrips native to North America and western Mexico. It feeds on beans and many other crops and weeds, leaving silvered or bronzed leaves. In California it also crawls into the navels of oranges to spend the winter, which makes it a quarantine problem for fruit exports. Banded greenhouse thrips Hercinothrips femoralis The banded greenhouse thrips, Hercinothrips femoralis, is a tiny thrips that lives outdoors on shrubs, flowers, vegetables and weeds and sometimes gets indoors onto house plants. Colonies of its pale larvae feed on the undersides of leaves and leave them scarred and discolored. It is also called the sugar beet thrips, because it is thought to have reached the United States on sugar beets. Melon thrips Thrips palmi Melon thrips, Thrips palmi, is a pale yellow thrips native to Asia that has become a serious vegetable pest in warm regions. In the United States it was first found in Hawaii in 1982 and in Florida in 1990. Heavy feeding turns leaves yellow, white or brown and can leave whole fields looking bronzed. Eastern flower thrips Frankliniella tritici The eastern flower thrips, Frankliniella tritici, is one of the most abundant thrips in the eastern United States. It is native there and lives in the flowers of many crops, ornamentals and weeds. It is usually a pest of secondary importance, but it can injure seedling cotton and blueberry flowers. No photo yet Florida flower thrips Frankliniella bispinosa The Florida flower thrips, Frankliniella bispinosa, is a common native thrips of Florida and southern Georgia. It breeds in flowers and can build up quickly once a crop blooms, damaging citrus, blueberries, strawberries, peppers and garden roses. It is usually less harmful than the invasive western flower thrips. Poinsettia thrips Echinothrips americanus The poinsettia thrips, Echinothrips americanus, also called the impatiens thrips, is a leaf-feeding thrips native to eastern North America. Since it was first reported damaging greenhouse poinsettias in Georgia in 1984 it has become a pest of greenhouse ornamentals and vegetables, and it has spread to Europe and Asia. No photo yet Bean flower thrips Megalurothrips usitatus The bean flower thrips, Megalurothrips usitatus, also called the Asian bean thrips, is a dark thrips that attacks beans and other legumes across Asia. It was first recorded in the continental United States in Miami-Dade County, Florida, in 2020. Larvae and adults feed in the flowers, buds, leaves and pods, and heavy infestations can wipe out a bean crop. Australian Sod Fly Inopus rubriceps The Australian sod fly (Inopus rubriceps) is a soldier fly whose larvae feed on the roots of grasses. In California it turns up only occasionally, and only in the San Francisco Bay Area, where it thins turf that weeds then fill in. In Australia its root-feeding larvae attack sugarcane. Turnip aphid Lipaphis pseudobrassicae The turnip aphid, also called the mustard aphid, is a dark to olive green aphid found worldwide on cabbage, turnip, radish, mustards and other members of the mustard family. It has been implicated in spreading at least 16 plant viruses, and when it feeds on the roots of cole crops it can stunt or even kill the plants. No photo yet Common blossom thrips Frankliniella schultzei The common blossom thrips, Frankliniella schultzei, is a tiny flower-dwelling thrips found mainly in the tropics and subtropics. In the United States it has been recorded in Florida, Colorado and Hawaii, and it is a relatively new vegetable pest in South Florida. Larvae and adults feed on pollen and flower tissue, and the dark form spreads tomato spotted wilt virus and related viruses. Soybean thrips Neohydatothrips variabilis Soybean thrips, Neohydatothrips variabilis, are tiny insects that scrape the undersides of soybean leaves and drink the sap, leaving fine scars along the veins. On their own they rarely cause economic damage, but they are the main carrier of soybean vein necrosis virus, a disease now reported in every soybean-growing state. No photo yet Mint aphid Ovatus crataegarius The mint aphid is a small apple-green to yellow-green aphid that feeds on mint and on rose-family plants such as apple and quince. Large colonies stunt and distort mint stems and leaves, and the aphid can spread a virus between mint plants. Rose-grain aphid Metopolophium dirhodum The rose-grain aphid is a large green aphid of wheat and other small grains. Its feeding does little harm by itself, but it carries barley yellow dwarf virus and is easy to confuse with the greenbug, a more damaging species. Artichoke aphid Capitophorus elaeagni The artichoke aphid is a pale, almost translucent aphid that spends the winter on Russian olive and related shrubs and moves to thistles and artichokes in summer. On artichokes, large numbers stunt the plants, deform the buds and leave a heavy coat of honeydew and sooty mold. Tomato mirid Nesidiocoris tenuis Nesidiocoris tenuis, called the tomato bug or tomato mirid, is a small, slender green plant bug that preys on whiteflies, thrips, aphids and caterpillar eggs on tomatoes and other vegetables. When prey runs short it feeds on the plants themselves, so it is released as a biological control agent in some places and treated as a pest in others. Rice water weevil Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus, is a semi-aquatic weevil and the most destructive insect pest of rice in the United States. Adults leave scars on leaves, but the real damage comes from the larvae, which live in the mud and prune the roots of flooded rice. Packard grasshopper Melanoplus packardii The Packard grasshopper, Melanoplus packardii, is a large grasshopper of western North American grasslands. On native rangeland it stays scarce and eats mostly wildflowers, but along roadsides, field edges and idle land it can build up and damage small grains and alfalfa. Bigheaded grasshopper Aulocara elliotti The bigheaded grasshopper, Aulocara elliotti, is a serious pest of range grasses in the western United States and often the dominant species in rangeland grasshopper outbreaks. It wastes forage twice over: it eats grass leaves and also cuts them off so they fall to the ground. Largeheaded grasshopper Phoetaliotes nebrascensis The largeheaded grasshopper, Phoetaliotes nebrascensis, is a grassland grasshopper with a head that looks too big for its body and, in most adults, stubby wings. Unlike most of its spur-throated relatives it eats almost nothing but grass, and it is often the most common grasshopper in tallgrass prairie. Whitewhiskered grasshopper Ageneotettix deorum The whitewhiskered grasshopper, Ageneotettix deorum, is one of the smaller rangeland grasshoppers, named for the whitish tops of its antennae. It is the most abundant grasshopper across Nebraska and that state's most important rangeland grasshopper pest, and it is often the dominant species in mixedgrass prairie outbreaks. Rice root aphid Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominalis The rice root aphid is a dark olive-green aphid that feeds on roots, in soil or in hydroponic systems, which makes it easy to miss. It is a pest of greenhouse-grown hemp and feeds on small grains, where it can carry the viruses that cause yellow dwarf in wheat. Root feeding leaves plants slow-growing, wilted and yellow. No photo yet Pineapple mealybug Dysmicoccus brevipes The pineapple mealybug is a small, pink mealybug covered in white wax that is a pest of pineapple wherever the crop is grown. It hides in colonies at the base of the stem and on the roots, and it matters most because it spreads the viruses behind pineapple mealybug wilt. It also feeds on more than 100 other plant genera and is a quarantine concern for pineapple shipments. Red-shanked grasshopper Xanthippus corallipes The red-shanked grasshopper, Xanthippus corallipes, is a big grass-eating grasshopper of western grasslands that runs on an unusual calendar. Its nymphs spend the winter as large nymphs, so the adults are out in spring, crackling loudly and flashing yellow wings when they take off. Keeler grasshopper Melanoplus keeleri The Keeler grasshopper, Melanoplus keeleri, lives in upland grasslands across much of North America but eats mostly broadleaf plants rather than grass. It counts as a minor pest at most, though its taste for legumes means it can turn up in alfalfa and seeded pastures. Red-winged grasshopper Arphia pseudonietana The red-winged grasshopper, Arphia pseudonietana, is a dark, ground-dwelling grasshopper of North American grasslands. At rest it blends into bare soil, but in flight it shows bright red hind wings and makes a loud crackling sound. It feeds on grasses and sedges and is rarely numerous enough to matter. Kiowa grasshopper Trachyrhachys kiowa The Kiowa grasshopper, Trachyrhachys kiowa, is a ground-dwelling grasshopper of short, sparse grassland, where blue grama makes up most or all of its diet. It is seldom the most common grasshopper on a site, but it often takes part in rangeland outbreaks. Ebony grasshopper Boopedon nubilum The ebony grasshopper, Boopedon nubilum, is a large grass-feeding grasshopper of western rangeland in which the two sexes look like different insects: the male is solid black, the female pale brown and short-winged. It is unlikely to be a pest in Nebraska but is a significant pest in Arizona and the southern plains. Obscure grasshopper Opeia obscura The obscure grasshopper, Opeia obscura, is a small, plain grasshopper of short-grass and mid-grass prairie. It eats blue grama almost to the exclusion of anything else, and although it never causes outbreaks on its own, it adds to the numbers when rangeland grasshoppers do flare up. Pasture grasshopper Melanoplus confusus The pasture grasshopper, Melanoplus confusus, is the earliest Melanoplus species in Nebraska: nymphs hatch in early spring and adults are common by late May. It lives in prairies, meadows and pastures from the northeastern states west to the western states and Canadian provinces, but it is usually too scarce to do real damage. Dawson grasshopper Melanoplus dawsoni The Dawson grasshopper, Melanoplus dawsoni, is a small, mostly short-winged grasshopper of northern grasslands and high mountain parks. It prefers broadleaf plants, including alfalfa and white clover, which gives it more pest potential than its size suggests. Orange-legged grasshopper Spharagemon equale The orange-legged grasshopper, Spharagemon equale, is a big, conspicuous band-winged grasshopper of western grasslands. It usually crackles as it flies and shows yellow hind wings with a dark band, and its orange hind legs give it its name. It is rarely numerous enough to matter on rangeland. Velvet-striped grasshopper Eritettix simplex The velvet-striped grasshopper, Eritettix simplex, is one of the few grasshoppers that are already adult in spring. Its nymphs hatch from late July, survive the winter under plant litter, and finish growing in April and May. It feeds on grasses and sedges but is usually too scarce to cause harm. Beet Webworm Loxostege sticticalis The beet webworm (Loxostege sticticalis) is a moth whose caterpillars feed on beets, field-grown hemp, spinach, legumes and many weeds. Outbreaks are not common, but when the caterpillars are numerous they can strip a field down to the leaf veins in a short time, so early scouting matters. Sugarcane Borer Diatraea saccharalis The sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis) is a moth whose caterpillars bore inside the stalks of sugarcane and other large grasses, including corn, rice and sorghum. It is considered introduced to the southern United States and is the main pest of sugarcane in Louisiana and one of the most important above-ground sugarcane pests in Florida. No photo yet Cornsilk Fly Euxesta stigmatias The cornsilk fly (Euxesta stigmatias) is one of four picture-winged flies, known together as corn silk flies, that attack corn in Florida. The adults are small, shiny and dark with banded wings. Their maggots feed in the silk, cob tip and kernels of sweet corn, and these flies are now the most damaging insect pests of Florida's fresh-market sweet corn. Meadow grasshopper Pseudochorthippus curtipennis The meadow grasshopper lives in tall, lush grass and sedges in hayfields, pastures, roadside ditches, mountain meadows and the edges of marshes and ponds across the northern and western states and Canada. Males sing songs people can easily hear. It eats forage grasses but has not been reported doing significant damage on its own. Lakin grasshopper Melanoplus lakinus The Lakin grasshopper is a western weed specialist. It lives on plants of the goosefoot family, above all the invasive weeds kochia and Russian thistle, and so it crowds roadsides, fence rows, weedy rangeland and vacant city lots while staying rare in healthy prairie. Its weed-eating can be helpful, but dense populations sometimes spill into alfalfa, wheat, vegetable gardens and flower beds. Dusky grasshopper Encoptolophus costalis The dusky grasshopper is a dark brown band-winged grasshopper of western grasslands, most abundant in the northern mixed-grass prairie. It sits on bare ground between clumps of wheatgrass and sedge, and its flight makes a soft buzzing crackle. It is usually a minor player in rangeland grasshopper populations, though it has occasionally moved into alfalfa and fall-planted wheat. Northern grasshopper Melanoplus borealis The northern grasshopper lives across the north of the continent, in arctic tundra, bogs and swamps, and in moist meadows high in the Rocky Mountains. There it sometimes erupts into dense, nearly pure populations that strip meadow forage. Its eggs need two winters in the ground before they hatch, which once puzzled survey crews who saw meadows reinfested the year after treatment. Slant-faced pasture grasshopper Orphulella speciosa The slant-faced pasture grasshopper is one of the most common grasshoppers of the tallgrass prairie region and also lives in dry upland pastures east to the Atlantic. It is small, so each insect presumably eats less than bigger grasshoppers, but it gathers in short, mowed or heavily grazed grass. During runs of dry years it can build to outbreak numbers along with other grass-feeding grasshoppers. Mottled sand grasshopper Spharagemon collare The mottled sand grasshopper matches the sand it lives on: tan to gray and heavily speckled with brown. It is found locally across a wide range in North America, wherever sparse grass and forbs grow on sandy soil, from dunes and blowouts to sandy lake banks and roadsides. It is not a serious pest, though it can build up on disturbed sandy ground next to wheat and new seedings. Club-horned grasshopper Aeropedellus clavatus The club-horned grasshopper is easy to name once you look at its antennae, which end in a dark club. It is one of the first grasshoppers of the year on the northern plains and the most widespread grassland grasshopper of Canada's prairie provinces. It also lives in mountain meadows, with one Colorado population living above timberline at 13,600 feet. Usually predators thin it out by early summer, but outbreaks have damaged range grasses and young wheat. Striped grasshopper Amphitornus coloradus The striped grasshopper is a slant-faced grasshopper of western grasslands, most numerous on mixed-grass and bunchgrass prairie. Its cream body with chocolate-brown stripes and bullet-like shape make it easy to recognize. It is a common member of rangeland grasshopper populations, often the third most abundant species, and it eats grasses and sedges almost exclusively. Narrow-winged sand grasshopper Melanoplus angustipennis The narrow-winged sand grasshopper lives wherever there is sand: vegetated dunes, blowouts, sandy stream and lake banks, and in sandy farm country, roadsides, field edges and weedy Conservation Reserve Program fields. It prefers broadleaf plants such as western ragweed and sunflower to grass, which can make it more help than harm on rangeland. Still, it led a Nebraska Sand Hills outbreak in 1978, and roadside populations can threaten neighboring wheat. Russian thistle grasshopper Aeoloplides turnbulli The Russian thistle grasshopper is a stout western grasshopper that eats plants of the goosefoot family and almost nothing else. On roadside and field-border patches of Russian thistle, kochia and lambsquarters it chews the growing tips and cuts seed production, which makes it useful. In desert shrubland it can damage the saltbush and winterfat that livestock, especially sheep, eat in winter, and in outbreaks it has damaged sugar beets. Melon Fly Bactrocera cucurbitae The melon fly (Bactrocera cucurbitae, also called Zeugodacus cucurbitae) is one of the most important pests vegetable growers face where it occurs. It has been in Hawaii since about 1895 and has greatly cut production of melons, cucumbers and tomatoes there. It is not established in the continental United States, but it is often intercepted at ports, and flies found in California in 2010 led to a quarantine and eradication program. No photo yet Asparagus Miner Ophiomyia simplex The asparagus miner (Ophiomyia simplex) is a small fly brought to North America from Europe. It is found wherever asparagus grows and feeds on nothing else. Its maggots tunnel just under the surface of the stalks, mostly older stalks carrying ferns. The tunnels themselves do little harm, but the insect is linked to Fusarium, a fungus that causes crown and root rot. Striped sand grasshopper Melanoplus foedus The striped sand grasshopper is a large spur-throated grasshopper of sandy grasslands across western North America. It looks almost exactly like the Packard grasshopper but lives on sand rather than loam. It prefers weedy forbs and is usually scarce, yet it has built up to damaging numbers on sandy range in Idaho and Oregon and in weedy ground beside crops. Spotted-winged grasshopper Cordillacris occipitalis The spotted-winged grasshopper is a slim, slant-faced grasshopper of western grasslands that eats grasses and sedges. It is light, about half the weight of a bigheaded grasshopper, but on mixed-grass prairie with sandy loam soil it is often the most numerous species and can reach 40 young adults per square yard. Gladston grasshopper Melanoplus gladstoni The Gladston grasshopper is a large, dark brown spur-throated grasshopper of western rangeland. It runs on a later calendar than most range species: nymphs are still growing in July and August, and adults last until hard freezes in November. It mostly eats forbs and is not a serious range pest, but in fall it can join other late grasshoppers moving into young winter wheat. Blue-legged grasshopper Metator pardalinus The blue-legged grasshopper, called the pard grasshopper on iNaturalist, is a large band-winged grasshopper of western grasslands. It is patchy: it gathers in moist flats, valley bottoms and dry lake beds where western wheatgrass grows thick, and there it is a heavy feeder on range grass. In flight it shows a bright hind wing with a dark outer band. Hayden grasshopper Derotmema haydenii The Hayden grasshopper is a band-winged grasshopper of the western plains that seeks out bare ground. It turns up in prairie dog towns, along county and ranch roads, in abandoned fields and in vacant city lots, usually in low numbers. It eats mostly forbs and is not considered a pest. Sagebrush grasshopper Melanoplus bowditchi The sagebrush grasshopper is a medium-sized spur-throated grasshopper that is tied to sagebrush wherever it lives in western grasslands. It eats almost nothing but sagebrush, mostly silver sagebrush and sand sagebrush, and spends its nights perched on the shrubs. It stays at low numbers and has not been shown to cause economic damage. High Plains grasshopper Dissosteira longipennis The High Plains grasshopper is one of the biggest rangeland grasshoppers, a band-wing with black hind wings that lives on the shortgrass prairie. Most years it is scarce and breeds only in limited areas of Colorado and New Mexico. In outbreaks it behaves like a locust: nymphs march in bands and adults fly in huge swarms, eating range grass and crops wherever they settle. Bruner spur-throated grasshopper Melanoplus bruneri The Bruner spur-throated grasshopper is a medium-sized brown grasshopper of mountain meadows, aspen groves, northern prairie and tundra. It prefers wildflowers and other forbs, and in small numbers it may even help by eating plants toxic to livestock. In weedy meadows it can build to dozens per square yard, and outbreaks in the mountains of Nevada, Utah, Montana and Wyoming have severely damaged meadow forage. Flabellate grasshopper Melanoplus occidentalis The flabellate grasshopper is a common spur-throated grasshopper of the prairies of the western United States and Canada, most numerous on mixed-grass prairie. It is named for the male's fan-shaped cerci (flabellate means fan-shaped). It feeds mostly on forbs and seldom becomes numerous on its own, but it regularly adds to heavy grasshopper infestations. Four-spotted grasshopper Phlibostroma quadrimaculatum The four-spotted grasshopper is a medium-sized slant-faced grasshopper of western shortgrass and mixed-grass prairie, named for the four dark marks on each forewing. It lives where short grasses dominate and eats blue grama above all. It is usually a minor member of rangeland grasshopper populations, and when it is plentiful the land may be overgrazed. Cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Cotton mealybug, also called solenopsis mealybug, was first described in 1898 from specimens collected in New Mexico alongside fire ants. It feeds on plants in more than 240 genera, and since the mid-2000s it has become a damaging pest of cotton in Pakistan and India and of tomatoes, peppers and hibiscus around the Mediterranean. No photo yet Little spur-throated grasshopper Melanoplus infantilis The little spur-throated grasshopper is a small, long-winged Melanoplus of western grasslands, mountain grasslands and forest clearings, and it is the smallest Melanoplus likely to turn up on rangeland in western Nebraska. It eats whatever grasses and forbs grow around it. On the northern mixed-grass prairie it is usually a minor member of the grasshopper mix, but in many grasslands it is the dominant species, and it can reach outbreak numbers. White-crossed grasshopper Aulocara femoratum The white-crossed grasshopper is a medium-sized grass feeder of western prairies, named for the light lines that form an X on top of its dark pronotum. It looks a lot like its relative the bigheaded grasshopper and often lives alongside it. It is usually the lesser partner in an outbreak, though it occasionally becomes the main species and has damaged range in states west and north of Nebraska. Bruner slant-faced grasshopper Bruneria brunnea The Bruner slant-faced grasshopper lives in the hills and mountains of the northwestern United States, from foothill prairie up to alpine tundra. It eats grasses and sedges. Most Wyoming populations are too thin to matter, but when it irrupts it becomes a serious pest of mountain and foothill grassland. Crenulate-winged grasshopper Cordillacris crenulata The crenulate-winged grasshopper is a small slant-faced grasshopper of western range, slim and fragile-looking, with a wavy brown stripe along each forewing. It lives in short grass, mostly blue grama, and eats little else where blue grama grows. It is rarely numerous enough to be a serious pest. Brown-spotted grasshopper Psoloessa delicatula The brown-spotted grasshopper turns the usual grasshopper calendar around. It hatches in midsummer, spends the winter as a nymph, and is already adult by April or May. It eats sedges and grasses, and in years when it is abundant it causes some of the first grasshopper damage of the season on western range. Cudweed grasshopper Hypochlora alba The cudweed grasshopper is a pale green, nearly flightless grasshopper that spends almost its whole life on one plant, cudweed sagewort, and matches its silvery-green color almost perfectly. It is the only grasshopper known to survive on that plant alone. It does only minor damage to its host and has no economic importance. Devastating grasshopper Melanoplus devastator The devastating grasshopper is, with the valley grasshopper, the most widespread and destructive garden grasshopper in California. It breeds on foothill rangeland, and when an outbreak strips the range, bands of nymphs and flying swarms of adults head for the valleys and eat crops, orchards and home gardens. It is a minor pest in Oregon and Washington. Valley grasshopper Oedaleonotus enigma The valley grasshopper is a large rangeland grasshopper of the western sagebrush and foothill country, easy to spot by the pale band along the front of its pronotum that looks like a clergyman's collar. It favors weeds, which can make it useful in small numbers, but outbreaks injure range forage and spill into crops. In California it and the devastating grasshopper are the most widespread and destructive grasshoppers in gardens. Finned grasshopper Trachyrhachys aspera The finned grasshopper is a sparse, late-season grasshopper of shortgrass prairie, where blue grama is almost its only food. It looks much like the more common Kiowa grasshopper and often lives with it, but it hatches about four weeks later and is adult from mid August through October. It is seldom abundant and has no known outbreaks. No photo yet Blunt-nosed leafhopper Limotettix vaccinii The blunt-nosed leafhopper is a very small leafhopper of cranberry bogs. Its feeding does no visible harm to the vines, but it carries the phytoplasma that causes false blossom, an incurable disease that leaves infected uprights without berries. Redshouldered stink bug Thyanta pallidovirens The redshouldered stink bug is a native California stink bug that feeds on pistachios and tomatoes. It is the most prevalent stink bug in tomatoes in the southern San Joaquin Valley, and in pistachios its late-season feeding blackens kernels and can let fungal blights into the nuts. Limonius wireworms Limonius canus (Pacific Coast wireworm) and Limonius californicus (sugarbeet wireworm) Wireworms are the soil-dwelling larvae of click beetles, and in irrigated land of the western United States the two most common and damaging are the Pacific Coast wireworm and the sugarbeet wireworm, both in the genus Limonius. They spend two to six years in the soil chewing seed, roots, crowns and potato tubers, while the adult beetles do little harm to most crops. Green sharpshooter Draeculacephala minerva The green sharpshooter, also called the grass sharpshooter, is a very common and often abundant grass-feeding leafhopper in California. It does no direct harm to vines or trees, but it carries the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, and in Central Valley areas without the glassy-winged sharpshooter it and the red-headed sharpshooter are the primary vectors of Pierce's disease in grapes and the most probable vectors of almond leaf scorch. Say stink bug Chlorochroa sayi The Say stink bug is a California field and orchard stink bug that, together with Uhler's stink bug, is the most prevalent stink bug on the west side of California's San Joaquin Valley. Like the other stink bugs that feed on tomatoes, it punctures developing fruit and leaves pinpricks and corky spots, and it is one of the species that researchers in California's Central Valley have studied for pheromone-based monitoring. Keeled treehopper Entylia carinata The keeled treehopper is a small brown treehopper whose back rises into a saddle-shaped keel. Gardeners notice it on goldenrod, asters, dahlias, sunflowers and other composites, often with ants standing guard over it. It does not transmit plant diseases, and NC State describes it as more of a curiosity than a pest. Agriotes wireworms Agriotes obscurus (dusky wireworm) and Agriotes lineatus (lined click beetle) Most Pacific Northwest wireworms are native Limonius species of irrigated ground east of the Cascades. West of the mountains a different problem has been walking south from British Columbia: two European click beetles, the dusky wireworm and the lined click beetle, that came in with ship-ballast soil in the 1800s, have been in BC since 1950, were at the Washington border by 1997 and reached southwest Washington in 2005. In Europe they have long been major crop pests, in Canada they are doing increasing damage to potatoes, corn and strawberries, and organic growers there have been hit hardest. Their larvae live three to five years in the soil, so once a field has them it keeps them. No photo yet Wheat Stem Maggot Meromyza americana The wheat stem maggot (Meromyza americana) is a small yellowish fly whose white, legless maggot tunnels two or three inches inside the stems of wheat and other small grains and grasses. The giveaway is a white head on a stem whose lower part and leaves are still green, with the stem pulling out easily just above the top node. In the Pacific Northwest the same name and damage belong to two related species, Meromyza pratorum and M. saltatrix. Alfalfa snout beetle Otiorhynchus ligustici A stand of alfalfa that looks winter-killed in spring may have been eaten from below the previous fall. The alfalfa snout beetle, a European weevil believed to have arrived in ship ballast at Oswego, New York, in the 1800s, has been damaging alfalfa there since the early 1930s and occurs nowhere else in this hemisphere except nine northern New York counties and the Ontario side of the St. Lawrence River, with a 2012 Quebec record added since. Its larvae cut the root system and kill the plant from late August into November, usually after the last cutting, so many growers never see it happen. Insecticides have not been shown to work; a three-year rotation, farm-reared insect-killing nematodes and resistant alfalfa are what Cornell recommends. Corn flea beetle Chaetocnema pulicaria The corn flea beetle is about the size of a pinhead, and by itself it seldom kills a corn plant. What makes it matter is the bacterium it carries through the winter: Pantoea stewartii, the cause of Stewart's wilt, which can severely cut yields in susceptible sweet corn and seed corn inbreds. A beetle can pick up the bacterium after as little as six hours of feeding on an infected plant and pass it to a healthy one in under three. How many beetles survive to spring depends on the winter, which is why Purdue's advice starts with adding up December, January and February temperatures. Palestriped flea beetle Systena blanda Most flea beetles are plain black specks. The palestriped flea beetle wears a broad creamy white stripe down each brown wing cover, and it is about twice the size of the potato flea beetle it often shares a field with. Adults pit and hole the undersides of seedling leaves on crops from alfalfa and corn to carrots, eggplant and hemp, and this species also does something many flea beetles do not: its larvae feed on the roots of young plants and on germinating seed, and in California's Imperial and San Joaquin Valleys they scar carrot taproots badly enough to be mistaken for cavity spot disease. Potato flea beetle Epitrix cucumeris When eggplant, tomatoes or potatoes in the Northeast come up looking like they were hit with birdshot, the potato flea beetle is usually the one responsible. It overwinters in the leaf litter at the field edge, feeds on horse nettle and pokeweed in early spring, then moves into the crop and stays until August, with a second flush of summer adults from mid July to mid August. Potatoes and tomatoes often grow fast enough to outrun it; slow-starting eggplant seedlings do not, which is why UMass sets a threshold of just two beetles per newly set transplant. Glassy Cutworm Apamea devastator The glassy cutworm (Apamea devastator; older sources call it Crymodes devastator) is a true subterranean cutworm. Its glossy, semi-translucent greenish-white to dirty gray larva has a prominent red-brown head and spends nearly its whole life inside grass crowns or among the roots, so the damage shows up as browning, loosened or dead patches of established grass in fall and spring that are often blamed on winterkill. Cranberry Girdler (Subterranean Webworm) Chrysoteuchia topiarius The cranberry girdler (Chrysoteuchia topiarius, written C. topiaria in extension sources) is a sod webworm that works below the surface: its dirty-white, brown-headed larvae prune the roots and crowns of cool-season grasses so the sod lifts like grub damage, and in cranberry beds they chew the bark off runners beneath the leaf litter until whole patches of vine die in late August and September. It is one generation a year and is hardest to find and control of the sod webworms because it feeds at or below the thatch. Darksided Cutworm Euxoa messoria The darksided cutworm (Euxoa messoria) is an early-season cutworm of field crops and vegetables. Its grayish-brown larva carries a narrow dark gray stripe along each side just above the breathing pores, grows to about 1.2 to 1.4 inches (UC IPM gives 1.5 to 2 inches for mature larvae) and is often found mixed with redbacked cutworms in the same prairie field. Eggs laid in the soil in late summer sit dormant until spring, and the larvae feed, cut plants and then pupate by about the end of June, so there is one generation a year. Strawberry Leafroller Ancylis comptana The strawberry leafroller (Ancylis comptana, often written A. comptana fragariae) is a small rust-brown moth with pale yellow or wavy white markings whose slender green to grayish-brown caterpillars roll strawberry leaves and tie them with silk, wriggling and dropping on a thread when disturbed. It is common in the eastern half of the United States and present in the Pacific Northwest and California, but strawberries tolerate its leaf feeding well and treatment is usually not needed. Sorghum Midge Stenodiplosis sorghicola The sorghum midge (Stenodiplosis sorghicola, formerly placed in Contarinia) is a fragile orange-red fly barely a quarter inch long that lives a single day as an adult and lays its eggs in sorghum spikelets while the yellow anthers are showing. Each larva feeds on a newly fertilized ovary so no kernel develops, and a heavily infested head ripens with normal kernels scattered among empty, tight-fitting glumes. It is one of the most damaging insects of sorghum in Texas and has recently caused significant infestations in Kansas. Wheat Head Armyworm Dargida diffusa The wheat head armyworm (Dargida diffusa, formerly Faronta diffusa) is a noctuid caterpillar of wheat, barley and grasses that prefers the heads: it hangs from the awns at night and bores a small hole into the base of each floret, hollowing the kernel so the injury is often mistaken for stored-grain weevil damage and goes unnoticed until harvest. It is a pest of cereals through the Midwest and Great Plains, and since the mid-2000s Dargida caterpillars have damaged wheat in eastern Oregon, Washington and Idaho, where a look-alike native species, D. terrapictalis, flies alongside it. Bronzed Cutworm Nephelodes minians The bronzed cutworm (Nephelodes minians) is a large, dark brown cutworm with a bronze sheen and three narrow yellow stripes down its body. It is one of the cutworms most often found in turf, where it clips grass blades at or near the soil surface and leaves small brown circular patches, and in spring gardens it can cut off newly planted seedlings. Unlike several other cutworms it has a single generation a year. Larger raspberry aphid Amphorophora agathonica Several aphids turn up on raspberries and blackberries, but the larger raspberry aphid is the one that matters. It is big for an aphid, up to 3 mm, and dark green to yellow. Its feeding can stunt and yellow new growth and leave honeydew and sooty mold on the fruit, but the real damage is the viruses it carries: it is the primary vector of aphid-transmitted viruses in red raspberry in the Pacific Northwest and an important vector in red and black raspberries across North America. In one Washington study, 30 to 60 percent of plants in four commercial fields carried raspberry leaf mottle virus after three growing seasons. Eggplant flea beetle Epitrix fuscula Eggplant is a favorite host of several flea beetles, most of them in the genus Epitrix, and the eggplant flea beetle is the one named for the crop. It is a 2 mm black beetle that UMass says looks very much like the potato flea beetle but occurs farther south. The beetles are around all season, yet UC IPM says they matter most in the month after transplanting, when they can defoliate and kill young plants that a month later would tolerate them. Boll weevil Anthonomus grandis The boll weevil crossed from Mexico into the southern tip of Texas about 1892 and swept across the Cotton Belt at roughly 50 to 60 miles a year, reaching the Carolinas by 1922 and taking a third to a half of the cotton crop in newly invaded areas. A USDA program with state agencies and growers has since eradicated it from nearly the whole US cotton-growing region, and the Missouri guide now writes about it in the past tense. It still lives along the Texas-Mexico border, though, and weevils from the Lower Rio Grande Valley started a new outbreak in an eradicated zone near Kingsville in 2018. Dusky sap beetle Caplothorax lugubris Of the sap beetles that turn up in sweet corn, the dusky sap beetle is the plain one: all black, 3.5 to 4.5 mm, no spots. UMass calls it and the four-spotted picnic beetle the two most common sap beetles in corn. It was long written off as a secondary pest that followed caterpillar or bird damage, but on some farms it is a regular problem in early plantings on its own, laying eggs in the silks of ears with poor tip cover so that tiny larvae are hollowing kernels by the time anyone notices at harvest. Tuber flea beetle Epitrix tuberis Most flea beetles only pepper potato leaves. The tuber flea beetle is the exception: its soil-dwelling larvae carve shallow, wavy furrows just under the skin of the tubers, damage the PNW Handbook says is almost identical to symphylan injury, and the second and third generations hit the late crop. It is a serious problem in some areas west of the Cascades, particularly Washington's Skagit Valley, and European plant-health agencies watch for it because its tuber damage can make a crop unmarketable. Crucifer flea beetle Phyllotreta cruciferae If the shot holes are in arugula, mustard, bok choy or cabbage and not in the tomatoes next door, the beetle is almost certainly a brassica specialist, and the plain black one is the crucifer flea beetle. It feeds only on brassica crops and weeds, winters in the shrubby or wooded borders of the field, moves in during May, and sends a second generation out in late July to work the fall plantings. On the Canadian prairies it and the striped flea beetle are devastating pests of canola. Pea weevil Bruchus pisorum The pea weevil is a seed beetle rather than a true weevil, and Montana State University is careful to say it is not the more common pea leaf weevil. Adults appear as peas bloom, females lay yellow eggs on the outside of the pods, and each larva bores through the pod wall into a single developing pea and eats out its center. The larva is still inside at harvest and keeps feeding, so most of the loss shows up in the grain bin or at the elevator, where a round exit hole in the seed gives it away. Spotted Cutworm Xestia c-nigrum The spotted cutworm (Xestia c-nigrum) is a climbing cutworm best known in orchards and vineyards. Along with the bertha armyworm it is one of the most serious cutworm pests of tree fruit in the Pacific Northwest, and in California it is the predominant cutworm in Central Coast vineyards. The caterpillars hide by day in the soil or under loose bark and climb up at night in early spring to hollow out swelling buds and chew ragged holes in new leaves. They also turn up in mint, potatoes and hemp, where feeding on mature plants is usually minor. Red Clover Casebearer Coleophora deauratella The red clover casebearer (Coleophora deauratella) is a micromoth with an 11 mm wingspan and shiny metallic bronze-and-copper wings. Native to Europe, the Middle East and eastern Siberia, where it does little harm, it has spread across a wide area of the United States and Canada and become a significant pest of red clover grown for seed. The larvae enter the florets, chew from one to the next through the corolla and eat the developing seeds, then overwinter inside a small cigar-like case in the field residue. Because they feed hidden inside the flower head, insecticides are ineffective, and research has focused on pheromone mating disruption. False Celery Leaftier Udea profundalis The false celery leaftier (Udea profundalis) is a small crambid moth of the West whose caterpillars tie leaves together with silk to make a shelter and skeletonize the leaves from inside it. In the Pacific Northwest the larvae can become abundant in sugar beet fields late in the season, and in California and Arizona cotton they feed on leaves, small squares and the surface of green bolls, though that injury is sporadic, localized and seldom economically important. Pink Bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella The pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) is a small, inconspicuous grayish-brown moth whose caterpillar turns pink in its last stage and feeds hidden inside cotton bolls, moving from seed to seed and cutting and staining the lint as it goes. It first invaded the United States in 1917, spread through the cotton states from the 1930s and reached California by 1963, and UC IPM long ranked it a major pest of desert cotton. After decades of quarantines, pheromone mating disruption, Bt cotton and sterile moth releases, USDA announced on October 19, 2018 that all commercial cotton areas in the continental United States were free of the pest and lifted the last quarantines; trapping and monitoring continue. Prairie grain wireworms Selatosomus aeripennis destructor and Hypnoidus bicolor On the Canadian prairies the wireworms that matter are two species that often share a field: the prairie grain wireworm, historically the more destructive, and the smaller Hypnoidus bicolor, which recent surveys found to be the most common wireworm in prairie crops. Both prefer non-irrigated land, both feed below ground on seeds and shoots, and both can spend years in the soil. A 2004 to 2019 survey of 571 farmland sites in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba found that these two species plus the sugarbeet wireworm and Aeolus mellillus made up 97 percent of the 5,704 specimens collected. Conoderus wireworms Conoderus falli and Conoderus vespertinus (iNaturalist: Monocrepidius) In the Southeast the wireworms that scar sweetpotatoes are mostly Conoderus species. The southern potato wireworm is the injurious one across the region and the common species in southeast Arkansas; in North Carolina sweetpotato fields the tobacco wireworm made up about two-thirds of all wireworms collected, and in North Florida the main species were C. scissus, C. rudis, C. amplicollis and C. falli. Their larvae gouge small, ragged holes in the roots late in the season, when the soil is still too warm to slow them down and nothing can be done about damage already made. Grape rootworm Fidia viticida (iNaturalist: Neofidia lurida) The damage that matters from this beetle is the damage nobody sees. Adults are out for a month or so from late spring, chewing distinctive chain-like lines in grape leaves and laying eggs under loose bark; the grubs then drop into the soil and feed on the roots for nine to ten months. Heavy larval populations have cut vigor and yield in as little as three years and can kill vines, and because the beetle disperses slowly the infestations stay spotty, a few vines or a corner of a block at a time. It is native from the Atlantic states west to the Dakotas, Kansas and Texas. Corn wireworm Melanotus communis The corn wireworm spends three to five years, and in one Iowa study six, as a shiny, wire-like larva underground, which is why one cohort can damage several successive crops and why a field's history matters more than the crop in it now. In the Midwest it is one of the Melanotus species that hollow out corn and soybean seed in cold, slow springs; in North Carolina and Virginia it is a significant pest of potato and sweetpotato, found after harvest when it is too late to act, and its abundance rises with the proportion of corn grown in the surrounding landscape over the previous five years. Clover seed weevil Tychius picirostris In the white clover seed fields of western Oregon this weevil is the pest that needs routine control, and since 2017 it has also been the pest that the standard spray stopped controlling. Adults feed during bloom and larvae feed inside the pods, where each one damages two to four seeds. Oregon populations now carry resistance ratios to bifenthrin in the hundreds, so the handbook advice has become blunt: the registered insecticides are not effective, and timing, thresholds and new modes of action are what remain. Cranberry Spanworm Moth Ematurga amitaria The brown spanworm (Ematurga amitaria), listed as the cranberry spanworm in the USDA Forest Service caterpillar guides, is a geometrid moth of bogs, heathlands and shrubby wetlands whose slender brown looper caterpillars reach high densities in managed cranberry bogs, destroying new leaves and flowers. Its eggs hatch in mid-June, much later than the cutworms and green spanworms that share the bog, which puts its larvae on the vines just as bee hives arrive for pollination and makes it one of the trickier cranberry caterpillars to treat; Wisconsin's extension profile calls it the most damaging of the cranberry spanworms. Pointed Sallow Epiglaea apiata The cranberry blossomworm (Epiglaea apiata), known to moth watchers as the pointed sallow, is a cutworm of cranberry bogs. Its eggs overwinter on the bog and hatch in May into greenish caterpillars tinged pink, red and purple that eat leaves and terminal buds, and the larger, distinctly purplish larvae cut off flower pods and blossoms. UMass lists it with the cutworms and false armyworm as the most damaging spring caterpillars on Massachusetts bogs, and in New Jersey, where it is a major cranberry pest, Rutgers reports that older larvae can destroy 100 blossoms in three weeks. Parallel-banded Leafroller Moth Choristoneura parallela The spotted fireworm (Choristoneura parallela) is a tortricid moth native to the United States and one of the two key caterpillar pests of New Jersey cranberry bogs, alongside the more widespread Sparganothis fruitworm. Its larvae feed between cranberry uprights they have webbed together, and first-generation feeding leaves the foliage brown as if it had been burned, which is where the name comes from. The second generation hatches in mid-August and may feed on the fruit itself. Sulphur Angle Macaria sulphurea The green cranberry spanworm (Macaria sulphurea, listed in older and Wisconsin sources as Itame sulphurea and more recently as Speranza sulphurea) is one of the two most important spanworms of cranberry bogs. Its green, white-lined looper caterpillars hatch from eggs that spent the winter in the trash layer under the vines, feed on leaves and developing buds, and sever flower buds at the stem; dense infestations can defoliate vines and cut fruit set. UMass reports that the species has shifted to earlier spring activity in recent years, so sweeping for it now starts in May. Red-headed sharpshooter Xyphon fulgidum (formerly Carneocephala fulgida) The red-headed sharpshooter is a leafhopper of bermudagrass. It feeds and breeds only where bermudagrass grows, along roadsides, drainage ditches, mowed orchard floors and the thinner, drier stands of pastures and hayfields, and it treats grapevines as an entirely accidental host. That accident matters because, like the green sharpshooter, it carries the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, and in Central Valley districts without the glassy-winged sharpshooter the two grass sharpshooters are the primary vectors of Pierce's disease in grapes. Control is about the grass, not the insect: sprays are of little value and sweep-netting the weeds is how it is monitored. Lesser clover leaf weevil Hypera nigrirostris Red clover grown for seed depends on pollinators, which makes this weevil an awkward pest: its larvae feed in the buds and flowerheads exactly when the crop is in bloom and bees are working it. Larval feeding can cut seed yields by up to half, and until recently growers had no threshold to spray against, so many sprayed on schedule. University of Saskatchewan trials have now put numbers to the relationship between larval density and yield. Mousy Angle Macaria argillacearia The blueberry spanworm (Macaria argillacearia, listed in both sources as Itame argillacearia; the Forest Service guide calls it the mousy Itame) is the principal spanworm of lowbush blueberry fields in the Northeast and eastern Canada. Its boldly patterned yellow-orange and black inchworms hatch from eggs in the leaf litter as the new sprouts emerge in May, feed at night on leaves and flower buds until early July, and in severe outbreaks can strip a field. It has become more of a problem since growers switched from burning to mowing their fields, because burning killed the overwintering eggs. Blueberry Leaftier Moth Acleris curvalana The blueberry leaftier (Acleris curvalana, called Croesia curvalana in older literature) is a tortricid moth whose eggs spend the winter in the leaf litter under blueberry plants and hatch in late April and May. The newly hatched caterpillars climb the stems and burrow into flower buds, the most serious damage they do, and older larvae fasten expanding leaves together with silk and feed on leaves and flowers. In Nova Scotia's lowbush fields it can be a serious commercial problem; in North Carolina it is the least common of three leaf tiers on highbush blueberry and rarely causes severe damage. Eggplant lace bug Gargaphia solani The eggplant lace bug is one of the two common insect pests of eggplant named by NC State Extension, along with the eggplant flea beetle. Grayish to light brown adults with lacelike wings gather in herds with their spiny yellow nymphs on the undersides of leaves, and the tops of infested leaves show roughly circular discolored patches. Besides eggplant it feeds on potato, tomato, horsenettle and other nightshade-family plants, and has been recorded on cotton, sunflower and sage. Sweetpotato Hornworm (Pink-spotted Hawkmoth) Agrius cingulata The sweetpotato hornworm is the caterpillar of the pink-spotted hawkmoth, a big gray moth with pink bands on its hind wings and pink spots on its body. The green or brown hornworm grows to more than 3 1/2 inches and can eat a sweet potato or morning glory vine down to bare stems. It is common in the southern US and the tropics. Virginia Ctenucha Ctenucha virginica The Virginia ctenucha (the C is silent: 'ten-OO-ka') is a dark, day-flying moth with a metallic blue-black body that people notice on summer flowers, especially goldenrod, in weedy fields and wet meadows. It is one of the wasp moths, which look and act a bit like wasps. Its caterpillars feed on grasses, sedges and iris and pass the winter as larvae, sometimes crawling across roads on warm winter days. Oil beetles Meloe species Oil beetles are black, chubby blister beetles with very short wing covers. When squeezed or disturbed they ooze a yellowish oil from their leg joints, and that oil contains cantharidin, which can blister the skin of many people. Western striped cucumber beetle Acalymma trivittatum The western striped cucumber beetle is a small yellowish orange beetle with three black stripes down its back. It feeds on cucurbits in western gardens and fields, and its larvae feed only on cucurbit roots. Carrot beetle Ligyrus gibbosus The carrot beetle is a scarab native to the United States. Adults are reddish brown, about half an inch long, and chew on roots and stems just below the soil surface, so the first sign is often a plant that yellows, wilts or falls over. No photo yet Western chinch bug Blissus occiduus The western chinch bug is a small black true bug that has become a serious pest of buffalograss lawns in Nebraska and, more recently, of zoysiagrass. It feeds on sap in the grass crowns, and damage shows up as patches that yellow and then dry to straw brown.

Voles (meadow mice) Microtus species (shown: meadow vole, M. pennsylvanicus) Voles, often called meadow mice, are small burrowing rodents that live in dense grass and ground cover. Their clearest sign is a maze of narrow surface runways, and they damage lawns, garden plants and the bark of young trees. Moles Talpidae (shown: eastern mole, Scalopus aquaticus; Scapanus species in the West) Moles are small insect-eating mammals related to shrews, not rodents. They spend almost their whole lives underground hunting earthworms and insects, and their tunneling leaves raised ridges and mounds that disfigure lawns and gardens. Pocket gophers Thomomys and Geomys species (shown: Botta's pocket gopher, Thomomys bottae, listed by iNaturalist as Megascapheus bottae) Pocket gophers are burrowing rodents named for the fur-lined cheek pouches they use to carry food. They rarely come above ground, but a single gopher can ruin a garden quickly by eating roots and pulling plants into its tunnels. Pigeon (feral rock pigeon) Columba livia Feral pigeons are non-native birds that depend on people for food and nesting sites. Flocks on ledges, eaves and rooftops leave heavy, acidic droppings that deface buildings, clog gutters and can carry disease risks. Raccoon Procyon lotor Raccoons are masked, ring-tailed mammals that adapt very well to towns and suburbs. They raid garbage and gardens, den in attics, chimneys and under decks, and can carry rabies and raccoon roundworm. Tree squirrels (eastern gray and fox squirrels) Sciurus species (shown: eastern gray squirrel, S. carolinensis) Tree squirrels such as the eastern gray squirrel and fox squirrel are bushy-tailed, daytime rodents. Around homes they raid fruit, nuts and bird feeders, dig up lawns and gardens, and chew their way into attics. Eastern chipmunk Tamias striatus The eastern chipmunk is a small, striped ground squirrel that lives in woodland edges and around homes. Most problems are a nuisance, but many chipmunks burrowing near a house can undermine patios, stairs, retaining walls and foundations. Striped skunk Mephitis mephitis The striped skunk is a cat-sized, black and white mammal that often lives under porches, decks and sheds. It digs lawns for grubs, sprays pets that corner it, and is one of the main wildlife carriers of rabies. Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana The Virginia opossum is North America's only marsupial, a cat-sized animal with a pointed face and a long, hairless tail. Around homes it raids pet food, garbage and fruit and dens under decks, sheds and houses. Bats (big brown bat and little brown bat) Eptesicus fuscus and Myotis lucifugus (shown: big brown bat) Bats are flying, insect-eating mammals that sometimes roost in attics, walls and other parts of buildings. They are valuable insect eaters, but colonies leave droppings and odor, and any bite or bare-hand contact is a potential rabies exposure. Nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus The nine-banded armadillo is an armored, insect-eating mammal that has colonized much of the southern United States in the last 200 years. It roots through lawns, gardens and flower beds for insects and earthworms, and it digs burrows under foundations, slabs, driveways and pools. Groundhog (woodchuck) Marmota monax The groundhog, or woodchuck, is a burrowing member of the squirrel family found across eastern and central North America. It feeds on garden vegetables and clover by day and digs extensive burrows that can undermine foundations, sidewalks and pools. European starling Sturnus vulgaris The European starling is a stocky, short-tailed, non-native bird that now lives across most of North America. Pairs nest in building cavities and vents in spring, and fall and winter flocks of thousands foul roost sites with noise and droppings. The Missouri Department of Conservation lists it as invasive. House sparrow (English sparrow) Passer domesticus The house sparrow is a small, chunky, non-native bird that thrives wherever people build farms, towns and cities. It packs messy nests into any sheltered gap on buildings, leaves droppings where it roosts, and drives native birds from nest boxes. Copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix The copperhead is a stout, well-camouflaged pit viper and one of the venomous snakes people most often meet, even in towns. Its venom is relatively mild and deaths are very rare, but any bite needs prompt medical care. Rattlesnakes (western diamondback shown) Crotalus species (shown: western diamond-backed rattlesnake, C. atrox) Rattlesnakes are heavy-bodied pit vipers with a rattle on the tail and the largest venomous snakes in the United States. They eat rodents and rarely bite unless bothered, but a bite is a medical emergency. Rabbits (cottontails; eastern cottontail shown) Sylvilagus species (shown: eastern cottontail, S. floridanus) Cottontail rabbits are common in yards with brush and dense landscaping. They clip vegetables and flowers in spring and summer and gnaw the bark of young trees and shrubs in fall and winter. Deer (white-tailed deer shown; mule deer similar) Odocoileus species (shown: white-tailed deer, O. virginianus; also mule deer, O. hemionus) White-tailed and mule deer browse gardens, shrubs, young trees and flowers, often at dawn and dusk when no one sees them. Fencing is the most reliable fix, with repellents and plant choice helping in lighter cases. Coyote Canis latrans Coyotes are adaptable wild members of the dog family that now live in towns and suburbs as well as open country. Most stay shy, but coyotes that find easy food around homes can lose their fear of people and start taking pets. Ground Squirrels Otospermophilus beecheyi and O. douglasii (California ground squirrel) Ground squirrels are burrowing rodents that forage above ground near their tunnels. The California ground squirrel is the most common species around homes and gardens in the West, where its digging and feeding can do considerable damage. Los Angeles County's agricultural commissioner calls it the ground squirrel most likely to be met there; it is also known as the Beechey ground squirrel. Woodpeckers Family Picidae (shown: northern flicker, Colaptes auratus) Woodpeckers come into conflict with people when they peck buildings looking for insects, drum on loud surfaces to claim territory, or carve out nest holes. All are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but they can legally be kept off a house. Canada Goose Branta canadensis Year-round resident Canada geese have become common in parks, golf courses, office grounds and neighborhoods with ponds and short grass. Problems grow with the flock: bare lawns, droppings on walkways, and nesting birds that attack people who come too close. Garter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis The common gartersnake is a slender, striped snake that the Missouri Department of Conservation calls harmless, and it is one of the snakes people meet most often in yards and gardens. It may bite and smear a foul-smelling musk if grabbed, but it moves away when left alone. Rat snakes Pantherophis obsoletus (western ratsnake) and P. alleghaniensis (eastern ratsnake) Rat snakes are big, nonvenomous constrictors that Missouri's conservation department describes as common and often seen around homes and farm buildings, where they hunt rodents. They are harmless to people and widely considered beneficial, though they also climb after bird eggs and chicks. Cane Toad Rhinella marina The cane toad, also called the bufo, giant or marine toad, is a large invasive toad established in central and south Florida, Hawaii and several U.S. territories. Its skin glands make a toxin that can sicken or kill pets that bite or try to eat it. Cuban Treefrog Osteopilus septentrionalis The Cuban treefrog is an invasive frog native to Cuba, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands that is now established throughout Florida. It preys on native tree frogs and can get into pipes, plumbing and electrical equipment around homes. House Geckos Hemidactylus turcicus House geckos are small, introduced lizards that live around buildings and hunt insects near lights at night. Many people welcome them as insect predators; they become a nuisance mainly when they move indoors and leave droppings. Shrews (northern short-tailed shrew) Soricidae (e.g., Blarina brevicauda) Shrews are small insect-eating mammals with long, pointed snouts and tiny eyes. They are mouselike but not mice, and the wildlife damage handbook notes that most species have no significant negative impact and aren't abundant enough to be pests. They eat large numbers of insects, including lawn and crop pests. This page uses the common northern short-tailed shrew as its main example. Beaver (American beaver) Castor canadensis The beaver is North America's largest rodent, a mostly aquatic animal that builds dams and lodges and cuts trees for food and building. Its ponds create valuable wetlands, but dams can flood roads, yards and fields, and beavers can fell ornamental trees near water. Wild Pigs (Feral Hogs, Feral Swine) Sus scrofa Wild pigs are a non-native, highly invasive animal descended from domestic pigs, Eurasian wild boar and their hybrids. They dig up soil looking for food, damage crops, lawns and waterways, and can spread disease to livestock, pets and people. Cottonmouth Agkistrodon piscivorus (the Florida cottonmouth, A. conanti, is now treated as a separate species) The cottonmouth, also called the water moccasin, is a venomous pit viper of southeastern wetlands. Its bite is dangerous, but it is not aggressive: it either tries to escape or holds its ground with an open-mouthed warning display, and research indicates it rarely bites unless stepped on or picked up. Eastern Coral Snake (Harlequin Coralsnake) Micrurus fulvius The eastern coral snake (Micrurus fulvius), also called the harlequin coralsnake, is a slender, brightly ringed venomous snake related to cobras. It is secretive and rarely seen, and bites are rare, nearly always happening when someone picks one up or pins it. Red Fox Vulpes vulpes The red fox is the most common fox in North America and the most widespread wild carnivore in the world. It now breeds in many towns and cities, where most problems involve dens under buildings and raids on poultry or small livestock. Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus The muskrat is a common native rodent of marshes, ponds and streams. Its burrows dug into banks, dams and levees can cause leaks, muddy water and cave-ins, and Missouri's conservation department warns that tunneling into a dam can even lead to complete dam failure. It also eats crops and plants near water. Nutria (coypu) Myocastor coypus Nutria are large, semi-aquatic rodents native to South America that were brought to the U.S. for the fur trade. Now invasive, they strip marsh plants down to the roots and dig burrows that weaken levees, banks, roads and buildings. Vultures (black vulture shown; turkey vulture also covered) Coragyps atratus Black vultures and turkey vultures are native scavengers that clean up carrion. Black vultures in particular can gather in large roosts near homes, damaging roofs and vehicles, and they sometimes attack newborn or weak livestock. American Black Bear Ursus americanus The black bear is the smallest and most widespread bear in North America. Most avoid people, but bears that find garbage, birdseed or pet food around homes come back for more, causing damage and raising the risk of a close encounter. Green Iguana Iguana iguana The green iguana is a big, mostly plant-eating lizard from Central and South America that reached the wild in Florida through the pet trade, as early as 1964, and is now established across much of South Florida. FWC lists it as invasive because of its impacts on native wildlife. Brown Anole Anolis sagrei The brown anole is a small, quick lizard from the Caribbean that has become one of the most abundant lizards in Florida and is firmly established in coastal and southern Georgia. It crowds the native green anole, pushing it higher into the trees. Common Watersnake Nerodia sipedon Water snakes are stout, nonvenomous snakes in the genus Nerodia that live in and around fresh water. This page centers on the common or northern watersnake, the most common watersnake in Missouri, and the banded watersnake of the southeastern Coastal Plain. North American Racer Coluber constrictor The racer is a long, slim, nonvenomous snake known for its speed and keen eyesight. It is active by day and often seen streaking across roads and yards; in the Southeast the familiar form is the glossy black southern black racer. Cliff swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Cliff swallows are small migratory birds that plaster colonies of mud nests under the eaves of buildings, bridges and overpasses. They are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so timing matters: active nests can't be touched without a permit, and exclusion before nesting is the long-term fix. Chimney swift Chaetura pelagica Chimney swifts are small, cigar-shaped birds that spend most of their time flying and nest inside open chimneys. They are a federally protected migratory bird, so an active nest has to be left alone; the fix is a chimney cap once the birds have gone. American crow Corvus brachyrhynchos The American crow is a large, all-black, highly intelligent bird that thrives around people. Most complaints involve big fall and winter roosts in towns, with noise and droppings, plus raided garbage and some crop damage. Porcupine (North American porcupine) Erethizon dorsatum The North American porcupine is a slow, heavy-bodied rodent covered in up to 30,000 barbed quills. It girdles trees by eating bark, chews wood and tools for salt, and is a real hazard to dogs, which rarely learn to leave it alone. Southern flying squirrel Glaucomys volans The southern flying squirrel is a small, night-active squirrel that glides between trees on folds of skin. Most complaints come from homeowners with flying squirrels living in the house, where they get in through small holes around dormers, ridge vents, eaves and attic vents. Wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo Wild turkeys are large, social game birds that now turn up in many towns and suburbs. Most avoid people, but birds that have been fed or have grown comfortable around homes can turn bold, following, pecking or intimidating residents, especially during the spring breeding season. Great-tailed grackle Quiscalus mexicanus The great-tailed grackle is a big, loud blackbird of open country, farms, parks and suburbs. Complaints usually come from large fall and winter roosts in town trees and on powerlines, where noise can last all night in well-lit areas and droppings coat cars and pavement below. Javelina (collared peccary) Pecari tajacu Javelina, or collared peccaries, are native hoofed mammals of the desert Southwest and Texas brushlands. They wander into neighborhoods for lush plants, birdseed, garbage, water and shade, and herds that learn to find food at homes can cause real trouble, especially for dogs. American alligator Alligator mississippiensis The American alligator lives in almost any freshwater habitat in the Southeast, including urban canals, retention ponds and golf course lakes. Most alligators avoid people, and serious bites are rare, but alligators that are fed lose their fear of humans and become dangerous. Weasels (long-tailed weasel and relatives) Neogale frenata (listed as Mustela frenata in many sources); also short-tailed and least weasels (Mustela species) Weasels are small, long-bodied predators that live on mice, rats and other small animals and are rarely seen. Most people only learn weasels are around when one gets into a poultry house at night and kills chickens. American red squirrel (pine squirrel) Tamiasciurus hudsonicus The American red squirrel is a small, rusty-red tree squirrel of conifer and mixed forests across the North and the mountains. It is noisy and territorial, and it can move into attics and other parts of buildings, sometimes filling them with stored pine cones. Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata Muscovy ducks are large, red-faced ducks from Mexico and Central and South America. Escaped or released birds now form feral flocks around lakes, parks and neighborhoods, where handouts help their numbers climb quickly. Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Gulls are adaptable seabirds that have learned to live off landfills, dumpsters and outdoor diners far from the coast. Ring-billed and herring gulls cause most problems, including noisy colonies that now nest on flat rooftops. Mountain Lion Puma concolor Mountain lions are large, secretive wild cats that usually avoid people. As homes spread into lion country, some lions take pets, poultry and small livestock, especially where deer gather. Bobcat Lynx rufus Bobcats are medium-sized wild cats, about twice the size of a house cat, that are common but rarely seen. They mostly hunt rabbits and rodents, but an open chicken coop or a small pet left outside can draw one in. Kingsnakes Lampropeltis getula Kingsnakes are glossy, nonvenomous snakes that kill prey by constriction. The eastern kingsnake eats rodents, birds, lizards, turtle eggs and other snakes, including venomous pit vipers, whose venom it resists. Hognose snakes Heterodon platirhinos The eastern hog-nosed snake is a stout, toad-eating snake with an upturned snout. When threatened it puts on a cobra-like show of hissing and neck-spreading, then plays dead. It rarely bites people and is not considered a threat to them. Gila monster Heloderma suspectum The Gila monster is a heavy-bodied, venomous lizard of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. It is shy, spends most of its life underground, and is protected by law, so the right response to one in the yard is to give it space. Marmots Marmota flaviventris The yellow-bellied marmot is a housecat-sized burrowing rodent of western North America and a close relative of the eastern groundhog. It feeds on grasses, clover and alfalfa, and in places such as Mineral King in Sequoia National Park it is known for chewing radiator hoses and car wiring. American Mink Neogale vison (formerly Mustela vison, Neovison vison) The American mink is a semi-aquatic member of the weasel family that lives near streams, ponds, lakes and marshes. It rarely causes problems, but a mink that gets into a poultry house can kill many birds in one night. Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias The great blue heron is North America's largest heron and hunts everywhere from marshes and lakes to backyard goldfish ponds. Once a heron learns a pond holds an easy meal, it keeps coming back. Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus Monk parakeets are green-and-gray parrots from South America that escaped the pet trade and have nested in U.S. cities since the 1960s. Unlike most parrots, they build large stick nests, often on electric utility equipment. Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca Egyptian geese are African waterfowl whose U.S. populations began with escaped or released captive birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service counts established populations only in Florida, Texas, California and Arkansas, where the birds stay mostly in urban and suburban areas. Sandhill Crane Antigone canadensis (formerly Grus canadensis) Sandhill cranes are tall gray birds with a red crown that now live on golf courses, airports and suburban lawns across peninsular Florida. Conflicts come from cranes attacking their reflections in windows and cars, and from people feeding them. River otter (North American river otter) Lontra canadensis The North American river otter is a sleek, playful member of the weasel family that lives along rivers, lakes, marshes and coasts. Most of the time it is a welcome sight, but otters can raid fish ponds and hatcheries and den under docks and houses near water. Brown snakes (DeKay's brownsnake) Storeria dekayi DeKay's brownsnake is a small, secretive, nonvenomous snake that is often the most common snake in yards, parks and city lots. It feeds mostly on slugs and earthworms, so gardeners have good reason to leave it alone. Coqui Frog (common coqui) Eleutherodactylus coqui The coqui is a small tree frog native to Puerto Rico that reached Hawaii hidden in plants around or before 1988. Males call a loud ko-kee from dusk to dawn, and it is illegal in Hawaii to import, export, breed, sell or keep coqui as pets. Burmese Python Python bivittatus The Burmese python is a large, nonvenomous constrictor from Asia that is now established in and around the Everglades. FWC treats it as an invasive species because it preys on native wildlife. Argentine Black and White Tegu Salvator merianae The Argentine black and white tegu is a large South American lizard that escaped or was released from the pet trade. It now has wild breeding populations in Florida and southeast Georgia and threatens native wildlife. Black-tailed Jackrabbit Lepus californicus The black-tailed jackrabbit is a hare, not a true rabbit, common in open country of the western U.S. UC IPM calls it the most destructive rabbit in California gardens and landscapes because of its size and numbers. Mountain Beaver Aplodontia rufa The mountain beaver, or boomer, is a burrowing rodent of the moist Pacific Northwest. It is not a true beaver and is more closely related to squirrels. It is a major pest of young forest plantings and an occasional garden nuisance. Small Indian Mongoose Urva auropunctata (formerly Herpestes javanicus or H. auropunctatus) The small Indian mongoose is a weasel-like predator brought to Hawaii in 1883 to control rats in sugarcane fields; it did little to the rats but now preys on native ground-nesting birds, their eggs and the hatchlings of endangered sea turtles. Rock Squirrel Otospermophilus variegatus (formerly Spermophilus variegatus) The rock squirrel is a large, heavy-bodied ground squirrel of the Southwest that digs open burrows around homes, gardens and orchards. It eats seeds, fruit and garden plants, its burrows can damage landscapes and structures, and, like other wild rodents in the West, it can carry fleas that spread plague. Round-tailed Ground Squirrel Xerospermophilus tereticaudus (formerly Spermophilus tereticaudus) The round-tailed ground squirrel is a small, social ground squirrel of the low desert that lives in colonies and digs burrows in flat, open, sandy ground, including desert yards. It can churn up gravel and plantings, and like other wild rodents in the Southwest it can carry fleas.

Emerald Ash Borer Agrilus planipennis The emerald ash borer is an invasive wood-boring beetle from Asia that has killed tens of millions of North American ash trees. Its larvae feed just under the bark, cutting off the flow of water and nutrients until the tree dies. Asian Longhorned Beetle Anoplophora glabripennis The Asian longhorned beetle is an invasive wood borer that attacks live, healthy maples and other hardwoods and eventually kills them. Infested trees can't be saved, so finding and reporting it early is what matters. Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Adelges tsugae The hemlock woolly adelgid is a tiny, sap-feeding relative of aphids from Asia that lives on hemlock twigs at the base of the needles. It has killed millions of eastern and Carolina hemlocks, but landscape trees can be saved when it is found early and treated. Bagworm Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis Bagworms are caterpillars that build spindle-shaped bags of silk and bits of plant material and feed from inside them. Ohio State says they are hard to control because they often go unnoticed until the larvae are mature, by which time arborvitae, cedar or juniper can be badly defoliated; Missouri Extension notes complete defoliation is not uncommon. Fall Webworm Hyphantria cunea The fall webworm is a native caterpillar that spins large, loose webs over the ends of branches on a long list of deciduous trees and shrubs. The webs look alarming from midsummer into fall, but on healthy, established trees the damage is mostly cosmetic. Scale Insects Superfamily Coccoidea (representative: brown soft scale, Coccus hesperidum) Scales are small sap-sucking insects that settle on the bark, leaves or fruit of trees, shrubs and houseplants and rarely look like insects at all. Most plants tolerate low to moderate numbers, but heavy infestations cause yellowing, leaf drop and dieback, and the soft scales drip sticky honeydew. Lace Bugs Stephanitis pyrioides Lace bugs are small sap-feeding bugs with lacy wings that live under the leaves of trees and shrubs. Their feeding bleaches and stipples leaves, but the damage is mostly cosmetic and rarely threatens plant health. Codling Moth Cydia pomonella Codling moth is the infamous worm in the apple. Its caterpillars bore into apples, pears and English walnuts soon after hatching and tunnel toward the core, leaving holes packed with reddish-brown droppings. Plum Curculio Conotrachelus nenuphar The plum curculio is a small native snout beetle and one of the most destructive pests of apples and peaches. Females cut crescent-shaped scars into young fruit to lay eggs, and the grubs that hatch feed inside, often making the fruit drop. Western Tent Caterpillar Malacosoma californicum Western tent caterpillars hatch around budbreak and feed in groups inside silk tents on aspen, fruit trees, oak, willow and many other broadleaf hosts. Healthy trees tolerate the leaf loss, and natural enemies often keep numbers in check. Pine Sawflies Diprionidae (e.g., Neodiprion sertifer, the European pine sawfly) Pine sawflies are wasp relatives whose caterpillar-like larvae feed in groups on pine needles. The European pine sawfly is the most common on pines in Pennsylvania, and several other species, such as the redheaded pine sawfly, attack pines too. Pine Bark Beetles Dendroctonus frontalis and Ips species (I. calligraphus, I. grandicollis, I. avulsus) Pine bark beetles are tiny beetles that breed in the inner bark of pines. The southern pine beetle is the most destructive pine bark beetle in the southern United States, and three Ips engraver beetles also kill pines in the Southeast. Once beetles mass-attack and colonize a pine, the tree almost always dies. Granulate Ambrosia Beetle Xylosandrus crassiusculus The granulate ambrosia beetle is a tiny, non-native beetle from Southeast Asia that bores into woody trees and shrubs in nurseries, orchards and landscapes. Unlike native ambrosia beetles, it can attack healthy plants, and young or newly planted trees often die. Box Tree Moth Cydalima perspectalis The box tree moth is an invasive moth from eastern Asia whose caterpillars feed on boxwood. Heavy infestations can strip a shrub bare, and the caterpillars then chew the bark, which can kill the plant. Tussock Moth Caterpillars (whitemarked tussock moth) Orgyia leucostigma Tussock moth caterpillars are hairy, brightly tufted caterpillars that feed on the leaves of many trees and shrubs. This page centers on the whitemarked tussock moth, a native species that can suddenly become abundant, and whose hairs can irritate skin. Cankerworms (fall cankerworm) Alsophila pometaria Cankerworms are small inchworm caterpillars that feed on tree leaves and buds each spring. They usually go unnoticed, but every few years outbreaks severely defoliate landscape and forest trees; the fall cankerworm, the more common species, is the focus here. Forest Tent Caterpillar Malacosoma disstria Despite its name, the forest tent caterpillar doesn't build a tent, and it is often mistakenly called an armyworm because the caterpillars feed in groups. It is a native spring caterpillar that periodically defoliates aspen, oak, basswood, birch and other hardwoods, then crawls over buildings and roads in search of places to spin cocoons. Leafminers (boxwood leafminer) Monarthropalpus flavus Leafminers are insect larvae that feed between the upper and lower surfaces of a leaf, leaving blotches, blisters or winding trails. Small moths, flies, sawflies and wasps all have leafmining species, and each kind feeds on only one or a few related plants. Lily Leaf Beetle Lilioceris lilii The lily leaf beetle is a bright red beetle from Europe that feeds on true lilies and fritillaria. Adults and especially the larvae chew leaves, buds and flowers, and an unchecked infestation can leave nothing but bare stems. Viburnum Leaf Beetle Pyrrhalta viburni The viburnum leaf beetle is an invasive beetle from Europe and Asia that eats only viburnums. Larvae skeletonize leaves in spring and adults chew holes in summer, and two or three years of complete defoliation can kill a shrub. Crapemyrtle Bark Scale Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (formerly Eriococcus lagerstroemiae) Crapemyrtle bark scale is an invasive scale insect, native to Asia, that feeds through the bark of crape myrtles. Heavy infestations coat trunks and branches with white felted sacs and black sooty mold, and the trees grow and bloom poorly. Bronze Birch Borer Agrilus anxius The bronze birch borer is a native wood-boring beetle whose larvae tunnel just under birch bark, girdling branches and trunks. It mostly attacks stressed trees, and white-barked European and Asian birches are especially vulnerable. Peachtree Borer Synanthedon exitiosa The peachtree borer is a native clearwing moth whose larvae bore into the lower trunk and roots of peach, cherry, plum, apricot and other Prunus trees. The first sign is usually a mass of gum mixed with sawdust at the base of the trunk. Cottony Cushion Scale Icerya purchasi Cottony cushion scale is usually kept in check by the vedalia beetle and a parasitic fly; outbreaks mostly follow insecticide use, dust or ants that disrupt them. Boxwood Leafminer Monarthropalpus flavus Swarms of tiny orange gnatlike flies around boxwoods in spring, and puffy, blistered, yellowing leaves later, point to the boxwood leafminer, the most serious insect pest of boxwood. Fuller Rose Beetle Pantomorus cervinus (also listed as Naupactus cervinus) Ragged notches along the edges of rose, citrus or photinia leaves, with no insect in sight by day, are often the work of the night-feeding Fuller rose beetle. Oak Gall Wasps Cynipidae (shown: Amphibolips confluenta, oak apple gall) Round oak apples, woody bullets and leaf galls on oaks are homes for the larvae of tiny gall wasps. Leaf galls rarely threaten the tree; heavy infestations of woody twig galls can kill branches. Gall and Bud Mites Eriophyidae (eriophyid mites) Bladder galls on maple leaves, felty patches on viburnum and swollen ash flowers are made by eriophyid mites too small to see without magnification. The galls look alarming but rarely hurt the plant. Ash/Lilac Borer Podosesia syringae The ash borer, also called the lilac or lilac-ash borer, is a wasp-like clearwing moth whose caterpillars tunnel in ash, lilac, olive and privet. It is not the emerald ash borer. Buffalo Treehopper Ceresa species (buffalo treehoppers) Buffalo treehoppers are small triangular sap feeders. The adults do little harm, but egg-laying slits can scar and stunt young twigs. Carpenterworm Prionoxystus robiniae Carpenterworm caterpillars tunnel in the trunks and limbs of ash, oak, pear and other trees for two to four years, weakening branches that can break in wind. Walnut Husk Fly Rhagoletis completa Walnut husk fly maggots blacken husks and stain shells, but in backyards most people can ignore them because the nutmeat is usually fine. Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Homalodisca vitripennis (formerly H. coagulata) The glassy-winged sharpshooter itself rarely causes much feeding damage. The problem is that it spreads Xylella fastidiosa, the bacterium behind Pierce's disease of grape, oleander leaf scorch and other plant diseases that can't be cured. Citrus Leafminer Phyllocnistis citrella Citrus leafminer larvae tunnel through young citrus leaves and curl them. The damage looks bad, but mature backyard trees rarely suffer serious harm, and even heavily infested young trees are unlikely to die. Pear Psylla Cacopsylla pyricola Pear psylla is a key pear pest: its honeydew blackens fruit, its saliva scorches leaves, and it spreads the phytoplasma that causes pear decline. Walkingsticks Diapheromera femorata (northern walkingstick) and relatives Walkingsticks look like living twigs and usually go unnoticed. The northern walkingstick feeds on oak and other hardwood leaves, rarely enough to matter. Oriental Fruit Moth Grapholita molesta (iNaturalist: Aspila molesta) Oriental fruit moth larvae kill peach and nectarine shoot tips in spring, and later generations bore into the fruit around the pit. Redhumped Caterpillar Schizura concinna (iNaturalist: Oedemasia concinna) Redhumped caterpillars feed side by side in groups and can strip branches of sweetgum, plum and walnut, but spot pruning and parasitic wasps usually keep them in check. Peach Twig Borer Anarsia lineatella Peach twig borer larvae overwinter in tiny cells on the tree, kill new shoot tips in spring and later feed just under the skin of ripening fruit. Pear Slug Caliroa cerasi (pear sawfly, cherry slug) Pear slugs aren't slugs at all. They're sawfly larvae coated in olive-green slime that skeletonize cherry and pear leaves. Grape Phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Grape phylloxera are tiny aphid relatives that feed on grape roots and stunt or kill vines; resistant rootstocks are the only fully effective control. Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Harrisina metallica Western grapeleaf skeletonizer caterpillars line up side by side under grape leaves and can defoliate vines, and their stinging hairs irritate skin. Navel Orangeworm Amyelois transitella Navel orangeworm larvae fill almonds, walnuts, pistachios, figs and pomegranates with webbing and frass, and old leftover nuts are where they overwinter. Olive Fruit Fly Bactrocera oleae The olive fruit fly, the major pest of olives worldwide, reached California in 1998 and now occurs in all of the state's olive-growing areas. Its maggots rot the fruit of both commercial and ornamental trees. Black Scale Saissetia oleae Black scale is one of California's most damaging soft scales, and its honeydew coats olive, citrus and many shrubs with black sooty mold. American Plum Borer Euzophera semifuneralis American plum borer larvae feed in the cambium around branch crotches and the lower trunk, but they can only get in through fresh bark wounds. Woolly Apple Aphid Eriosoma lanigerum Fluffy white wax on apple bark and pruning wounds usually means woolly apple aphid; the real harm comes from galls they cause on roots. Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid Adelges cooleyi Pineapple- or cone-shaped galls on spruce shoot tips are made by the Cooley spruce gall adelgid, which alternates between spruce and Douglas-fir. Omnivorous Leafroller Platynota stultana Omnivorous leafroller caterpillars build silk-tied leaf nests, and where they tie leaves to fruit they can badly scar it. Omnivorous Looper Sabulodes aegrotata Omnivorous loopers are inchworms that chew leaves of dozens of trees and shrubs, and their natural enemies usually keep them in check. Goldspotted Oak Borer Agrilus auroguttatus The goldspotted oak borer has killed many oaks in San Diego County since about 2000, and it likely arrived on firewood from Arizona or northern Mexico. Eucalyptus Longhorned Borer Phoracantha semipunctata and P. recurva Eucalyptus longhorned borers zero in on drought-stressed eucalyptus and freshly cut wood; keeping trees well watered is the main defense. Sycamore Scale Stomacoccus platani Sycamore scale is the most damaging insect pest of sycamores in California, yet it's so small most people never see it. Pine Tip Moth Rhyacionia species (shown: Nantucket pine tip moth, R. frustrana) Dead brown or reddish shoot tips on young pines are often the work of pine tip moth larvae, which don't kill the tree but can ruin its shape. Poplar and Willow Borer Cryptorhynchus lapathi The poplar and willow borer is a weevil whose larvae girdle and tunnel in willow, poplar, alder and birch stems, killing small limbs. Woolly Hackberry Aphid Shivaphis celti Woolly hackberry aphids make a sticky mess of honeydew and black sooty mold under hackberry trees, but years of infestation have not been found to seriously harm the trees. California Oakworm Phryganidia californica The California oakworm is the most important oak-feeding caterpillar along the California coast, but healthy oaks tolerate even heavy defoliation. Pacific Flatheaded Borer Chrysobothris mali Pacific flatheaded borers lay eggs on stressed, sunburned or wounded trees, so good care and trunk protection are the best defense. Pitch Moths Synanthedon sequoiae and S. novaroensis (shown: Douglas-fir pitch moth) Large gummy pitch masses on pine trunks usually mark pitch moth larvae; they rarely kill trees and favor wounded bark. Eucalyptus Tortoise Beetle Trachymela sloanei Notched, tattered eucalyptus leaves are usually the only sign of tortoise beetles, and well-kept trees tolerate the feeding. Avocado Lace Bug Pseudacysta perseae Avocado lace bugs feed in groups under avocado leaves. Low numbers are harmless, but heavy feeding browns and drops leaves, which can sunburn fruit and hurt later yields. Since reaching Hawaii it has become a pest across the islands. Redgum Lerp Psyllid Glycaspis brimblecombei White waxy caps on red gum eucalyptus leaves, with sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below, are the work of the redgum lerp psyllid, an aphidlike sap feeder from Australia. Ash Plant Bug Tropidosteptes amoenus (shown: a Tropidosteptes species) Ash plant bugs speckle and blotch ash leaves in spring, but the damage affects how trees look, not their health. Honeylocust Plant Bug Diaphnocoris chlorionis (iNaturalist: Blepharidopterus chlorionis) Honeylocust plant bugs leave new leaves speckled, small and twisted, especially on yellow-leaved and young trees, but it's mostly cosmetic. Twolined Chestnut Borer Agrilus bilineatus The twolined chestnut borer attacks stressed oaks; dieback starting at the top of the canopy is the classic sign. Magnolia Scale Neolecanium cornuparvum Magnolia scale females grow to about 1/2 inch across; heavy infestations weaken and can kill magnolia branches. Oystershell Scale Lepidosaphes ulmi Oystershell scales blend into the bark until branches are crusted with them; heavy infestations can kill shrubs and trees. Cottony Maple Scale Pulvinaria innumerabilis (iNaturalist: Neopulvinaria innumerabilis) The white cotton balls on silver maple twigs in June are cottony maple scale egg sacs; natural enemies usually keep it in check. Pine Needle Scale Chionaspis pinifoliae White flecks lined up on pine or spruce needles are usually pine needle scale; light infestations are mostly cosmetic. Lecanium Scale Parthenolecanium species (e.g., P. corni) Shiny brown bumps along oak, maple or crabapple twigs are often lecanium scales; heavy infestations kill twigs and branches. Euonymus Scale Unaspis euonymi Euonymus scale is a key pest of euonymus, pachysandra and bittersweet; vine-type euonymus are extremely susceptible. Tea Scale Fiorinia theae Tea scale is the most common insect pest of camellias in the Southeast and also attacks Chinese, Japanese and other hollies. It lives on the undersides of the leaves, and its feeding shows as yellow blotches on the upper surface. Crapemyrtle Aphid Tinocallis kahawaluokalani (iNaturalist: Sarucallis kahawaluokalani) The crapemyrtle aphid lives only on crape myrtle and is the most common insect pest of that tree in South Carolina; heavy populations cover the leaves with sticky honeydew and black sooty mold. Black Turpentine Beetle Dendroctonus terebrans Large reddish pitch tubes on the lowest few feet of a pine trunk are the classic sign of the black turpentine beetle, the largest native pine bark beetle in the southern and eastern United States. A few attacks may only weaken a tree; many can kill it. Twig Girdler Oncideres cingulata If pencil-sized twigs with neat, cleanly cut ends pile up under a pecan, hickory or persimmon in late summer or fall, a female twig girdler most likely cut them so her eggs could develop in dead wood. Dogwood Borer Synanthedon scitula Dogwood borer caterpillars can only get established where there is a wound or opening in the bark (or, on apple trees, a burr knot), so preventing mower and string-trimmer injury is the main defense for landscape dogwoods. Florida Wax Scale Ceroplastes floridensis Pinkish-white waxy domes on holly, citrus or other shrubs are likely Florida wax scale. CDFA calls it one of the most commonly encountered soft scales in the southern United States and a serious pest of citrus and several ornamentals. Oleander Caterpillar Syntomeida epilais The orange, black-tufted oleander caterpillar is the larva of the polka-dot wasp moth and a pest of cultivated oleander. It eats the leaf tissue between the veins and does best in southern Florida. Oleander Aphid Aphis nerii Bright yellow aphids crowding the new growth of milkweed, butterfly weed or oleander are oleander aphids, also called milkweed aphids. On milkweed grown for monarchs, skip insecticides and use simple hand methods instead. Azalea Caterpillar Datana major Azalea caterpillars feed in groups and can strip whole sections of an azalea in late summer, with most damage in August and September. Disturbed caterpillars raise their heads and tails. Palmetto Weevil Rhynchophorus cruentatus The palmetto weevil is a large weevil native to the southeastern United States. Its larvae feed hidden inside palms, so the damage often isn't noticed until the palm can't be saved. Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes Orangedogs, the caterpillars of the giant swallowtail, look like bird droppings and feed on citrus and related plants. They can be a pest of young citrus trees, but mature trees tolerate a fair amount of feeding, and the adult is the largest butterfly in the U.S. and Canada. Longtailed Mealybug Pseudococcus longispinus The longtailed mealybug is a white, waxy mealybug named for the pair of tail filaments that are as long as or longer than the adult female's body. It is a common pest of houseplants and greenhouse plants, especially dracaena, and also turns up in some California vineyards. Luna Moth Actias luna The luna moth's pale green wings and long, curving hindwing tails make it one of North America's most recognizable moths. It is harmless: adults don't even feed, and the caterpillars eat tree leaves without causing reported damage. Cecropia Moth Hyalophora cecropia The cecropia moth is the largest moth native to North America. Its big green caterpillars feed on maples, cherries, birches and many other trees but are rarely abundant enough to cause noticeable damage, so control usually isn't needed. Hickory Horned Devil Citheronia regalis The hickory horned devil is the caterpillar of the regal moth, and at up to 5 1/2 to nearly 6 inches long it is, in NC State's words, our largest caterpillar. Despite its long orange, black-tipped horns, it is harmless. Black Twig Borer Xylosandrus compactus The black twig borer is a shiny black ambrosia beetle about 1/16 inch long that bores into small twigs and branches of more than 200 kinds of plants. Unlike most ambrosia beetles, it attacks healthy as well as stressed plants. Diaprepes Root Weevil Diaprepes abbreviatus Diaprepes root weevil adults notch the edges of young leaves, but the serious damage comes from the legless grubs in the soil, which feed on and girdle the roots of citrus, ornamentals and many other plants. Lantana Lace Bug Teleonemia scrupulosa Lantana leaves that turn pale and speckled, then brown and dry from the tips, with dark specks of excrement on the undersides, usually mean lantana lace bugs. Adults and nymphs feed under the leaves and also attack flower buds. Papaya Mealybug Paracoccus marginatus Papaya mealybugs show up as cotton-like clusters on stems, leaves and fruit. Their feeding can yellow, stunt and deform plants, drop leaves and fruit early, and in bad cases kill the plant. Twostriped walkingstick (devil rider) Anisomorpha buprestoides The twostriped walkingstick is a wingless stick insect of the southeastern United States that sprays a smelly defensive chemical from glands behind its head. It aims accurately, and in the eye the spray has caused painful injuries, from conjunctivitis to corneal ulcers. Cycad Aulacaspis Scale Aulacaspis yasumatsui Cycad aulacaspis scale, also called Asian cycad scale, can coat a sago palm in a white crust, and heavily infested fronds turn yellow, then brown, and die. It attacks only cycads, which despite names like sago palm are not true palms. Cabbage Palm Caterpillar Litoprosopus futilis Cabbage palm caterpillars hide deep in the developing flower spikes of cabbage palms and saw palmettos, sometimes destroying every bud. Grown caterpillars wander in search of a place to spin a cocoon and may shred fabrics or chew drywall indoors. Caribbean Fruit Fly Anastrepha suspensa The Caribbean fruit fly, or Caribfly, is a fruit fly from the West Indies whose maggots feed inside many tropical and subtropical fruits in central and south Florida. Guavas, Surinam cherries and their relatives are its favorites, and it can attack ripe citrus. Rugose Spiraling Whitefly Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Since it was found in Miami-Dade County in 2009, the rugose spiraling whitefly has become an escalating problem for South Florida homeowners and landscapers, mostly because of its wax, honeydew and sooty mold. Sri Lankan Weevil Myllocerus undecimpustulatus undatus Notched and chewed leaves on citrus, fruit trees and ornamentals in Florida may be the work of the Sri Lankan weevil, a leaf-feeding weevil from Sri Lanka. In the U.S. it was first identified on citrus in Pompano Beach, Broward County. Croton Scale Phalacrococcus howertoni Croton scale (Phalacrococcus howertoni), first found in Florida in 2008, is a soft scale that feeds on croton and dozens of other plants and coats them in honeydew and sooty mold. Twobanded Japanese Weevil Pseudocneorhinus bifasciatus The twobanded Japanese weevil is an East Asian weevil that has been in the U.S. for over a century. Adults chew notches into the leaf edges of many common landscape shrubs, sometimes down to the midrib, and the larvae feed on roots in the soil. San Jose Scale Comstockaspis perniciosa Left uncontrolled, San Jose scale can kill limbs or even entire fruit trees in just a few years. Lesser Peachtree Borer Synanthedon pictipes Lesser peachtree borers attack older stone fruit trees, usually entering through bark wounds. Elongate Hemlock Scale Fiorinia externa Elongate hemlock scale is an invasive armored scale from Japan that yellows evergreen needles, causes needle loss and dieback, and can kill heavily infested trees. Penn State calls it a serious pest of ornamental and forest hemlocks. Calico Scale Eulecanium cerasorum Calico scale's most obvious sign is heavy sticky honeydew and black sooty mold on trees and anything beneath them. Boxwood psyllid Psylla buxi Boxwood psyllids cup and curl new boxwood leaves, but the damage is mostly cosmetic. Grape Berry Moth Paralobesia viteana Grape berry moth larvae feed on blossoms and berries, leaving shriveled, webbed grapes. Raspberry Crown Borer Pennisetia marginatum Raspberry crown borer is the most devastating pest of blackberries and raspberries in Kentucky. Grape Root Borer Vitacea polistiformis Grape root borer larvae feed on grapevine roots below ground, so damage often goes unnoticed until vines decline. Yellow Poplar Weevil Odontopus calceatus Yellow poplar weevils chew holes shaped like curved rice grains in leaves of yellow poplar, sassafras and magnolia. Boxelder Twig Borer Proteoteras willingana Boxelder twig borers destroy buds and new shoots of boxelder and red maple, so trees grow bushy and lose their shape. Tuliptree Scale Toumeyella liriodendri Tuliptree scale is a large soft scale that infests tulip poplar (yellow poplar), magnolia, linden and a few other trees. Heavy infestations make twigs look warty, coat branches in sticky honeydew and black sooty mold, and can weaken young trees. Obscure Scale Melanaspis obscura Obscure scale is named for being hard to see; it can cause branch dieback and sunken, disfigured bark. Rosy Apple Aphid Dysaphis plantaginea Rosy apple aphids inject a toxin that curls leaves and distorts fruit, making them the most serious aphids on apples. Cherry Fruit Fly Rhagoletis cingulata The cherry fruit fly is a native North American fruit fly whose maggots feed inside ripening cherries. On unmanaged trees, most of the fruit can end up infested. Rednecked Cane Borer Agrilus ruficollis Rednecked cane borers can infest up to half the canes in young blackberry and raspberry plantings. Pecan Weevil Curculio caryae Pecan weevil grubs eat developing pecan and hickory kernels, and damage often isn't noticed until nuts are cracked. Raspberry Cane Borer Oberea perspicillata Raspberry cane borer attacks blackberry, raspberry and rose, causing tip dieback and cane death. Grape Flea Beetle Altica chalybea Grape flea beetles are often the first insects to attack grapes in spring, hollowing out buds as they swell. Green Fruitworms Orthosia hibisci, Lithophane antennata, Lithophane unimoda Green fruitworms are three caterpillar species that cause deep, sunken pits in young apples, plums, peaches and pears. Redbanded Leafroller Argyrotaenia velutinana Redbanded leafroller strongly prefers apples, and its last generation of the season does the most serious fruit damage. Maple Shoot Borer Proteoteras aesculana Maple shoot borer larvae tunnel into young maple shoots, killing the tip and forcing a fork when the leader is hit. Grape Cane Gallmaker Ampeloglypter sesostris Grape cane gallmaker produces noticeable red galls on new grape shoots just above the nodes. Japanese Maple Scale Lopholeucaspis japonica Japanese maple scale is an invasive armored scale that can cause leaf drop, branch dieback and even death of small trees. Redbay Ambrosia Beetle Xyleborus glabratus The invasive redbay ambrosia beetle carries the fungus that causes laurel wilt, a fatal disease of sassafras, redbay and related trees. Asian Citrus Psyllid Diaphorina citri The Asian citrus psyllid is a tiny sap-feeding insect that spreads the bacterium behind huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening. UC IPM calls HLB the most serious threat to citrus trees worldwide, and USDA APHIS says there is no cure. Giant Whitefly Aleurodicus dugesii Giant whitefly is a large whitefly that leaves long, beard-like strands of wax under the leaves of many ornamentals. Indian Walking Stick Carausius morosus The Indian walking stick is a pet-trade insect now living wild along coastal California, where it chews leaves of many garden plants. Invasive Shothole Borers Euwallacea fornicatus and Euwallacea kuroshio Invasive shothole borers are tiny ambrosia beetles that carry Fusarium dieback, which has killed tens of thousands of Southern California trees. Myoporum Thrips Klambothrips myopori Myoporum thrips is an invasive thrips from New Zealand that distorts new growth of Myoporum and can kill well-established plants. Oak Pit Scales Asterodiaspis species Pit scales suck juices from oak twigs, causing dieback that shows from mid- to late summer, especially on valley oak. Red Turpentine Beetle Dendroctonus valens Red turpentine beetles attack the lower trunk of pines, even near the root collar and below ground. Mountain Pine Beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae Mountain pine beetle is a native bark beetle of western North America whose outbreaks can kill millions of pines. Douglas-fir Tussock Moth Orgyia pseudotsugata Douglas-fir tussock moth caterpillars chew the needles of spruces, Douglas-fir and true firs; in Colorado Front Range towns, blue spruce suffers most. Zimmerman Pine Moth Dioryctria zimmermani Zimmerman pine moth caterpillars tunnel into pine trunks and branches, weakening limbs so they die or break. White Pine Weevil Pissodes strobi White pine weevil kills the new terminal growth of spruce, which wilts into a shepherd's crook and then dies. Poplar Twiggall Fly Hexomyza schineri Poplar twiggall fly larvae cause smooth, knot-like galls on aspen twigs that keep growing for years. Brownheaded Ash Sawfly Tomostethus multicinctus Brownheaded ash sawfly larvae chew ash leaves in May and early June and can defoliate trees during outbreaks. Sycamore Borer Synanthedon resplendens Sycamore borer is a clearwing moth common in sycamore in the southwestern US; sycamores tolerate extensive boring. Western Poplar Clearwing Paranthrene robiniae Western poplar clearwing larvae bore into birch, poplar and willow, especially stressed trees, in warm low-elevation areas of the West. Honeylocust Podgall Midge Dasineura gleditchiae Honeylocust podgall midge larvae make new honeylocust leaflets curl and thicken into swollen, finger-like pod galls. Lilac Root Weevil Otiorhynchus meridionalis Lilac root weevil adults chew angular notches in the leaves of lilac, privet, peony and euonymus at night. Rosy Maple Moth Dryocampa rubicunda The rosy maple moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) is a silk moth whose caterpillars, called greenstriped mapleworms, feed mainly on maples. Numbers are usually low enough to go unnoticed, but occasional outbreaks can strip a tree; healthy trees usually leaf out again. Elm Zigzag Sawfly Aproceros leucopoda Elm zigzag sawfly is an invasive East Asian pest that defoliates elms, first found in the US in Virginia in 2021. California Red Scale Aonidiella aurantii California red scale is an armored scale of citrus that is difficult to control with insecticides. It can infest every above-ground part of the tree, and in California it remains a key citrus pest. Purple Scale Lepidosaphes beckii Purple scale is a serious armored scale pest of citrus that infests leaves, fruit and stems. Flatheaded Appletree Borer Chrysobothris femorata The flatheaded appletree borer is a native metallic wood-boring beetle. Its larvae tunnel under the bark of the trunk and main branches of young, newly planted or stressed trees, apples and many shade trees alike, and can girdle and kill them. White Peach Scale Pseudaulacaspis pentagona White peach scale is one of the most commonly seen scales on peaches, and it can kill limbs and whole trees. Rhododendron Borer Synanthedon rhododendri Rhododendron borer is an important wood-boring pest of rhododendrons and occasionally azaleas. Catalpa Sphinx Ceratomia catalpae Catalpa worms are native caterpillars that may defoliate catalpa trees in outbreak years, but control is often not warranted. Mimosa Webworm Homadaula anisocentra Mimosa webworm caterpillars web and skeletonize the leaves of honeylocust and Persian silk trees. Native Holly Leafminer Phytomyza ilicicola The native holly leafminer feeds only on American holly, leaving yellow serpentine or blotch mines in the leaves. Eastern Spruce Gall Adelgid Adelges abietis The eastern spruce gall adelgid is a key pest of Norway spruce in the Northeast, forming galls at the base of new growth. Snailcase Bagworm Apterona helix Snailcase bagworms are tiny moth larvae in coiled cases often found hanging on houses, sheds and fences. Black Cherry Aphid Myzus cerasi The black cherry aphid is a shiny black aphid that curls and stunts new cherry growth in spring; young trees can't tolerate even low numbers. Tufted Apple Bud Moth Platynota idaeusalis The tufted apple bud moth is a leafroller whose larvae tie leaves to apples and feed on the fruit; Penn State says it has become a minor orchard pest. Lesser Appleworm Grapholita prunivora (iNaturalist: Aspila prunivora) The lesser appleworm is a small moth whose pinkish larvae mine just under the skin of apples, pears, peaches, apricots, plums and cherries. European Apple Sawfly Hoplocampa testudinea European apple sawfly larvae scar young apples with winding, ribbon-like trails, then bore into the seed cavity and make the fruit drop. Magnolia Leaf-Footed Bug Leptoglossus fulvicornis Magnolia leaf-footed bugs feed only on magnolias, spotting the seeds without affecting tree health, so control is generally not needed. Camphor Shoot Borer Cnestus mutilatus The camphor shoot borer is an invasive ambrosia beetle that attacks stressed, weakened or dying trees and accidentally bores into plastic gas cans, hoses and tanks. European Pine Shoot Moth Rhyacionia buoliana European pine shoot moth larvae bore into pine buds and new shoots, killing the tips and leaving crooked trunks and branches. Cherry Bark Tortrix Enarmonia formosana The cherry bark tortrix is an invasive moth whose larvae feed under the bark of cherries and other rose-family trees, especially at wounds and graft unions. Silver-Spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa argentata Silver-spotted tiger moth caterpillars feed in dirty-looking webbed tents on Douglas-fir and other conifers through fall and winter; their hairs can irritate skin. Apple-and-Thorn Skeletonizer Choreutis pariana Apple-and-thorn skeletonizer caterpillars skeletonize and roll the leaves of apple and related trees, turning them brown and papery. Pandora Moth Coloradia pandora Pandora moth caterpillars feed on the needles of ponderosa, Jeffrey and lodgepole pines and can severely defoliate them in sporadic outbreaks. Pine White Butterfly Neophasia menapia The pine white is a butterfly whose dark green caterpillars feed on pine needles high in the canopy; it rarely causes noticeable damage outside severe outbreaks. Spiny Elm Caterpillar (Mourning Cloak) Nymphalis antiopa The spiny elm caterpillar is the larva of the mourning cloak butterfly. Groups strip willow, elm and poplar branches, but they are usually not serious pests. European Elm Scale Gossyparia spuria European elm scale is a soft scale ringed with white wax that feeds on elm twigs, branches and leaves, dripping honeydew and killing twigs in heavy infestations. Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana The carnation tortrix is a small leafroller moth whose caterpillars roll and web the leaves of Portuguese laurel and many other broad-leaved plants, seldom causing serious damage. Pine Needle Sheathminer Zelleria haimbachi Pine needle sheathminer larvae mine inside pine needles and at their bases, making needles droop or stick out at odd angles, especially on smaller trees. Mountain Ash Sawfly Pristiphora geniculata Mountain ash sawfly larvae feed in groups on American and European mountain ash, eating leaflets down to the midribs; the pest was found north of Seattle in 2009. Douglas-Fir Needle Midges Contarinia species (three midges on Douglas-fir; shown: C. pseudotsugae) Douglas-fir needle midges are tiny flies whose white larvae mine new Douglas-fir needles, which yellow, bend and drop; they matter most in Christmas tree plantations. Giant Conifer Aphids Cinara species Giant conifer aphids are large, brownish-black aphids that cluster on fir and pine branches and produce copious honeydew that attracts yellowjackets. Western Spruce Budworm Choristoneura occidentalis (also listed as C. freemani) Western spruce budworm caterpillars feed on the buds and needles of firs, spruce and Douglas-fir, tying shoot tips together with webbing. Holly Bud Moth Rhopobota naevana Holly bud moth larvae roll and web the new leaves of holly, distorting the growing tips; the same insect, called blackheaded fireworm, also feeds on cranberry and blueberry. Juniper Webworm Dichomeris marginella Juniper webworm caterpillars feed deep inside junipers, webbing foliage into brown, dirty-looking nests that often go unnoticed until spring. Pearleaf Blister Mite Eriophyes pyri Pearleaf blister mites are microscopic mites that feed inside pear leaves, raising reddish to yellowish-green blisters that turn brown or black as the tissue dies. Oak Skeletonizer Bucculatrix albertiella The oak skeletonizer, also called the oak ribbed casemaker, is a tiny moth whose larvae mine and skeletonize oak leaves until they're nearly transparent. Pine Bark Adelgid Pineus strobi Pine bark adelgids are tiny insects that cover the bark of pines and spruce with white, cottony wax; heavy infestations look like snow on the trunk. Tuliptree Aphid Illinoia liriodendri Tuliptree aphids cluster under tulip tree leaves at the branch tips and produce copious honeydew that coats the plants and surfaces below. Willow Beaked-Gall Midge Rabdophaga rigidae The willow beaked-gall midge is a small fly whose larvae turn willow buds into hard, red, beak-shaped galls; infestations rarely hurt the tree seriously. Ash Whitefly Siphoninus phillyreae The ash whitefly is an invasive whitefly first found in California in 1988 and in Oregon by 2014. Clouds of it appear in late summer and fall on ash, pear, hawthorn, pomegranate and many other trees, though a parasitic wasp now keeps it scarce in California. Rose Stem Girdler Agrilus cuprescens The rose stem girdler is a small copper-green metallic beetle whose larvae tunnel inside raspberry, blackberry and rose canes, girdling them and cutting berry yields. Cottonwood Leaf Beetle Chrysomela scripta The cottonwood leaf beetle is a striped leaf beetle whose adults and larvae eat the leaves of cottonwood, other poplars and willows; larvae skeletonize the leaves, and repeated defoliation can kill young trees. Mexican Fruit Fly Anastrepha ludens The Mexican fruit fly, or Mexfly, is a serious fruit pest whose maggots feed inside citrus, mango and many other fruits, making them inedible and unmarketable. Repeated finds in Texas and California bring quarantines and eradication programs. Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Medfly) Ceratitis capitata The Mediterranean fruit fly, or medfly, is a small fly whose maggots feed inside more than 250 kinds of fruits and vegetables. In the United States, USDA lists it as currently found in Hawaii, and when it turns up on the mainland, state and federal agriculture officials take over with quarantines and eradication. Winter Moth Operophtera brumata The winter moth is an invasive European moth whose pale green inchworms feed on buds, blooms, leaves and fruit from March to midsummer; it reached the Pacific Northwest in 1958. Apple Ermine Moth Yponomeuta malinellus The apple ermine moth is an invasive Eurasian moth whose caterpillars feed in small communal webs on apple trees, mostly unmanaged ones. Filbertworm Cydia latiferreana The filbertworm is a moth whose larvae bore into hazelnuts, chestnuts and acorns and destroy the kernel; it's the key hazelnut pest in the Pacific Northwest. Eyespotted Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana The eyespotted bud moth is a small moth whose chocolate-brown larvae web leaves and buds together on apple trees in spring; it usually doesn't need control. Western Raspberry Fruitworm Byturus unicolor The western raspberry fruitworm, or raspberry beetle, is a small beetle that feeds on raspberry buds and blossoms; its larvae feed inside the fruit and often remain in it at harvest. Obscure Root Weevil Sciopithes obscurus The obscure root weevil is a gray, flightless weevil that notches leaves at night; its larvae feed on the roots of blueberries and other plants. No photo yet Walnut Scale Diaspidiotus juglansregiae Walnut scales are gray armored scales that feed on walnut, red maple, boxwood, holly and other plants, causing branch dieback. Walnut Twig Beetle Pityophthorus juglandis The walnut twig beetle and a fungus it carries cause thousand cankers disease, which kills black walnut. No photo yet Raspberry Horntail Hartigia cressoni (iNaturalist genus: Phylloecus) Raspberry horntail larvae feed inside rose stems, making cane tips wilt and die in spring and reducing second-cycle blooms. No photo yet Honeylocust Spider Mite Platytetranychus multidigituli Honeylocust spider mites build up in midsummer on honeylocust, bronzing the foliage and causing early leaf drop. No photo yet Striped Pine Scale Toumeyella pini Striped pine scale is a soft scale (family Coccidae) that has greatly increased along Colorado's Front Range. It mainly damages Scotch pine, coating twigs and needles with sticky honeydew and sooty mold. No photo yet Cranberry Rootworm Beetle Rhabdopterus picipes Cranberry rootworm beetle is a night-feeding beetle that chews curved holes in the leaves of landscape shrubs. No photo yet Birch Leafminer Fenusa pumila Birch leafminer is a key pest of gray and paper birch, mining the leaves and browning the crown. No photo yet Eugenia Psyllid Trioza eugeniae Eugenia psyllid distorts eugenia shoot tips and pits the leaves where each nymph settles to feed. No photo yet European Red Mite Panonychus ulmi The European red mite is a tiny, bright red mite that feeds on fruit tree leaves; heavy feeding bronzes the foliage and weakens next year's fruit buds. Juniper Scale Carulaspis juniperi and C. minima Juniper and minute cypress scales are armored scales of junipers, cypresses and arborvitae; light infestations are harmless, but heavy ones can kill branches or whole plants. Spruce Spider Mite Oligonychus ununguis The spruce spider mite is one of the most destructive spider mites in the US, speckling and browning the needles of spruce, arborvitae, juniper, hemlock and other conifers. Cranberry Fruitworm Acrobasis vaccinii The cranberry fruitworm is a small brown moth whose larvae bore into young blueberries and cranberries. Each larva webs several berries together and feeds inside them, up to five or six berries in all. No photo yet Peach Bark Beetle Phloeotribus liminaris The peach bark beetle is a tiny bark beetle that attacks stressed black cherry, peach and plum trees, which respond by oozing heavy gum. No photo yet Rose Midge Dasineura rhodophaga (iNaturalist genus: Dasineura) The rose midge is a tiny fly whose maggots feed in new rose buds and shoot tips, deforming and killing them; damaged tissue turns brown, then black. No photo yet Rhododendron Whitefly Dialeurodes chittendeni (iNaturalist genus: Massilieurodes) The rhododendron whitefly is a small whitefly that mottles and curls the young leaves of rhododendrons; it's mainly an appearance problem, though heavy infestations can harm susceptible plants. Spruce Aphid Elatobium abietinum The spruce aphid is a small green aphid that feeds on older spruce needles in winter and early spring, leaving trees bare inside with green tips. Azalea Bark Scale Acanthococcus azaleae (formerly Eriococcus azaleae) Azalea bark scale is a soft scale that forms white cottony sacs on the twigs of azaleas, rhododendrons and other shrubs, often in branch forks. Balsam Woolly Adelgid Adelges piceae The balsam woolly adelgid is a tiny, all-female insect that feeds on the bark of true firs; infested trees swell at nodes and branch tips, thin out and can die. No photo yet Maple Petiole Borer Caulocampus acericaulis The maple petiole borer is a small, non-stinging sawfly whose larvae tunnel inside maple leaf stems (petioles), making green leaves suddenly drop in late May or early June; sugar maple is the favorite host. No photo yet Fletcher Scale Parthenolecanium fletcheri Fletcher scale, also called arborvitae soft scale, is a native soft scale that sucks sap from twigs and needles of yew, arborvitae and juniper, coating them with sticky honeydew and black sooty mold. No photo yet Pink Hibiscus Mealybug Maconellicoccus hirsutus The pink hibiscus mealybug is an invasive mealybug, native to southern Asia, that feeds on more than 200 kinds of plants, from hibiscus and citrus to grape, cotton and soybean. Its toxic saliva twists leaves and shoots into stunted, bunchy growth. Beech Blight Aphid Grylloprociphilus imbricator Beech blight aphids form white, fluffy colonies on American beech branches; when disturbed the nymphs wave their abdomens in unison, earning them the name boogie-woogie aphids, and their honeydew grows thick black sooty mold below. Yellownecked Caterpillar Datana ministra Yellownecked caterpillars are striped caterpillars with an orange-yellow patch behind the head that feed in groups on oak, birch and other hardwoods in mid to late summer and rear up together when disturbed. Elm Sawfly Cimbex americana (also spelled Cimbex americanus) The elm sawfly is one of North America's largest sawflies: a metallic blue, non-stinging wasp relative whose large, wrinkly, yellowish-white larvae feed on elm and willow leaves. Brown Soft Scale Coccus hesperidum Brown soft scale is a small, oval, yellowish-brown scale insect that settles on stems and leaf veins of houseplants such as ficus, schefflera, English ivy and citrus, coating leaves with sticky honeydew. Gloomy Scale Melanaspis tenebricosa Gloomy scale is a native armored scale insect that encrusts the bark of red maples and other trees; heavy infestations cause branch dieback, a thinning canopy and eventually death, mostly on trees in hot, paved urban sites. Walnut Caterpillar Datana integerrima Walnut caterpillars feed in groups on walnut, pecan and hickory leaves and are often first noticed when a fuzzy gray mass of them crawls down the trunk to molt, leaving a clump of shed skins behind. Velvet Longhorned Beetle Trichoferus campestris The velvet longhorned beetle is an invasive wood-boring beetle from Asia and Russia whose larvae tunnel in apple, cherry, mulberry, peach and other trees, as well as cut wood; it spreads in firewood and wood packing. Leafcurl Ash Aphid Prociphilus fraxinifolii Leafcurl ash aphids are small, woolly aphids that feed on the undersides of new ash leaves, twisting the branch tips into tight, gnarled coils; the damage is cosmetic on healthy trees. Twig Pruner Anelaphus villosus (also listed as Elaphidionoides villosus) The twig pruner is a native longhorned beetle whose larva bores inside a twig and cuts it from within, so small branches of oak, hickory, maple and other trees fall to the ground with the larva inside. Imperial Moth Eacles imperialis The imperial moth (Eacles imperialis) is one of the largest moths in the Southeast, mostly yellow with brown or purplish spots and splotches. Its caterpillars grow 3 to 5 inches long on pines, oaks, maples and many other trees but are rarely common enough to matter, and they have no stinging hairs. Orangestriped Oakworm Anisota senatoria Orangestriped oakworms are 2-inch black caterpillars with yellow-orange stripes that feed on oaks in late summer, sometimes stripping small trees, and then wander across sidewalks and driveways looking for a place to pupate. Giant Bark Aphid Longistigma caryae The giant bark aphid is the largest aphid in North Carolina and Iowa: about 1/4 inch long, gray with black spots, crowding on the bark of twigs and branches in late summer and dripping honeydew that grows black sooty mold. Locust Leafminer Odontota dorsalis The locust leafminer is a small, flat orange-and-black beetle whose larvae tunnel inside black locust leaves, turning trees brown and scorched-looking by midsummer; trees rarely die. Imported Willow Leaf Beetle Plagiodera versicolora The imported willow leaf beetle is a small, shiny blue-black to greenish beetle that looks like a black lady beetle; adults and larvae skeletonize willow, poplar and cottonwood leaves through the summer. Dogwood Sawfly Macremphytus tarsatus Dogwood sawfly larvae feed in groups on dogwood leaves and change looks as they grow, from white and waxy, like bird droppings, to cream with black spots and finally yellow and black; full-grown larvae may bore into soft wood to overwinter. Japanese Cedar Longhorned Beetle Callidiellum rufipenne The Japanese cedar longhorned beetle is a small invasive longhorned beetle whose grubs tunnel under the bark and into the wood of arborvitae, juniper, cypress, Leyland cypress and other cypress-family trees. Rhododendron Lace Bug Stephanitis rhododendri The rhododendron lace bug is a tiny, pale insect with lacy wings that feeds on the undersides of rhododendron and mountain laurel leaves, leaving pale speckles on top and black tar-like spots and shed skins underneath. Andromeda Lace Bug Stephanitis takeyai The andromeda lace bug is a small, showy lace bug, marked black and clear, that feeds under the leaves of Japanese andromeda (Pieris japonica), turning the tops yellow to gray with stippling. Redheaded Pine Sawfly Neodiprion lecontei The redheaded pine sawfly is a native sawfly whose larvae feed in groups on pine needles and can defoliate ornamental and forest pines and kill small trees. Locust Borer Megacyllene robiniae The locust borer is a native longhorned beetle, black with bright yellow stripes, often seen on goldenrod in early fall; its larvae tunnel into the trunks and branches of black locust, weakening trees so they break in the wind. Pitch Mass Borer Synanthedon pini The pitch mass borer is a native, wasp-like clearwing moth whose larvae tunnel into the trunks of pines and spruces, causing large masses of pitch (sap) to form at the wound. Oak Shothole Leafminer Japanagromyza viridula (formerly Agromyza viridula) The oak shothole leafminer is a tiny native fly whose females puncture oak buds and very young leaves in spring; as the leaves expand, the punctures become round holes, and the maggots make blotch mines that leave ragged holes. Maskell Scale Lepidosaphes pallida (NC State lists it as L. maskelli) Maskell scale is a tiny brown armored scale shaped like an oyster shell that settles on the needles of junipers, Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria) and other conifers and can cause browning and twig dieback. Balsam Twig Aphid Mindarus abietinus Balsam twig aphids are tiny, waxy aphids that feed on buds and new needles of firs and some spruces in early spring, twisting and curling the needles and coating them with sticky honeydew and sooty mold. No photo yet Hemlock Rust Mite Nalepella tsugifoliae The hemlock rust mite is a microscopic, four-legged eriophyid mite that feeds on hemlock needles in spring, turning heavily infested foliage grayish or bluish, then yellow, before needles drop. Kermes Scales Kermesidae (e.g., Allokermes and Nanokermes species) Kermes scales are round, smooth scale insects on oak twigs and leaves that look like buds or small galls; heavy infestations deform and stunt new growth. American Dagger Moth Acronicta americana The American dagger moth caterpillar is a fuzzy yellow, greenish or white caterpillar with slender black hair tufts; it feeds on the leaves of shade trees and is most often seen wandering in late summer and fall. European Elm Flea Weevil Orchestes alni The European elm flea weevil is a tiny invasive jumping weevil: its larvae make blotch mines at elm leaf tips and adults chew small holes from the underside of leaves, mainly on Siberian and Chinese elms. Prionus Root Borers Prionus spp. (e.g., Prionus californicus, the California prionus) Prionus root borers are very large brown longhorned beetles whose cream-colored grubs spend three or more years tunneling in roots. The California prionus attacks stone fruits, hops, cottonwoods and other woody plants in the West, while eastern species such as the broad-necked root borer and tilehorned prionus damage apple, cherry and other trees. Boxwood Mite Eurytetranychus buxi The boxwood mite is a nearly microscopic spider mite that feeds only on boxwood, leaving fine pale stippling or scratch-like lines on the leaves. Cuban Laurel Thrips Gynaikothrips ficorum (the weeping fig thrips, G. uzeli, is very similar) Cuban laurel thrips are slender dark thrips that feed on new Ficus leaves, making the expanding leaves fold or curl into discolored pocket galls where the thrips feed and develop. Rustic Sphinx Manduca rustica The rustic sphinx is a large hawk moth whose green, diagonally striped hornworm caterpillars feed on shrubs such as American beautyberry, jasmine, ligustrum and lantana. NC State calls it a sporadic pest. Spicebush Swallowtail Papilio troilus The spicebush swallowtail is a black swallowtail butterfly whose green caterpillars carry big fake eyespots and look like a tiny snake or tree frog. They feed on spicebush, sassafras, sweet bay and tulip tree and are harmless. Citrus Whitefly Dialeurodes citri The citrus whitefly is a tiny, moth-like insect covered in a snow-white waxy bloom. Its flat, scale-like young suck sap from the undersides of gardenia, citrus, privet and other shrub leaves, and the honeydew they excrete turns the leaves black with sooty mold. Oak Treehopper Platycotis vittata Oak treehoppers are sap-feeding bugs that feed in groups on oak twigs. Despite the crowds, they usually cause little damage to shade trees. Citrus Flatid Planthopper Metcalfa pruinosa The citrus flatid planthopper is a small, wedge-shaped bug coated in white wax. Its nymphs hide under white cottony fluff on twigs that is often mistaken for mealybugs, but it seldom harms healthy plants. Palmetto Scale Comstockiella sabalis Palmetto scale is a tiny armored scale insect that speckles palm leaves with white, roughly round armor, often in large numbers. It is not particularly damaging where its parasites are present, and the Florida Department of Agriculture notes that cabbage palms are mainly at risk when stressed, for example after transplanting. Introduced Pine Sawfly Diprion similis The introduced pine sawfly is a European sawfly whose larvae feed on pine needles, especially eastern white pine, often stripping the upper half of the tree. Larger Elm Leaf Beetle Monocesta coryli The larger elm leaf beetle is one of our largest leaf beetles. It often appears suddenly in great numbers, defoliates elms heavily for a year or two, then disappears for years. Cypress Twig Gall Midge Taxodiomyia cupressiananassa The cypress twig gall midge is a tiny fly whose maggots make spongy galls on bald cypress and pond cypress. The galls are often mistaken for cones and are unsightly, but they don't really harm the tree, and insecticides aren't recommended. Polyphemus Moth Antheraea polyphemus The polyphemus moth is a giant silk moth, the second largest moth in Missouri, with a very large eyespot in the middle of each hind wing. Its plump, bright green caterpillar eats the leaves of many trees but is rarely numerous enough to need control. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus The eastern tiger swallowtail is a large yellow butterfly with black tiger stripes. Its smooth green caterpillars carry a pair of false eyespots and feed on the leaves of trees such as tulip tree, cherry and ash; MU Extension counts very few swallowtails as important pests. Zebra Swallowtail Protographium marcellus (iNaturalist: Eurytides marcellus) The zebra swallowtail is a pale butterfly with black stripes and long hindwing tails. Its caterpillars feed on pawpaw, and it isn't treated as a garden pest. Hackberry Emperor Asterocampa celtis The hackberry emperor is a brown, spotted butterfly that is always found near hackberry trees, the only plants its green, two-horned caterpillars eat. The adults are fast, erratic fliers that often land on people to sip salt from their sweat. Viceroy Limenitis archippus The viceroy is an orange-and-black butterfly that closely resembles the monarch. Its caterpillars look like bird droppings and feed on willows, poplars, wild cherry and related trees. Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis astyanax The red-spotted purple is a large black-and-blue butterfly that lives in and near woods, parks and suburban neighborhoods. Its caterpillars look like bird droppings and feed on cherry, willow, apple and other trees without causing real harm. Banded Tussock Moth Halysidota tessellaris The banded tussock moth caterpillar, also called the pale tussock moth caterpillar, is a fuzzy tan to gray caterpillar with long black and white hair pencils at both ends. It is a tiger moth, not one of the true tussock moths, and it feeds on the leaves of many hardwood trees. Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus The silver-spotted skipper is a large, dark brown skipper with gold forewing spots and a silvery-white patch under the hindwing; Missouri's conservation department calls it the largest skipper in that state. Its yellow-green caterpillars with orange eyespots on the head feed on locusts, wisteria and other legumes, hiding in shelters of folded or silked-together leaves. Question Mark Polygonia interrogationis The question mark is an orange-and-black butterfly with ragged wing edges and a small silver question-mark symbol under each hindwing. Its spiny caterpillars feed on elm, hackberry, hops and nettles. Ailanthus Webworm Atteva aurea The ailanthus webworm is a small, narrow orange moth with white black-ringed spots that visits flowers by day; its caterpillars live together in flimsy webs on tree-of-heaven (ailanthus). It is rarely numerous enough to defoliate its host. Redheaded Ash Borer Neoclytus acuminatus The redheaded ash borer is a slender, wasp-like longhorned beetle whose grubs bore in stressed, dying or dead hardwoods and bark-covered logs; adults sometimes emerge from firewood brought indoors but are harmless to people. False Oleander Scale Pseudaulacaspis cockerelli False oleander scale is a non-native armored scale that dots the leaves of magnolia, sago palm, oleander and many other ornamentals with white covers and yellow spots. Heavy infestations make plants unsightly, drop leaves and slow growth. Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor The pipevine swallowtail is a black swallowtail with iridescent blue hind wings. Its caterpillars feed only on pipevines (Aristolochia, also called Dutchman's pipe) and store the plant's toxins, which make both caterpillars and adults distasteful and toxic to birds. Barklice Archipsocus nomas, Cerastipsocus venosus and other bark-dwelling psocids (order Psocodea) Barklice are tiny, soft-bodied insects that live on tree bark. Some species blanket trunks and limbs in silky webbing or move over the bark in herds, but they feed on lichens, fungi and debris and do not harm the tree. Elm Bark Beetles Scolytus multistriatus, Scolytus schevyrewi and Hylurgopinus rufipes Elm bark beetles are tiny reddish-brown to dark brown beetles, about 1/8 inch long, that breed under the bark of stressed, dying or dead elms and carry the Dutch elm disease fungus to healthy trees. Poplar Tentmaker Clostera inclusa The poplar tentmaker is a hairy, yellow-striped caterpillar that lives in groups inside tents of leaves tied together with silk on poplar and willow, sometimes stripping trees by midsummer. Sycamore Lace Bug Corythucha ciliata The sycamore lace bug is a tiny, whitish, lacy-winged insect that feeds under sycamore leaves, stippling them white or yellow and leaving black varnish-like specks of excrement; heavy feeding turns leaves white or bronze and can drop them by late summer. Hawthorn Lace Bug Corythucha cydoniae The hawthorn lace bug is a tiny insect with lacy, brown-spotted wings that feeds under the leaves of pyracantha, cotoneaster and hawthorn, leaving pale spots on top and dark specks of excrement below. American Snout Libytheana carinenta The American snout is a small butterfly with long, forward-pointing mouthparts (labial palps) that look like a nose, squared-off forewing tips, and an orange-and-brown upper side with white spots. Its caterpillars eat hackberry leaves, and MDC calls their feeding relatively benign. Tawny Emperor Asterocampa clyton The tawny emperor is a rust-colored butterfly whose caterpillars feed on the leaves of hackberry trees (Celtis). Adults seldom visit flowers, and they often land on people to take up sodium from sweat. Eastern Comma Polygonia comma The eastern comma is an orange-and-black butterfly with ragged wing edges and a small pale comma mark under each hindwing. It spends the winter as an adult, so it can be seen flying on warm, sunny winter days. Hermit Flower Beetle Osmoderma eremicola The hermit flower beetle is a one-inch, dark brown to mahogany scarab that is attracted to lights in July and August; its large grubs live only in rotting wood and it is harmless. Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Harrisina americana The grapeleaf skeletonizer is a small black moth with an orange collar. Its yellow, black-marked caterpillars feed side by side in a row on the undersides of grape and Virginia creeper leaves, leaving only the veins. Birch Skeletonizer Bucculatrix canadensisella The birch skeletonizer is a tiny native moth whose caterpillars first mine and then skeletonize birch leaves in mid to late summer, leaving small, white, oval silk pads on the leaf undersides. Blueberry Maggot Rhagoletis mendax The blueberry maggot (blueberry fruit fly) is a small black fruit fly with white markings and dark zigzag-banded wings. Its white, legless maggots feed inside ripening blueberries. Azalea Leafminer Caloptilia azaleella The azalea leafminer is a tiny yellow moth with purplish wing markings. Its young caterpillars mine azalea leaves, making brown blisters, and older ones roll and tie the leaf tips with silk; azaleas are its only known host. Indian Wax Scale Ceroplastes ceriferus Indian wax scale is a non-native soft scale whose mature females are white, rounded wax lumps up to 1/4 inch across that look like wads of gum on the twigs of hollies and other shrubs. White Prunicola Scale Pseudaulacaspis prunicola White prunicola scale is a non-native armored scale that coats the twigs and branches of cherry laurel, flowering cherry, lilac and privet with tiny white covers, giving stems a snowy look and causing decline and dieback. Shothole Borer Scolytus rugulosus The shothole borer is a tiny, dark bark beetle that riddles the bark of stressed or damaged fruit and ornamental trees with clusters of small round holes that often ooze gum; it rarely kills healthy trees on its own. Obliquebanded Leafroller Choristoneura rosaceana The obliquebanded leafroller is a native moth whose green caterpillars, with brown to black heads, roll and tie leaves together with silk and feed on buds, blossoms, leaves and young fruit of apple and other fruit trees. Western Cherry Fruit Fly Rhagoletis indifferens The western cherry fruit fly is a small fly, about 1/5 inch long with dark-banded wings, whose white maggots feed inside ripening sweet, tart and wild cherries in the western United States. Elm Borer Saperda tridentata The elm borer is a gray-haired longhorned beetle with orange markings whose larvae bore under the bark of elm trees. Woolly Oak Aphids Stegophylla Woolly oak aphids are small, pale aphids that cover themselves in fluffy white wax and feed on oak leaves, often inside leaves they curl into a shelter. They look alarming, but the damage is mostly cosmetic. Citrus Red Mite Panonychus citri The citrus red mite is a tiny spider mite that feeds on the leaves, green twigs and fruit of citrus and also on roses, pears and a few ornamentals. Its feeding leaves a pale, silvery or grayish stipple. Northern Two-Striped Walkingstick Anisomorpha ferruginea The northern two-striped walkingstick, or musk mare, is a chunky, wingless brown stick insect that can squirt an irritating defensive spray when disturbed. Ninebark Calligrapha Calligrapha spiraeae The ninebark calligrapha is a small, domed leaf beetle with ornate markings that feeds on the leaves of ninebark shrubs. Honeylocust Borer Agrilus difficilis The honeylocust borer is a slender metallic wood-boring beetle whose larvae tunnel under the bark of stressed honeylocust trees. Pinyon Needle Scale Matsucoccus acalyptus Pinyon needle scale is a tiny native sucking insect of pinyon pines in the Southwest that thins the foliage until only tufts of needles remain at the branch tips. No photo yet Pinyon Ips Ips confusus The pinyon ips is a small engraver beetle that tunnels under the bark of pinyon pines and kills stressed trees from the top down. Palmetto Tortoise Beetle Hemisphaerota cyanea The palmetto tortoise beetle is a small, metallic dark blue-green beetle that lives on native palms in the coastal Southeast. It occasionally damages fronds but usually goes unnoticed. Genista Broom Moth Uresiphita reversalis The genista broom moth is a native moth whose group-feeding caterpillars can strip the leaves of baptisia, brooms, Texas mountain laurel and other pea-family plants. Spirea Aphid Aphis spiraecola The spirea aphid is a small green aphid that feeds on new shoots of spirea, apple, crabapple, pear, quince and hawthorn. Spiny Witchhazel Gall Aphid Hamamelistes spinosus The spiny witchhazel gall aphid is an aphid that alternates between witchhazel, where it makes spiny bud galls, and river birch, where it crinkles the leaves. Acorn Weevils Curculio Acorn weevils are brown weevils with very long, slender snouts whose grubs develop inside acorns. Leaf-Rolling Weevils Homoeolabus analis Leaf-rolling weevils are small, shiny, chunky weevils that cut and roll oak leaves into tight bundles with an egg inside; the grub grows up inside the roll. Pales Weevil Hylobius pales The pales weevil is a dark weevil that breeds in freshly cut pine stumps and chews the bark of nearby young conifers and twigs. Spruce Bud Scale Physokermes piceae Spruce bud scale is a soft scale insect that clusters at the base of new spruce shoots, where the females look like buds. Pine Tortoise Scale Toumeyella parvicornis Pine tortoise scale is a soft scale insect native to North America that feeds on pine twigs and needles. Its honeydew grows black sooty mold, and it is one of the harder pests for Christmas tree growers to control. Rhododendron Gall Midge Clinodiplosis rhododendri The rhododendron gall midge is a tiny native fly whose maggots feed in the new growth of rhododendrons, curling and distorting the leaves. Cottony Camellia Scale Pulvinaria floccifera Cottony camellia scale, also called cottony taxus scale, is a soft scale insect whose females lay eggs in long, fluffy white sacs on camellia, yew, holly and other shrubs. Wool Sower Gall Wasp Callirhytis seminator The wool sower gall wasp is a tiny gall wasp whose larvae make white oak twigs grow fluffy, cotton-ball galls in spring. The galls look odd but rarely harm the tree, and the wasps can't sting people. No photo yet Apple Rust Mite Aculus schlechtendali The apple rust mite is a microscopic eriophyid mite that feeds on the undersides of apple leaves. No photo yet Bald Cypress Rust Mite Epitrimerus taxodii The bald cypress rust mite is a microscopic eriophyid mite that feeds only on bald cypress, turning the needles yellow and then rusty brown. Redbanded Thrips Selenothrips rubrocinctus The redbanded thrips, also called the cocoa thrips, is a tiny tropical thrips that silvers and russets the leaves and fruit of mango, avocado, guava and many ornamental plants and leaves them spotted with black droppings. Black Thread Scale Ischnaspis longirostris Black thread scale is an armored scale insect whose long, thread-thin black covers line up on the leaves of palms, Swiss cheese plants and many other tropical plants. In large numbers the dark threads are conspicuous. Striped Mealybug Ferrisia virgata The striped mealybug is a showy, sap-feeding mealybug marked by two dark stripes down its back. It feeds on an unusually wide range of ornamental, fruit, vegetable and field crops. No photo yet Rose Rosette Mite Phyllocoptes fructiphilus The rose rosette mite is a microscopic eriophyid mite that feeds on roses and carries rose rosette virus from plant to plant. The disease it spreads has no cure. No photo yet Deodar Weevil Pissodes nemorensis The deodar weevil, also called the eastern or northern pine weevil, is a native snout beetle whose grubs tunnel under the bark of stressed pines and other conifers. Persimmon Psyllid Baeoalitriozus diospyri (syn. Trioza diospyri) The persimmon psyllid is a tiny sap-feeding insect that curls and distorts the new leaves of Japanese, ornamental and native persimmons. Hibiscus Scentless Plant Bug Niesthrea louisianica The hibiscus scentless plant bug is a small, colorful native bug that feeds on the buds and seeds of rose of Sharon, hibiscus and other mallows. No photo yet Purple Mite Calacarus carinatus The purple mite is a microscopic eriophyid mite that feeds on camellia and tea leaves, turning them purple, then bronze. The white cast skins it leaves behind are easier to see than the mites. Sycamore Plant Bug Plagiognathus albatus The sycamore plant bug is a small plant bug that feeds on the leaves of sycamore and London planetree in spring. Black Pineleaf Scale Dynaspidiotus californicus (formerly Nuculaspis californica) Black pineleaf scale is a small native armored scale insect that feeds on the needles of pines and Douglas-fir. Elm Leafminer Fenusa ulmi (syn. Kaliofenusa ulmi) The elm leafminer is a small European sawfly whose larvae mine the leaves of elms in spring. Minute Cypress Scale Carulaspis minima Minute cypress scale is a tiny armored scale insect that infests junipers, cypresses and Leyland cypress. Eastern Pine Looper Lambdina pellucidaria The eastern pine looper is a native inchworm caterpillar that feeds on the needles of pitch pine, red pine and other hard pines. White Pine Aphid Cinara strobi The white pine aphid is a large conifer aphid that feeds on the twigs, branches and trunks of eastern white pine. No photo yet Pine Root Collar Weevil Hylobius radicis The pine root collar weevil is a native weevil whose larvae feed on the inner bark at the root collar of pines, girdling young trees. Euonymus Caterpillar Yponomeuta cagnagella The euonymus caterpillar is the larva of the spindle ermine moth, a European moth whose webbing caterpillars defoliate euonymus. Redbanded Leafhopper Graphocephala coccinea The redbanded leafhopper, also called the candy-striped leafhopper, is a brightly striped sharpshooter that feeds on rhododendron, roses and many other plants. The damage is mostly cosmetic, and MDC notes that the vast majority of leafhoppers are not pests. Eastern Spruce Budworm Choristoneura fumiferana The eastern spruce budworm is a native caterpillar that defoliates balsam fir and spruce across northern North America. Spruce Needleminer Taniva albolineana (formerly Endothenia albolineana) The spruce needleminer is a small moth whose caterpillars mine and kill spruce needles, binding the dead needles together with silk. No photo yet Pear Thrips Taeniothrips inconsequens Pear thrips are tiny thrips, introduced from Europe, that feed inside the opening buds of sugar maple, fruit trees and other hardwoods each spring. Beech Scale Cryptococcus fagisuga Beech scale is a tiny non-native scale insect whose feeding opens beech bark to Neonectria fungi; together they cause beech bark disease. Woolly Beech Aphid Phyllaphis fagi The woolly beech aphid is a European aphid that feeds in white, waxy colonies on the leaves of European beech and its cultivars. Rose Leafhopper Edwardsiana rosae The rose leafhopper is a small, pale, whitish-green leafhopper from Europe. It lays its overwintering eggs in rose and bramble canes, breeds on roses in spring and spends the summer on apple, dogwood, oak, maple and other trees, where its feeding leaves pale stippling on the leaves. Solitary Oak Leafminer Cameraria hamadryadella The solitary oak leafminer is a tiny moth whose caterpillars feed inside oak leaves, each in its own brown blotch mine. Asian Chestnut Gall Wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus The Asian chestnut gall wasp is an invasive wasp from China whose larvae turn chestnut buds into galls. Saratoga Spittlebug Aphrophora saratogensis The Saratoga spittlebug is a native spittlebug that injures young pines, especially red pine, in eastern North America. Pine Spittlebug Aphrophora cribrata The pine spittlebug is a sap-feeding froghopper whose nymphs hide under frothy masses of spittle on pine twigs. Sugar Maple Borer Glycobius speciosus The sugar maple borer is a native longhorned beetle whose larvae tunnel beneath the bark of living sugar maples. Elm Spanworm Ennomos subsignaria The elm spanworm is a native inchworm that feeds on many hardwoods besides elm and periodically defoliates large forest areas. Larch Casebearer Coleophora laricella The larch casebearer is a European moth whose tiny caterpillars mine larch needles and carry cases made from hollowed-out needles. Saddled Prominent Cecrita guttivitta (formerly Heterocampa guttivitta) The saddled prominent is a native moth whose caterpillars periodically defoliate beech, sugar maple and birch forests in late summer. Variable Oakleaf Caterpillar Lochmaeus manteo (formerly Heterocampa manteo) The variable oakleaf caterpillar is a native caterpillar that defoliates oaks and other hardwoods in eastern North America, mostly late in the season. Hemlock Looper Lambdina fiscellaria The hemlock looper is a native inchworm that defoliates hemlock and balsam fir, and in an outbreak it can kill hemlock after a single year of defoliation. Satin Moth Leucoma salicis The satin moth is a European tussock moth whose caterpillars defoliate poplars and willows in the Northeast. Yellowheaded Spruce Sawfly Euura alaskensis (formerly Pikonema alaskensis) The yellowheaded spruce sawfly is a native sawfly whose larvae defoliate spruce, especially open-grown yard trees, windbreaks and young plantations. Three or four years of heavy feeding in a row can kill a tree. No photo yet Azalea Sawfly Euura azaleae (formerly Amauronematus azaleae) Azalea sawflies are wasp relatives whose green larvae eat azalea leaves from the edges in late spring. Larch Sawfly Pristiphora erichsonii The larch sawfly is a sawfly whose larvae feed in groups on the needles of tamarack and other larches. Dusky Birch Sawfly Nematus latitarsus (formerly Croesus latitarsus) The dusky birch sawfly is a sawfly whose spotted larvae feed in groups along the edges of birch leaves. Roundheaded Appletree Borer Saperda candida The roundheaded appletree borer is a native longhorned beetle whose larvae tunnel in the lower trunks of apple and its relatives. Leopard Moth Zeuzera pyrina The leopard moth is a European moth whose caterpillars bore into the wood of many hardwood trees and shrubs. Honeysuckle Aphid Hyadaphis tataricae The honeysuckle aphid is a tiny European aphid whose feeding turns bush honeysuckle shoot tips into dense witches' brooms. Gouty Oak Gall Wasp Callirhytis quercuspunctata The gouty oak gall is a woody twig gall caused by a tiny wasp, Callirhytis quercuspunctata, on pin and other red-group oaks. Giant Willow Aphid Tuberolachnus salignus The giant willow aphid is one of the largest aphids, forming dense colonies on the bark of willow twigs and stems in late summer and fall. European Holly Leafminer Phytomyza ilicis The European holly leafminer is a tiny fly whose larvae mine the leaves of English holly. Linden Aphid Eucallipterus tiliae The linden aphid is a European aphid that feeds in colonies under linden leaves and is best known for the sticky honeydew it drips. Birch Sawfly Arge pectoralis The birch sawfly is a native sawfly whose larvae feed along the edges of birch leaves in summer. Woolly Elm Aphid Eriosoma americanum The woolly elm aphid is an aphid that curls elm leaves in spring and spends the summer on serviceberry roots. Lilac Leafminer Gracillaria syringella (formerly Caloptilia syringella) The lilac leafminer is a small European moth whose caterpillars mine, roll and skeletonize the leaves of lilac and privet. Oak Vein Pocket Gall Midge Macrodiplosis qoruca (often written M. quercusoruca) The oak vein pocket gall midge is a tiny fly whose maggots cause pocket-like swellings along the veins of pin oak and other red oak leaves. No photo yet Privet Rust Mite Aculus ligustri The privet rust mite is a microscopic eriophyid mite that feeds on privet, leaving leaves dull and distorted. Spruce Beetle Dendroctonus rufipennis The spruce beetle is a native bark beetle and a major cause of spruce death in North America, especially in Alaska and the Rocky Mountains. Arborvitae Leafminer Argyresthia thuiella The arborvitae leafminer is a tiny moth whose caterpillars mine arborvitae foliage, turning branch tips yellow and then brown. Pine False Webworm Acantholyda erythrocephala The pine false webworm is a sawfly from Europe whose larvae feed on pine needles from inside loose webs and silk tubes packed with clipped needles and frass. Snowball Aphid Neoceruraphis viburnicola (UMass lists it as Ceruraphis viburnicola) The snowball aphid is a powdery, bluish-gray aphid that twists, curls and cups the new leaves of some viburnums in spring, then leaves the shrub until fall. No photo yet Taxus Mealybug Dysmicoccus wistariae (formerly Pseudococcus cuspidatae) The taxus mealybug is a white, waxy mealybug that feeds on the inner bark of yew trunks and branches, leaving thin, yellowing shrubs coated in honeydew and sooty mold. Hickory Gall Phylloxera Phylloxera caryaecaulis The hickory gall phylloxera is a tiny aphid relative whose spring feeding makes round galls up to about an inch across on hickory leaf stems, shoots and leaflet midribs. Taxus Bud Mite Cecidophyopsis psilaspis The taxus bud mite is a microscopic eriophyid mite that lives inside yew buds, making them swell and die or produce distorted needles and shoots. White Pine Sawfly Neodiprion pinetum The white pine sawfly is a sawfly whose pale yellow, black-spotted larvae feed in groups on eastern white pine and other pines in summer, eating both old and new needles. No photo yet Scarlet Oak Sawfly Caliroa quercuscoccineae The scarlet oak sawfly, also called the oak slug sawfly, has slimy, slug-like larvae that feed on the undersides of oak leaves, leaving see-through patches that turn brown. No photo yet Oak Spider Mite Oligonychus bicolor The oak spider mite is a tiny, dark reddish-brown mite that feeds on the upper surface of oak leaves, turning them stippled, dull yellow and bronze by mid to late summer. White-Banded Elm Leafhopper Scaphoideus luteolus The white-banded elm leafhopper is a small elm-feeding leafhopper whose own feeding does little harm, but it spreads elm yellows (elm phloem necrosis), a disease that kills American elms. Oak Lace Bug Corythucha arcuata The oak lace bug is a small lace bug that feeds on the undersides of oak leaves, leaving the upper surface speckled with pale spots that can merge into bleached, white patches by late summer. No photo yet Elm Casebearer Coleophora ulmifoliella The elm casebearer is a small native moth whose caterpillars mine elm leaves and then feed from tiny brown cases on the leaf undersides, leaving brown patches between the veins. Privet Thrips Dendrothrips ornatus The privet thrips is a tiny thrips from Europe that feeds on the leaves of privet, lilac and possibly ash, leaving them speckled with pale spots that give the foliage a dusty gray look. Linden Looper Erannis tiliaria The linden looper is a native inchworm whose yellow, pinstriped caterpillars eat the leaves of linden, oak, maple, elm, birch, apple and many other trees in spring; most years it goes unnoticed, but periodic outbreaks defoliate trees. Unicorn Caterpillar Schizura unicornis (now placed in Coelodasys by iNaturalist) The unicorn caterpillar is the larva of a native prominent moth; it feeds alone on the leaves of many broadleaf trees and shrubs, and its mottled body with a horn-like hump looks like part of a chewed leaf edge. Black Stem Borer Xylosandrus germanus The black stem borer is a tiny invasive ambrosia beetle from Asia that bores into the lower trunks of stressed young trees and grows a fungus in its tunnels, causing wilting, dieback and sometimes death. Beech Leaf Disease Nematode Litylenchus crenatae subsp. mccannii Beech leaf disease is caused by a microscopic, invasive leaf nematode, Litylenchus crenatae subsp. mccannii, that lives in the leaves and buds of beech trees, banding and distorting the leaves and killing buds until the tree declines. Pinewood Nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus The pinewood nematode is a microscopic worm, about 1 mm long, that causes pine wilt: carried into pines by pine sawyer beetles, it multiplies in the resin canals and water-conducting tissue and can kill a susceptible pine within weeks to a few months. Pine Engraver Ips pini The pine engraver is a small bark beetle that breeds in freshly cut pine material and attacks stressed or newly planted pines, killing tops or whole trees; it almost never attacks healthy pines in years with normal rainfall. Western Pine Beetle Dendroctonus brevicomis The western pine beetle is a native bark beetle that attacks the trunks of ponderosa pines, killing trees weakened by drought, fire, disease or crowding, often in groups. Douglas-fir Beetle Dendroctonus pseudotsugae The Douglas-fir beetle is a native bark beetle that breeds in windthrown, fire-scorched or weakened Douglas-firs; when downed or damaged trees are plentiful, populations build and spill over into healthy trees, killing them in groups. Redheaded Flea Beetle Systena frontalis The redheaded flea beetle is a tiny, native, shiny black beetle with a red head that jumps like a flea and chews numerous small holes in the leaves of panicle hydrangeas, roses, sweetspire and many other shrubs, perennials and weeds. Sirex Woodwasp Sirex noctilio The Sirex woodwasp is an invasive wood wasp native to Europe, northern Africa and Asia. Females drill into pines and lay eggs along with a fungus and a toxic venom that together kill the tree, and unlike native woodwasps it can attack living trees. Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Oryctes rhinoceros The coconut rhinoceros beetle is a large invasive scarab beetle that bores into the crowns of coconut and other palms to feed on sap, while its grubs develop in mulch, compost, green waste and decaying palm stumps; it has been spreading in Hawaii since it was first found on Oahu in 2013. Ficus Whitefly Singhiella simplex The ficus whitefly is a small Asian whitefly, first found in North America in 2007, that develops only on ficus; heavy infestations turn leaves yellow, strip weeping fig hedges and trees bare and can cause branch dieback. South American Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus palmarum The South American palm weevil is a large invasive weevil whose grubs feed in the crowns of palms and destroy the growing point; untreated infested palms die and become breeding sites that spread the weevil, which has established in San Diego County. Lobate Lac Scale Paratachardina pseudolobata (earlier reported as P. lobata lobata) The lobate lac scale is an invasive scale insect first found in the US in Florida in 1999. It forms dark crusts on the young twigs of a very wide range of woody plants, is now a common landscape pest in South Florida, and heavy infestations can kill shrubs such as wax myrtle. Mexican Bromeliad Weevil Metamasius callizona The Mexican bromeliad weevil (Metamasius callizona) is an invasive weevil first detected in South Florida in 1989. Its larvae feed on the tissue in the center of bromeliads, and it can quickly wipe out large bromeliad populations; Florida's giant airplant is now classified as endangered in the state largely because of it. Palo Verde Root Borer Derobrachus hovorei (formerly included in D. geminatus) The palo verde root borer is a huge longhorned beetle that emerges with the summer monsoon in the desert Southwest; its grubs spend years feeding on the roots of palo verde and other trees, but University of Arizona entomologists say it is often wrongly blamed for trees that die from stress. Agave Snout Weevil Scyphophorus acupunctatus The agave snout weevil is a black weevil whose grubs tunnel into the base and roots of agaves; together with the rot that follows, the feeding usually makes infested plants collapse and die, often before anyone notices the insects. Cochineal Scale Dactylopius spp. (including D. coccus) Cochineal scales are small sap-sucking insects that hide inside cottony masses of wax on prickly pear pads. Crush one on paper and it leaves a deep red stain; the same insect is the source of carmine dye. Giant Mesquite Bug Pachylis neocalifornicus (long known as Thasus neocalifornicus) The giant mesquite bug is one of the largest true bugs in the Southwest and a common sight on mesquite trees from May to August; its brightly patterned nymphs gather in clusters, but the bugs cause no significant plant damage and are harmless to people. Leek Moth Acrolepiopsis assectella The leek moth is an invasive moth from Europe whose small caterpillars mine the leaves of leeks, garlic, onions, chives and shallots, leaving windowpane damage; it has spread from Ontario into northern New York and northern New England since 2009. Lychee erinose mite Aceria litchii The lychee erinose mite is a microscopic mite that makes lychee leaves grow dense, felt-like patches of hairs called erinea. First found in Lee County, Florida, in 2018, it has since spread to every lychee-producing county in the state, and it can cut yields by up to 80 percent. Erythrina gall wasp Quadrastichus erythrinae The erythrina gall wasp is a tiny invasive wasp that lays its eggs in the young leaves and stems of coral trees (Erythrina), turning shoots into masses of swollen galls; repeated attacks defoliate and can kill trees. Two-spotted leafhopper Sophonia orientalis The two-spotted leafhopper is a small yellow sap feeder from southern Asia, found in Hawaii since 1987 and on the mainland since 1996, when it turned up in California; it has since spread east to North Carolina and Virginia. Most plants it feeds on turn yellow between the leaf veins, and in Hawaii it has killed large patches of native uluhe fern. Maple bladdergall mite Vasates quadripedes The maple bladdergall mite is a microscopic eriophyid mite that makes small, wart-like galls on the upper side of maple leaves, especially silver maple. The galls look alarming but probably do no measurable harm to the tree. Maple eyespot gall midge Acericecis ocellaris The maple eyespot gall midge, also called the ocellate gall midge, is a tiny fly whose larva turns a spot on a maple leaf into a colorful bull's-eye. The damage is cosmetic and does not affect the health of the tree. Imported currantworm Euura ribesii (formerly Nematus ribesii) The imported currantworm is the larva of a sawfly that feeds on currant and gooseberry leaves; when numerous, the larvae can strip a bush down to the larger veins within a few days. Latania scale Hemiberlesia lataniae Latania scale is a tiny armored scale insect that feeds under a round, gray to tan cover on the twigs, leaves and fruit of hundreds of kinds of plants; heavy infestations make plants look crusty and can kill small branches. No photo yet Privet mite Brevipalpus obovatus The privet mite is a tiny, reddish false spider mite, or flat mite, that sucks juices from the leaves of privet, azalea and many other woody ornamentals; the damage builds slowly until shrubs look reddish-brown and winter-burned. Northern flatid planthopper Flatormenis proxima The northern flatid planthopper, also called the snowy planthopper, is a small sap-feeding insect whose nymphs hide under white, fluffy wax on stems and leaves in summer; NC State says it does little real damage to the ornamentals it feeds on. Powdery pine needle aphid Eulachnus rileyi The powdery pine needle aphid is a slender, waxy gray aphid that sucks sap from pine needles; it often builds up in winter, when its predators are less active, and heavy infestations coat trees with honeydew and black sooty mold. Mulberry whitefly Tetraleurodes mori The mulberry whitefly is a small whitefly best known for its striking pupae: shiny black ovals ringed with white wax on the undersides of leaves. It is usually more a curiosity than a pest. No photo yet Minute oak bark beetle Pseudopityophthorus minutissimus The minute oak bark beetle is a tiny, dark brown bark beetle that breeds under the thin bark of stressed, dying or dead oak branches; it isn't a primary pest of oaks, but it is one of the beetles that can carry the oak wilt fungus between trees. Palm flatid planthopper Ormenaria rufifascia The palm flatid planthopper is a common, eye-catching sap feeder on the undersides of palm fronds in Florida. It often draws attention, but the Florida Division of Plant Industry says actual injury to palms is slight; the cottony wax the nymphs make is mostly a cosmetic nuisance. Ash flower gall mite Aceria fraxiniflora The ash flower gall mite is a microscopic eriophyid mite that turns the flowers of male ash trees into lumpy galls; the galls are unsightly, especially when they hang brown through winter, but rarely affect the tree's health. Elm cockscomb gall aphid Colopha ulmicola The elm cockscomb gall aphid makes irregular, ridged galls that jut from elm leaves like a rooster's comb; it spends spring in the galls and summer on grass roots, and the galls don't significantly affect the tree. Gouty vein gall midge Dasineura communis The gouty vein gall midge is a tiny, gnat-like fly whose larvae make the veins on the undersides of maple leaves swell into knobby, light green to red galls; the damage is mostly cosmetic. Barnacle scale Ceroplastes cirripediformis Barnacle scale is a soft scale insect that hides under a thick, pearly-gray cap of wax on the stems of gardenias, citrus and many other plants; heavy infestations drip honeydew that grows black sooty mold. Japanese maple leafhopper Japananus hyalinus The Japanese maple leafhopper is a small, distinctive leafhopper common on Japanese maples and other maples; it can be abundant enough to hear, but it doesn't seem to cause any signs or symptoms on its host plants. No photo yet Peony scale Pseudaonidia paeoniae Peony scale is a tiny armored scale that burrows partly under the bark of azaleas and camellias; it is hard to see alive, but heavy infestations make plants unthrifty and cause dieback. Crapemyrtle flea beetle Altica litigata The crapemyrtle flea beetle is a small, metallic blue-green leaf beetle that normally breeds on water primrose, evening primrose and their relatives; adults sometimes move onto crape myrtles and chew holes in the leaves. Dogwood clubgall midge Resseliella clavula The dogwood clubgall midge is a tiny fly whose maggots feed inside club- or spindle-shaped galls at the tips of dogwood twigs; twigs beyond the gall may die, and pruning is the main control once galls form. Holly berry midge Asphondylia ilicicola The holly berry midge is a tiny, mosquito-like fly whose maggot lives inside an American holly berry and eats the seed; infested berries never turn red and stay green all winter. Uglynest caterpillar Archips cerasivorana The uglynest caterpillar is the larva of a small orange moth that lives in colonies inside dense, messy silk nests of leaves and droppings, mainly on chokecherry and other cherries; the nests are unsightly but cause little lasting damage. Painted hickory borer Megacyllene caryae The painted hickory borer is a native, black-and-yellow longhorned beetle whose larvae develop in recently dead hickory and other hardwoods; adults often emerge from firewood in spring, sometimes inside homes, but they don't attack living trees or the wood in a house. Fruittree leafroller Archips argyrospila The fruittree leafroller is a moth whose green, black-headed caterpillars roll and web together the new leaves of fruit trees, oaks and other ornamentals in spring; it is the most common leafroller pest in California landscapes. No photo yet White apple leafhopper Zonocyba pomaria (long known as Typhlocyba pomaria) The white apple leafhopper is the most common leafhopper on apple and other tree fruits; its nymphs feed under the leaves, leaving white speckling on top, and their excrement can spot the fruit. Palmerworm Dichomeris ligulella The palmerworm is a small moth caterpillar that skeletonizes the leaves of oaks, cherry, basswood and apple; most years it goes unnoticed, but occasional outbreaks after hot, dry springs can defoliate whole stands for a season or two. Comstock mealybug Pseudococcus comstocki The Comstock mealybug is a waxy, sap-sucking insect from East Asia that is now the most common mealybug pest in eastern North America, feeding on apple, pear and peach trees and on ornamentals such as catalpa and mulberry. No photo yet Apple red bug Lygidea mendax The apple red bug is a small plant bug with a bright red head and thorax whose nymphs feed on young apple and pear fruit and shoot tips; it is a minor pest today, but its punctures leave dimples and rough russet scars. Grape leafhoppers Erythroneura species (eastern grape leafhopper E. comes, threebanded leafhopper E. tricincta and relatives) Grape leafhoppers are tiny, active insects that feed on the undersides of grape leaves, emptying leaf cells and leaving pale stippled spots. Heavy feeding turns whole leaves pale and can make them drop early. Cypress and cedar bark beetles Phloeosinus species (e.g., P. cristatus) Cypress and cedar bark beetles are tiny native beetles in the genus Phloeosinus that attack cypress, junipers and eastern red cedar. They seldom kill healthy trees, but in drought they can girdle and kill stressed ones, and planted Arizona and Leyland cypress that go without water are common victims. Poplar borer Saperda calcarata The poplar borer is a longhorned beetle whose larvae tunnel through the sapwood and heartwood of aspen, cottonwood, poplar and willow. Utah State calls it a major pest of aspen in landscapes and forests: the tunnels weaken trunks and limbs, and smaller trees can be killed. Pigeon tremex Tremex columba The pigeon tremex is a large, non-stinging wood wasp, a horntail, whose larvae tunnel in hardwood trees that are already dying or recently dead. Its size and odd look draw attention, but it only attacks trees or limbs already in serious decline. Banded ash borer Neoclytus caprea The banded ash borer is a longhorned beetle whose larvae feed under the bark of dead, dying or stressed ash, elm and hickory and in freshly cut logs. Healthy landscape trees are rarely a concern; it is best known as a firewood pest, when adults emerge from cut logs inside homes. Pecan nut casebearer Acrobasis nuxvorella The pecan nut casebearer is a gray moth about 1/3 inch long whose larvae bore into young pecan nuts shortly after the trees pollinate. Oklahoma State ranks it among the most devastating nut-feeding insects of pecans, and a single larva may damage an entire nut cluster. Hickory shuckworm Cydia caryana The hickory shuckworm is a small dark moth whose larvae tunnel into pecan nuts and their shucks. Kentucky calls it one of the more destructive pests of pecan: early feeding makes small nuts fall in midsummer, and later feeding keeps kernels from filling and leaves shucks stuck to the shells. Black pecan aphid Melanocallis caryaefoliae The black pecan aphid feeds on the undersides of pecan leaflets, mostly late in the season. Aphid for aphid it does far more harm than the more numerous yellow pecan aphids, because its saliva is toxic: each feeding site turns into a bright yellow spot that later browns, and heavy infestations make trees drop their leaves early. Pecan phylloxera Phylloxera devastatrix The pecan phylloxera, also called pecan stem phylloxera, is a small aphid-like insect whose feeding on new spring growth makes pecan twigs swell into hollow, knotty galls. By the time the galls show in April, the damage for that year is already done. No photo yet Grape cane girdler Ampeloglypter ater The grape cane girdler is a tiny black snout beetle that chews rings of punctures around young grape shoots and lays its eggs in them, so the shoot tips wilt and break off. The damage can look alarming, but on established vines it is usually minor, and the beetle actually prefers Virginia creeper. Viburnum borers Synanthedon viburni (viburnum clearwing borer) and S. fatifera (lesser viburnum borer) Viburnum borers are the caterpillars of two clearwing moths, the viburnum clearwing borer and the lesser viburnum borer. They tunnel under the bark at the base of viburnum shrubs, and heavy or repeated attack leads to branch dieback, decline and eventually a dead plant. Spotted tentiform leafminer Phyllonorycter blancardella The spotted tentiform leafminer is a tiny European moth whose caterpillars live inside apple leaves, hollowing out oval mines that buckle into a small tent with pale spots on top. Home apple trees often show a few mines, but natural enemies usually keep numbers too low to hurt the tree or the fruit. Woolly alder aphid Prociphilus tessellatus Woolly alder aphids live on two trees: silver maple, where they form dense white woolly masses on leaves and twigs in spring, and alder, where they cover branches with white cottony fluff. Their winged adults look like tiny tufts of cotton flying under their own power. They are striking but do no lasting harm. European cherry fruit fly Rhagoletis cerasi The European cherry fruit fly is a fruit fly from Europe and parts of Asia that was found in southern Ontario in 2016 and in western New York in 2017. Its maggots feed inside cherries, and it can also breed in the berries of honeysuckle, including invasive bush honeysuckles. Yellow pecan aphids Monellia caryella (blackmargined aphid) and Monelliopsis pecanis (yellow pecan aphid) Two yellow aphids feed on pecan leaves: the blackmargined aphid and the yellow pecan aphid. Both suck sap from the leaf veins and drip sticky honeydew, which grows black sooty mold in humid weather. Blackmargined aphid outbreaks often fade within a few weeks, while yellow pecan aphids build later in the season and can strip leaves and cut the nut crop. Giant palm borer Dinapate wrightii The giant palm borer is a beetle up to 2 inches long whose larvae tunnel through the trunks of California fan palms and date palms for years. It goes after palms that are already dead, dying or badly stressed, such as recently transplanted trees. The fronds of infested palms turn yellow, the palms commonly die early, and weakened trunks may blow over. Pine shoot beetle Tomicus piniperda The pine shoot beetle is a small bark beetle native to Europe and Asia, first found in the United States in 1992 at a Christmas tree plantation in Ohio. It breeds under the bark of freshly cut pine stumps and logs, and the new adults fly to healthy pines and bore into the shoots, which droop, turn yellow or red, and break off. Grape leaffolder Desmia funeralis The grape leaffolder is a dark moth whose greenish caterpillars fold or roll grape leaves with silk and feed inside them. UF/IFAS calls it a common, widely distributed and usually minor grape pest, but the later generations can strip vines, especially when its parasites fall short. Hawthorn mealybug Phenacoccus dearnessi The hawthorn mealybug is a small red mealybug coated in white wax that feeds on the twigs of hawthorns and a few related trees in the rose family. In Colorado it has been very damaging on landscape hawthorns: heavy infestations coat trees in sticky honeydew and black sooty mold and can cause leaf loss, twig dieback and occasionally the death of a tree. It spends the winter hidden in bark crevices on the trunk, which shapes how and when it can be controlled. Cottonwood borer Plectrodera scalator The cottonwood borer is a large longhorned beetle whose larvae tunnel into the root collar and roots of cottonwoods, other poplars and willows. Young trees can be girdled, weakened until they break, or killed, while larger trees usually tolerate light to moderate infestations. Poplar budgall mite Aceria parapopuli The poplar budgall mite is a microscopic eriophyid mite that turns the buds of poplars, cottonwoods and aspens into woody, cauliflower-like galls. The galls stay on the tree for years and look rough, but the damage is mainly cosmetic and the tree itself is seldom killed. Poplar petiolegall aphid Pemphigus populitransversus The poplar petiolegall aphid is a small, pale green, waxy aphid that forms round galls on the leaf stems (petioles) of cottonwoods, poplars and aspens. Around midsummer the aphids leave the galls for the roots of cabbage-family plants, and they return to poplars in late summer or fall. On trees the galls are mostly a cosmetic problem. Vagabond gall aphid Mordwilkoja vagabunda The vagabond gall aphid, also called the poplar vagabond aphid, lives inside galls it causes at the tips of cottonwood and aspen branches, leaving only to spend part of the summer on a secondary host. The galls are conspicuous and often plentiful, especially after leaf fall, but apart from their looks they do the tree no appreciable harm. Sumac flea beetle Blepharida rhois The sumac flea beetle is a leaf beetle of sumacs, including skunkbush sumac, and of smokebush. Its larvae feed in small groups in late spring under shields made of their own droppings, chewing the leaves ragged and sometimes defoliating plants, but pesticides are not usually needed. No photo yet McDaniel spider mite Tetranychus mcdanieli The McDaniel spider mite is a web-spinning mite found mostly on fruit trees. In hot, dry weather it can build up fast, stippling and bronzing the leaves, but predatory mites usually hold it down unless broad-spectrum sprays kill them off. No photo yet Western ash bark beetle Hylesinus californicus The western ash bark beetle is a tiny bark beetle that breeds in the inner bark of ash. It usually stays in injured or weakened branches, but after storms or drought leave a lot of weakened wood, numbers can build until many branches die, and an attack on the main stem can kill the tree. American hornet moth Sesia tibiale (Arizona Extension and the Canadian Forest Service write S. tibialis) The American hornet moth, also called the cottonwood crown borer, is a clearwing moth that looks like a hornet. Its larvae spend two years boring in the lower trunk, root crown and exposed roots of poplars, aspen and willows, weakening trees so they break or blow over in storms and sometimes killing them. No photo yet California fivespined ips Ips paraconfusus The California fivespined ips is a small bark beetle of pines west of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades. It breeds in fresh pine slash and usually kills only scattered weakened trees, but during droughts it kills and top-kills many pines, including ponderosa and Monterey pines planted as shade trees. Fir engraver Scolytus ventralis The fir engraver is a native bark beetle of western firs, mainly white, grand and red fir. Its galleries girdle branches and stems, so the first sign is often scattered red or yellow branches in an otherwise green crown. Trees stressed by drought, defoliation, crowding, dwarf mistletoe or root disease are the ones most likely to be killed. No photo yet Jeffrey pine beetle Dendroctonus jeffreyi The Jeffrey pine beetle is a native bark beetle that attacks only Jeffrey pine. Numbers usually stay low, but after severe or prolonged drought it kills Jeffrey pines, from single large trees to groups of several hundred, including in high-elevation landscapes such as the Lake Tahoe Basin. Mediterranean pine engraver Orthotomicus erosus (formerly Ips erosus) The Mediterranean pine engraver is a small bark beetle from the Mediterranean region and Asia, first found in California in 2004. It infests the trunks and large limbs of Mediterranean pines, especially Aleppo and Italian stone pines, which are widely planted in and around the Los Angeles Basin and the Central Valley. Clay-colored leaf beetle Anomoea laticlavia The clay-colored leaf beetle, also called the persimmon leaf beetle, is a small reddish-brown leaf beetle with dark stripes along its wing covers. In North Carolina it turns up mostly on persimmon, while on the prairie it feeds on leadplant, and its larvae live inside protective cases made of their droppings and bits of leaf. Morning-glory Prominent Schizura ipomaeae The morning-glory prominent is a moth whose tan-and-brown caterpillar feeds on the leaves of maples, oaks, elms, buckeyes and other woody plants. Resting along the edge of a leaf it has chewed, the caterpillar looks like a curled, dead piece of the leaf. Broad-headed sharpshooter Oncometopia orbona The broad-headed sharpshooter is a leafhopper of the eastern United States, about 1/2 inch long, with an orange head and blue-and-black speckled wings. It feeds on a wide range of plants and can carry Xylella fastidiosa, the bacterium that causes Pierce's disease of grapevines. Banded alder borer Rosalia funebris The banded alder borer is a western longhorned beetle with bold black and white bands on its body and long antennae. Its larvae feed only in dead wood, so it is not a pest, but it is often mistaken for the invasive Asian longhorned beetle and sometimes turns up in numbers at fresh paint. Red oak borer Enaphalodes rufulus The red oak borer is a native longhorned beetle whose larvae tunnel through the inner bark and wood of living oaks, mainly red oaks. It is usually present at low numbers, but around 2000 an unprecedented outbreak in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and Missouri accompanied widespread oak decline. Porcelain Gray Protoboarmia porcelaria The porcelain gray is a gray, finely speckled geometrid moth that often turns up near lights at night. Its caterpillar, the dash-lined looper, looks like a small twig and feeds on eastern red cedar, pines, spruces, firs and several hardwoods. Canada's forest service describes it as a common but innocuous defoliator. Sparganothis Fruitworm Sparganothis sulfureana Sparganothis fruitworm is a native moth in the leafroller family and one of the most damaging pests of cranberry. Its caterpillars web and skeletonize the leaves and eat the blossoms, and the summer brood bores into the berries. It also feeds on blueberries and on plants in nearly 20 other families. Fir Tussock Moth Orgyia detrita The fir tussock moth is a small tussock moth of the southeastern Coastal Plain. Despite its name, its caterpillars are documented only on oaks and bald cypress. In some years the tufted caterpillars are very numerous, and they become a problem when they leave the trees to spin cocoons on buildings and fences, because their hairs and cocoons cause itchy rashes. Blue-green sharpshooter Graphocephala atropunctata The blue-green sharpshooter is a leafhopper about 0.4 inch long, green to bright blue on top, that breeds in streamside vegetation and landscape plantings in coastal California. Its feeding does no harm to grapes, but it is the most important carrier of the Pierce's disease bacterium in coastal grape-growing areas. Versute sharpshooter Graphocephala versuta The versute sharpshooter is a leafhopper only about 3/16 inch long, green with a light blue stripe across each wing. It is the most common sharpshooter in Oklahoma vineyards, and insects caught in the field have passed Xylella fastidiosa, the bacterium behind Pierce's disease, to test plants. Green cone-headed planthopper Acanalonia conica The green cone-headed planthopper is a common planthopper that feeds on a wide variety of herbs, shrubs and trees. Adults resemble small leaves or seedpods, and the nymphs often hide under white, fluffy wax. NC State calls it virtually harmless, though it can alarm gardeners. Orange Wing Mellilla xanthometata The orange wing is a small moth with bark-colored forewings and bright orange hindwings that show even in flight. Its caterpillars are inchworms on honey locust, a tree that grows wild in old fields and along roadsides and, as a thornless variety, is popular for city landscaping and parking lots. In Missouri the moth is as widespread as its food plant. Red-fringed Emerald Nemoria bistriaria The red-fringed emerald is a small woodland moth that comes in two seasonal forms: green adults in summer, whose wing edges can carry a pink fringe, and tan adults in spring. It is drawn to lights, and you may find one resting on the side of your house near a light in the morning. Its caterpillars feed on oaks, especially white oak. Pale Beauty Campaea perlata The pale beauty is a light-colored moth whose caterpillar, the fringed looper, is a gray to brick-red inchworm found on maples and many other trees and shrubs. A fringe of pale hairs along its lower sides and an extra pair of prolegs set it apart from other inchworms. Tulip-tree Beauty Epimecis hortaria The tulip-tree beauty is a geometrid moth of eastern forests and woodlands. Its caterpillar is a stout, oddly proportioned inchworm, swollen just behind the head, that feeds on tulip-tree, sassafras, spicebush, magnolia and other hardwoods and often rests with the front of its body raised in a loop. It is a common forest caterpillar, and no source treats it as a pest. Walnut Sphinx Amorpha juglandis The walnut sphinx is a hawk moth whose caterpillar, a hornworm, feeds on walnuts, hickories, beeches and chestnuts. When something grabs it, the caterpillar whistles by forcing air out through a pair of enlarged breathing pores near its rear end, and the sound makes attacking birds flinch and back off. Waved Sphinx Ceratomia undulosa The waved sphinx is a hawk moth whose caterpillar, a large hornworm, feeds mostly on ash and also on lilac, privet, hawthorn, oak and other trees. It is a close relative of the catalpa sphinx, but it feeds mainly on ash and other members of the olive family rather than catalpa. Boisduval scale Diaspis boisduvalii Boisduval scale is an armored scale insect and the most common armored scale pest of orchids in North Carolina; ScaleNet cites it as the most important insect pest of orchids in Florida and a serious pest of greenhouse orchids in California. It also lives on palms, banana and cacti, and a few scales are enough to damage a plant. No photo yet Azalea whitefly Pealius azaleae The azalea whitefly is a tiny, snow-white insect that looks like a miniature moth and lives on the undersides of azalea leaves, and sometimes on rhododendrons. Its honeydew grows black sooty mold that can turn a shrub almost black, and clouds of adults fly up when an infested plant is brushed. Oak timberworm Arrenodes minutus The oak timberworm, Arrenodes minutus (also spelled Arrhenodes minutus), is a long, slender snout beetle whose larvae tunnel into the wood of wounded oaks and other hardwoods. The small wormholes they leave reduce the value of lumber, and the beetle can also carry the oak wilt fungus. Red-shouldered bostrichid Xylobiops basilaris The red-shouldered bostrichid, Xylobiops basilaris, is a small wood-boring beetle of the eastern United States. It favors hickory, pecan and persimmon, mostly attacks stressed, dying or recently dead trees, and poses little threat to healthy ones. Broad-necked root borer Prionus laticollis The broad-necked root borer, Prionus laticollis, is a large, dark longhorn beetle of the eastern United States. Its grubs feed on roots for 3 to 4 years, girdling and hollowing them, and can kill orchard trees and open-grown trees in parks, pastures and along streets. Tile-horned prionus Prionus imbricornis The tile-horned prionus, Prionus imbricornis, is a large root-boring longhorn beetle of the eastern and central United States. Its grubs feed on roots for 3 to 5 years, and it has been a major cause of pecan decline in Georgia. Hardwood stump borer Mallodon dasystomus The hardwood stump borer, Mallodon dasystomus, is a large longhorn beetle native to the southern United States and Mexico. Its grubs tunnel for years through the sapwood and heartwood near the base of wounded or stressed hardwoods, weakening trees until they break. Pole borer Neandra brunnea The pole borer, Neandra brunnea (listed by the Forest Service as Parandra brunnea), is a wood-boring longhorn beetle found through most of eastern North America. Its larvae enter trees at wounds and dead spots and slowly honeycomb the wood, and they also damage poles, crossties and timbers in contact with the ground. Juniper Geometer Patalene olyzonaria The juniper geometer, also called the juniper-twig geometer, is a small tan moth whose inchworm caterpillar lives on eastern red cedar and other junipers and cedars. The caterpillar is a twig mimic: its checkered pattern, texture and stiff resting pose match cedar so closely that the USDA Forest Service guide says one could scarcely design an insect to match its background better. Grapevine Epimenis Psychomorpha epimenis The grapevine epimenis is a small, fast-flying moth that flies by day only in early spring, often around blooming wild plums. Its black, white and red-orange wings make it easy to mistake for a butterfly. The caterpillars feed on grape leaves and Virginia creeper inside folded-leaf shelters, but MDC says the species does not seem to be a major pest of cultivated grapes. Common Gluphisia Gluphisia septentrionis The common gluphisia is a prominent moth whose caterpillars feed on poplar leaves. That leafy diet is extremely low in sodium, and Cornell researchers found that the males drink from mud puddles for hours, gaining sodium that they pass to their mates and that ends up largely in the eggs. Pawpaw Sphinx Dolba hyloeus The pawpaw sphinx is a hawk moth whose caterpillar, a smooth green hornworm with a slender blue horn, feeds on hollies and related plants, pawpaw and sweetfern. Yaupon holly, a native southeastern evergreen widely used as a landscape plant, is one of its hosts, but UF/IFAS reports that caterpillars on yaupon are relatively uncommon and not known to cause significant damage. Holly Looper Ilexia intractata The holly looper is the caterpillar of the black-dotted ruddy moth (Ilexia intractata, formerly Thysanopyga intractata), a geometrid native to the southeastern United States. The plain green or brown inchworms chew notches in the leaf edges of evergreen hollies such as American holly and yaupon holly. UF/IFAS reports that caterpillars on yaupon holly are relatively uncommon and not known to cause significant damage. Western Tussock Moth Orgyia vetusta The western tussock moth, common throughout California, is a tussock moth whose colorful, tufted caterpillars feed on fruit and nut trees, oaks, willows and many landscape shrubs. Most years they are kept in check by natural enemies, but local outbreaks can strip trees, the caterpillars scar young fruit, and their hairs can irritate skin. Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth Lithacodes fasciola The yellow-shouldered slug is the caterpillar of a slug moth (family Limacodidae). Slug caterpillars are one of the main groups of stinging caterpillars, but this one is a green, yellow-spotted caterpillar whose short hairs are nonstinging and sunk into pits in its corrugated skin. It feeds on many forest trees and shrubs from July to September. No photo yet Muhlygrass mealybug Stemmatomerinx acircula The muhlygrass mealybug is a Florida native that has turned up on ornamental muhly grass farther north: it was found in a Charleston County, South Carolina, home landscape in 2018 and in North Carolina by 2022. Heavy infestations are very noticeable and unsightly, weaken the plants and can delay or prevent the fall flower display. Elderberry borer Desmocerus palliatus The elderberry borer, Desmocerus palliatus, also called the elder borer, is a longhorn beetle of the eastern and central United States whose host is elder. Virginia Tech calls it the most important of the elderberry longhorn beetles; its larvae tunnel through the pith of stems and down into the roots. Southern blue-green citrus root weevil Pachnaeus litus Pachnaeus litus, the southern blue-green citrus root weevil, is one of the most important root weevils in Florida citrus. Adults chew notches in young leaves, but the larvae do the real damage, feeding on roots in the soil. Lacanobia Fruitworm Lacanobia subjuncta The lacanobia fruitworm (Lacanobia subjuncta), also called the speckled cutworm moth, emerged as a new pest of Washington apple orchards. Its caterpillars feed heavily on leaves and can defoliate shoots in a few days, and the older ones also feed on the fruit, leaving damage that looks like a small scoop taken out of the apple. Cherry Fruitworm Grapholita packardi (iNaturalist: Aspila packardi) The cherry fruitworm (Grapholita packardi) is a small tortricid moth whose larvae feed inside the shoots and fruit of blueberry, cherry, apple, pear, plum, hawthorn and related plants. In blueberries the newly hatched larvae tunnel into the berries, and one larva can destroy an entire cluster. No photo yet Blueberry Gall Midge Dasineura oxycoccana The blueberry gall midge (Dasineura oxycoccana) is a tiny fly whose larvae feed inside blueberry buds. In rabbiteye blueberries in Florida, Georgia and Mississippi it is a serious pest of the flower buds, while in northern highbush blueberries it attacks only the growing shoot tips, which become distorted and bushy. Filbert Leafroller Archips rosana The filbert leafroller (Archips rosana), also known as the rose tortrix, is a leafroller moth introduced to North America from the Old World before 1890. Its green caterpillars roll and feed on the new leaves, buds, flowers and small fruits of hazelnuts, fruit trees and many other plants in spring, though natural enemies usually keep it in check. Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana The light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana), often called LBAM, is a leafroller moth native to Australia. It was first found in California in 2006 and is now well established there. Its larvae have been recorded on more than 500 kinds of plants; they web leaves together or to fruit and feed on the fruit surface, leaving scars. Redbay psyllid Trioza magnoliae The redbay psyllid is a tiny sap-feeding insect whose nymphs grow inside long, pocket-like galls formed from the curled edges of new bay leaves. The galls are so common on red bay and swamp bay that they can help identify the trees, and although they look alarming they do little harm to a tree's health. No photo yet Oriental scale Aonidiella orientalis Oriental scale is a small armored scale insect, probably East Asian in origin, that has spread with plant shipments through the tropics and subtropics. In the United States it is established only in Florida, where it turns up most often on coconut palm and other landscape palms, and heavy infestations yellow the leaves and weaken the plant. Cactus bug Chelinidea vittiger The cactus bug is a shield-shaped plant bug that lives on prickly pear cactus. Adults and nymphs feed in groups on the pads, and the first sign is a scatter of round, yellowish spots that can grow until a whole pad looks yellow and pitted. No photo yet Grape mealybug Pseudococcus maritimus Grape mealybug is a soft, waxy insect that spends the winter under loose bark and moves onto shoots, leaves and fruit as the season goes on. In vineyards it fouls grape clusters with cottony egg sacs, honeydew and sooty mold, and it can spread grapevine leafroll virus; it also infests pears. No photo yet Yellow scale Aonidiella citrina Yellow scale is a small armored scale insect whose round, flat, see-through cover looks yellow because the female's body shows through it. It is best known as a citrus pest but also infests dogwood, euonymus, ligustrum (privet) and many other woody plants, and heavy infestations cause leaf drop and twig dieback. Fern scale Pinnaspis aspidistrae Fern scale is a small armored scale insect of ferns, liriope, palms and many foliage plants. The snow-white, ridged covers of the males stand out against dark green leaves, while the brown, oyster-shaped females are easy to overlook, and feeding can leave yellow spots. Apple curculio Anthonomus quadrigibbus The apple curculio, Anthonomus quadrigibbus, is a North American weevil that lays its eggs in young fruit of apple, pear, hawthorn, saskatoon, chokecherry and related plants. The grub stays inside and eats the seeds, and the adults leave small dark punctures on green fruit and shoot tips. In apple orchards it is an occasional pest, far less familiar than the plum curculio. Giant walkingstick Megaphasma denticrus The giant walkingstick, Megaphasma denticrus, is the longest insect in North America, with females reaching about 6 to 7 inches. It is a slow-moving, wingless leaf-eater that passes for a twig in trees and shrubs, and most people only notice one when it wanders onto a building or sidewalk. Cherry Scallop Shell Moth Hydria prunivorata The cherry scallop shell (Hydria prunivorata, listed as Rheumaptera prunivorata in extension and Forest Service guides) is a native moth whose inchworm caterpillars live in groups inside nests of leaves tied together with silk on black cherry and other cherries. It is usually held in check by natural enemies, but in some years it is abundant enough to strip trees and damage stands of black cherry. Eastern Blackheaded Budworm Acleris variana The eastern blackheaded budworm (Acleris variana) is a native moth whose caterpillars feed on the new needles of balsam fir and spruce in northern forests. Outbreaks come every decade or so in some regions and give the upper crowns a red tinge, but they rarely last more than two years and seldom kill trees on their own. Pine Tube Moth Argyrotaenia pinatubana The pine tube moth (Argyrotaenia pinatubana) is a small native moth whose caterpillars bind 5 to 20 eastern white pine needles together with silk to make a tube, then live inside and feed on the tube's end. The tubes are easy to spot but seldom do real harm, and control is rarely if ever needed. Variegated Leafroller Platynota flavedana The variegated leafroller (Platynota flavedana) is a small orange-brown moth of the eastern United States whose larvae fold and web leaves, then feed on blossoms and fruit. It is usually not a major pest of apples in North Carolina, but it has been reported damaging strawberry, peach and rose. Aspen Leaf Miner Phyllocnistis populiella The aspen leaf miner (Phyllocnistis populiella), also called the aspen serpentine leafminer, is a tiny white moth whose larvae carve winding mines in the surface of aspen leaves and give whole stands a silvery look. Outbreaks in Alaska have covered more than 650,000 acres and have lasted for many years, and the insect also reaches outbreak levels in the western United States. No photo yet Greedy scale Hemiberlesia rapax Greedy scale is a tiny armored scale insect that infests hundreds of kinds of woody ornamentals, fruit trees and weeds around the world. Its small gray to white covers crowd the bark of trunks and limbs, and heavy infestations yellow leaves and kill back stems. Tiny parasitic wasps usually keep it in check, and horticultural oil is the low-risk spray when they don't. No photo yet Root mealybugs Rhizoecus Root mealybugs are small, bluish white mealybugs that live in the soil and feed on plant roots. They are most often a problem in potted plants such as African violets and gardenias, and because they stay underground, the first sign is often a declining plant whose roots and soil are dusted with white, waxy fluff. Oleander scale Aspidiotus nerii Oleander scale is a tiny armored scale insect that forms small, round, whitish covers on leaves, stems and fruit. It feeds on hundreds of plants but favors oleander, ivy, sago palm, aucuba and olive. In California landscapes it is generally not damaging, but heavy infestations cause wilting, yellowing and misshapen growth, and its hard cover makes it difficult to control. Dogwood twig borer Oberea tripunctata The dogwood twig borer, Oberea tripunctata, also called the elm twig girdler, is a slender longhorned beetle whose grubs bore down the middle of young shoots. Flowering dogwood is its main host, but elm, viburnum, azalea, blueberry and many other shrubs and trees are attacked. No photo yet Hickory spiral borer Agrilus torquatus The hickory spiral borer, Agrilus torquatus (listed in older references as Agrilus arcuatus torquatus), is a small flatheaded borer of hickory and pecan. Its larva cuts a spiral tunnel inward through a branch or young stem, and the severed stem usually breaks off at that spot. Ligustrum weevil Ochyromera ligustri The ligustrum weevil, Ochyromera ligustri, is a small snout beetle of privet. It was first found in Wake County, North Carolina, in 1959 and is believed to have arrived from Asia in nursery stock. Adults chew holes in privet leaves, and the grubs develop inside the seeds. Strawberry rootworm Paria fragariae The strawberry rootworm, Paria fragariae, is a small leaf beetle named for its root-feeding grubs, but the beetles do most of the damage, chewing small holes in leaves at night. Besides strawberry, it has become a pest of azaleas, especially in container nurseries in the Southeast. Palm Leaf Skeletonizer Homaledra sabalella The palm leaf skeletonizer (Homaledra sabalella) is a small native moth whose caterpillars feed only on palms in the southern United States. They live in groups under silk webbing packed with their own droppings on older fronds, and they sometimes cause serious, unsightly damage. Currant Fruit Fly Euphranta canadensis The currant fruit fly (Euphranta canadensis), also called the gooseberry maggot, is a small yellow fly with banded wings. It lays its eggs under the skin of green currants and gooseberries, and the maggots feed inside, so infested berries color early, often drop, and are not fit to eat. No photo yet Western Tentiform Leafminer Phyllonorycter elmaella The western tentiform leafminer (Phyllonorycter elmaella) is a tiny moth whose larvae feed inside the leaves of apple and cherry trees. The mines cut into the leaf's ability to make food, which can reduce fruit size and quality, but naturally occurring parasitic wasps usually keep it under control. Cypress Tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella The cypress tip moth (Argyresthia cupressella), also called the cypress tipminer, is a tiny western moth whose larvae tunnel inside the shoot tips of arborvitae, cypress, juniper and related conifers. Damage is common on hedges and specimen trees in towns: the mined tips turn yellow, then brown, and look scorched by late winter or spring. Currant Borer Synanthedon tipuliformis The currant borer (Synanthedon tipuliformis), also called the currant clearwing, is a small clear-winged moth whose larvae bore into the canes of currants and gooseberries. Infested shoots wilt and their fruit clusters fail to develop. Red currants are the most susceptible host. Western Avocado Leafroller Amorbia cuneanum The western avocado leafroller (Amorbia cuneana, listed on iNaturalist as Amorbia cuneanum), called amorbia on citrus, is a moth whose green caterpillars tie leaves and fruit together with silk and feed inside. It occurs in most California avocado groves; natural enemies usually keep it below damaging levels, but now and then numbers jump and the caterpillars scar enough fruit to cause severe losses. Walnut aphid Chromaphis juglandicola The walnut aphid is a tiny, pale yellow aphid that feeds scattered over the undersides of walnut leaves. It was once a major walnut pest, but an introduced parasitic wasp, Trioxys pallidus, now keeps it below damaging levels in most orchards, as long as broad-spectrum sprays don't wipe the wasp out. Filbert aphid Myzocallis coryli The filbert aphid is a small, light green to pale yellow aphid that lives only on hazelnuts (filberts), feeding along the veins on the undersides of the leaves. Heavy infestations reduce kernel fill and nut size, but an introduced parasitic wasp makes spraying unnecessary in many orchards. Leafcurl plum aphid Brachycaudus helichrysi The leafcurl plum aphid is a small aphid that ranges from shiny green to brownish green or brownish yellow. It attacks plum, prune and other stone fruits in spring, where its colonies hide inside curled leaves, and spends summer on plants in the daisy family such as chrysanthemum. Cottony grape scale Pulvinaria vitis The cottony grape scale is a soft scale insect of grapevines. In late spring the mature females are easy to spot by the white, cottony egg sacs that stick out behind them, two to three times as long as the scale itself. It can weaken vines, kill twigs and transmit grapevine viruses. No photo yet Citrus thrips Scirtothrips citri Citrus thrips, Scirtothrips citri, is a tiny thrips native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its larvae feed under the sepals of young citrus fruit and leave a ring of grayish or silvery scar tissue on the rind. The damage is cosmetic, but it can lower the fruit's grade. No photo yet Avocado thrips Scirtothrips perseae Avocado thrips, Scirtothrips perseae, is a recent invasive pest of California avocados. It thrives in cool weather and feeds on tender leaves and very young fruit, leaving scabby brown scars that spread as the fruit grows. The fruit inside is fine, but scarred avocados are downgraded or culled. Black Fig Fly Silba adipata The black fig fly (Silba adipata) is an invasive fly that attacks only figs. Females lay eggs through the small opening at the tip of young figs, the maggots feed inside, and infested fruit usually drops early. It was discovered in southern California, where it has turned up in several coastal counties. Banana Moth Opogona sacchari The banana moth (Opogona sacchari) is a small moth whose caterpillars tunnel inside plants. In California it attacks palms, especially queen palm, mostly in nurseries; elsewhere it damages crops such as bananas. Its larvae feed hidden in plant tissue, so the damage is usually the first sign. Carob Moth Ectomyelois ceratoniae The carob moth (Ectomyelois ceratoniae) is a small moth whose pink caterpillars bore into fruit and nuts. In the United States it is a pest of dates in the California and Arizona deserts, and abroad it damages crops such as pomegranates and pistachios. No photo yet Ficus Eye-Spot Midge Horidiplosis ficifolii The ficus eye-spot midge (Horidiplosis ficifolii) is a tiny gall midge from Asia whose larvae feed inside the leaves of Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa), raising blister-like galls that later turn into brown, sunken spots. It was first found in North America in Florida in 2008 and reached Southern California around 2014. Coyote Brush Bud Gall Midge Rhopalomyia californica The coyote brush bud gall midge (Rhopalomyia californica), which UC IPM calls the baccharis gall fly, is a tiny fly whose larvae turn the shoot tips of coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis) into round, knoblike galls. The galls look odd but do not threaten the shrub, and no control is recommended. Pink Scavenger Caterpillar Anatrachyntis rileyi The pink scavenger caterpillar (Anatrachyntis rileyi, formerly Pyroderces rileyi) is the larva of a tiny moth. As its name says, it mostly feeds on dead, dry or rotting plant material, but in large numbers it will feed on sound fruit, and it has caused problems in citrus, banana and corn. Large Aspen Tortrix Choristoneura conflictana The large aspen tortrix (Choristoneura conflictana) is a native moth whose caterpillars roll aspen leaves into silk-tied shelters and feed inside them. Outbreaks can strip whole aspen stands for two or three years and then collapse; healthy trees usually recover. Lesser Maple Spanworm Macaria pustularia The lesser maple spanworm (Macaria pustularia, formerly Itame pustularia) is a small white moth whose green inchworm caterpillars feed on red maple. It is native and often abundant: in late summer it can be the most abundant moth at lights in southern New England. Numbers usually stay low, but an outbreak in New Brunswick in the 1970s badly defoliated red maples. Cherry leafhopper Fieberiella florii The cherry leafhopper is a dark brown leafhopper whose shape and color mimic the buds of the plants it lives on. Cherry is a preferred host, but it also spends the winter on privet, boxwood, hawthorn and other ornamentals. Growers worry about it because it can spread X-disease, also called cherry buckskin. California pear sawfly Pristiphora abbreviata The California pear sawfly is a small, stout wasp whose bright green, caterpillar-like larvae chew round holes in pear leaves in spring. It is an occasional, minor pest: the larvae do not feed on fruit, and healthy trees tolerate a lot of leaf chewing. No photo yet Italian pear scale Epidiaspis leperii Italian pear scale is a small armored scale that lives on the bark of fruit and nut trees, hidden under moss and lichens. It is rarely a pest in commercial pear and apple orchards in California, but heavy infestations can pit, deform and kill branches, especially on pear and plum. Black citrus aphid Aphis aurantii (formerly Toxoptera aurantii) The black citrus aphid is a small, shiny black aphid that feeds in colonies on the tender new growth of citrus, camellia and a very wide range of other plants. It is a tropical and subtropical species that also turns up in greenhouses in cooler regions. No photo yet Oak leaf phylloxera Phylloxera species on oak (e.g., P. davidsoni, P. querceti, P. glabra) Oak leaf phylloxera are tiny, soft-bodied, aphid-like insects that feed on the undersides of oak leaves. Each feeding site turns into a small spot that is bright yellow at first and later brown. In California they are of minor importance and have no apparent effect on tree health, though defoliation can be heavier in the Pacific Northwest. Green apple aphid Aphis pomi The green apple aphid is a small green aphid that crowds onto the tender shoot tips and water sprouts of apple, pear and related trees. Unlike the rosy apple aphid, it stays on apple all year. Heavy colonies curl young leaves and drip honeydew that grows sooty mold on leaves and fruit. Mountain leafhopper Colladonus montanus The mountain leafhopper is a slender, dark brown leafhopper that breeds on clovers, alfalfa and weeds rather than on cherry trees. It matters because it carries the phytoplasma that causes X-disease (cherry buckskin), picking it up from infected cherries or weeds and passing it to healthy trees. Olive psyllid Euphyllura olivina The olive psyllid is a small, light tan, jumping insect that has recently invaded coastal California. Its nymphs feed in colonies on olive buds, flowers and tender shoots under a white waxy coating, and heavy infestations can cut olive yields by 30% to 60%. No photo yet Citricola scale Coccus pseudomagnoliarum Citricola scale is a soft scale of citrus with a single generation a year and no males. Parasitic wasps control it so completely in Southern California that it is almost never seen there, but in the San Joaquin Valley it can be a serious pest whose honeydew and sooty mold cut yield and fruit quality. No photo yet Hawaiian flower thrips Thrips hawaiiensis The Hawaiian flower thrips, Thrips hawaiiensis, called the banana flower thrips where bananas are grown, is a tiny flower-dwelling thrips native to Asia and the Pacific. Trade has carried it to the Americas, Africa, Australia and Europe. In the southeastern United States it breeds in the flowers of many ornamental plants, and on bananas its feeding leaves corky scabs on the fruit. No photo yet Composite thrips Microcephalothrips abdominalis The composite thrips, Microcephalothrips abdominalis, is a tiny brown thrips named for its liking for the composite or daisy family: sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds, dahlias, chrysanthemums and their relatives. It is an important pollinator of many of these plants and damage reports are infrequent, but large numbers can mar petals, spill onto vegetables and spread tobacco streak virus. Saddleback Looper Ectropis crepuscularia The saddleback looper (Ectropis crepuscularia), whose moth is called the small engrailed, is a mottled gray to brown inchworm that looks remarkably like a twig. It feeds alone on the leaves and needles of many forest trees and shrubs, especially conifers. It is common, and only occasionally destructive. Pale-winged Gray Iridopsis ephyraria The pale-winged gray (Iridopsis ephyraria) is a native moth whose inchworm caterpillars feed on many broadleaf trees and shrubs and on conifers. It has only recently been seen damaging eastern hemlock: outbreaks start on understory trees and work up into the crowns, and at high numbers the caterpillars can strip and kill a tree within 2 years. Yellowlined Forest Looper Cladara limitaria The yellowlined forest looper (Cladara limitaria), also called the yellow-lined conifer looper, is a green inchworm with pale yellow side stripes that feeds on the needles of fir, spruce, hemlock, larch and other conifers in late spring. Its moth is known as the mottled gray carpet. Natural Resources Canada calls it a common, innocuous defoliator. Gray Spruce Looper Caripeta divisata The gray spruce looper (Caripeta divisata) is a moth of coniferous forests whose inchworms feed on spruce, fir, hemlock, larch, pine and northern white cedar. The caterpillars are around late in the season, from July into fall. It is common, and occasionally destructive. Autumnal Moth Epirrita autumnata The autumnal moth (Epirrita autumnata) is a moth that, in the East, comes out and lays its eggs in late fall. Its caterpillar, the green velvet looper, is a bright green inchworm that hatches as buds open in spring and feeds on new leaves and needles. It can be locally abundant, but Natural Resources Canada calls it nondestructive. Jack Pine Budworm Choristoneura pinus The jack pine budworm (Choristoneura pinus) is the most common and widespread pine-feeding budworm native to North America. In late spring its caterpillars feed in the pollen cones and new shoots of jack pine and red pine, cutting needles off and tying them up in silk, and by midsummer infested trees look scorched red. Outbreaks last only a few years in one place but come back often. Spruce Bud Moth Zeiraphera canadensis The spruce bud moth (Zeiraphera canadensis) is a native moth whose small caterpillar feeds on the new shoots of white spruce in spring. Its giveaway is the brown bud cap that stays stuck to the tip of a new shoot, tied on with silk, with the caterpillar eating the soft needles beneath it. It prefers open-grown spruce and is at times a serious pest in white spruce plantations. Pine False Looper Zale duplicata The pine false looper (Zale duplicata), also called the pine zale, is a moth whose caterpillars feed on pine needles in June and July, mostly on eastern white pine. The grown caterpillar is rusty brown to gray and appears to mimic bark. Natural Resources Canada calls it a common, innocuous defoliator. No photo yet Orange Spruce Needleminer Coleotechnites piceaella The orange spruce needleminer (Coleotechnites piceaella) is a very small moth whose caterpillars live inside spruce needles. They hollow out the needles, tie them together loosely with silk, and spend the winter inside a mined needle before feeding again in spring. Maple Leafcutter Paraclemensia acerifoliella The maple leafcutter (Paraclemensia acerifoliella) is a tiny native moth whose caterpillar mines inside maple leaves and then cuts out oval disks to build a portable case. The result in summer is leaves full of oval holes and small chewed rings with a green center. Outbreaks have recurred in eastern Canada for two centuries. Black peach aphid Brachycaudus persicae The black peach aphid is a shiny black aphid of peach and nectarine that lives part of the year on the tree's roots. In spring it moves up to the new growth, where its colonies curl, yellow and drop leaves. Olive scale Parlatoria oleae Olive scale is an armored scale insect that looks like a small gray crust on twigs, leaves and fruit. Its feeding leaves purple spots on olives and can leave red spots on fruits such as apples and peaches. It was once a very serious pest of olives and deciduous fruit in California, until introduced parasites brought it under control. No photo yet Gill's mealybug Ferrisia gilli Gill's mealybug is a pinkish gray mealybug covered in long, glassy white wax threads. A fairly new species, it has become a pest of pistachios in California's San Joaquin Valley and of wine grapes in the Sierra foothills, where it fouls fruit and spreads grapevine leafroll viruses. Bluegum psyllid Ctenarytaina eucalypti The bluegum psyllid is a tiny sap-feeding insect from Australia that lives in the growing tips of blue gum and baby blue gum eucalyptus. After it reached California in 1991 it fouled and defoliated commercial cut-foliage plantings, until a parasitic wasp released in 1993 brought it under control. No photo yet Green shield scale Pulvinaria psidii Green shield scale is a soft scale insect of tropical and subtropical plants, from hibiscus and gardenia in landscapes to guava, mango and citrus in orchards. The females surround themselves with white cottony egg sacs, and heavy infestations leave honeydew, black sooty mold and wax that lingers long after the scales die. No photo yet Cypress sawfly Susana cupressi The cypress sawfly is the most common of several Susana sawflies whose larvae feed on cypress and juniper in California. The grayish green larvae chew foliage in groups from late winter to early summer, sometimes leaving a thin canopy and bare stems. Eastern larch beetle Dendroctonus simplex The eastern larch beetle, Dendroctonus simplex, is a native bark beetle of tamarack (eastern larch). It used to cause small outbreaks that ended within a few years, but Minnesota has now had an outbreak every year for 25 years, with more than a million acres of tamarack affected as of 2025. Mediterranean oak borer Xyleborus monographus The Mediterranean oak borer, Xyleborus monographus, is an ambrosia beetle from the Mediterranean region that is killing oaks in the western United States. It was first confirmed infesting valley oaks in Napa County, California, in 2019 and has since been found in oaks in northwest Oregon. In most infested trees, a dead branch has been followed by death of the whole tree within about three years. Eucalyptus snout beetle Gonipterus scutellatus species complex The eucalyptus snout beetle is an Australian weevil that feeds on eucalyptus leaves. Before biological control it could strip nearly all the leaves from large trees in California, but a tiny egg-parasitic wasp now controls it so completely that the beetle is hard to find there. Birch Casebearer Coleophora serratella The birch casebearer (Coleophora serratella) is a small moth native to Europe. Its caterpillars build portable, cigar-shaped cases out of leaf pieces, carry them around on birch and alder leaves, and eat out the inside of the leaf without leaving the case. Heavy infestations can strip a birch of its spring leaves. Aspen Twoleaf Tier Enargia decolor The aspen twoleaf tier (Enargia decolor) is a native moth whose caterpillars feed on trembling aspen and cottonwood. Their calling card is two leaves tied flat against each other with silk, with the caterpillar living between them. Outbreaks can thin or strip aspen crowns but are short-lived, and no specific control is recommended. Whitetriangle Leafroller Clepsis persicana The whitetriangle leafroller (Clepsis persicana), also called the white triangle tortrix or green needleworm, is a small leafroller moth named for the white triangle on the front edge of each orange wing. Its slender green caterpillars feed on more than 40 kinds of trees and shrubs, conifers and broadleaf alike, but Natural Resources Canada calls it a common, innocuous defoliator. Spruce Seed Moth Cydia strobilella The spruce seed moth (Cydia strobilella) is a small, dark brown moth whose larvae live inside spruce cones, feeding on the scales and then the seeds. It is found in the northern United States and Canada as well as from Europe to Japan, and researchers call it a serious pest of spruce cones and a major pest in European spruce seed orchards, which grow seed for replanting forests. Orange Tortrix Argyrotaenia franciscana The orange tortrix (Argyrotaenia franciscana, long known in farm literature as Argyrotaenia citrana) is a leafroller moth of the West Coast's cooler coastal areas and river valleys. Its caterpillars roll and web leaves, feed on developing fruit and let rot into grape clusters, and they feed on more than 40 plant families. Oak Leafshredder Acleris semipurpurana The oak leafshredder (Acleris semipurpurana, formerly Croesia semipurpurana), also called the oak leaf tier or oak leaftier, is a native moth whose caterpillars bore into red oak buds at bud break. The leaves that open are full of small holes and are then tied and rolled together with silk. Outbreaks thin oak crowns for a couple of years, and the caterpillars dangling on silk threads are a nuisance in yards. Bruce Spanworm Operophtera bruceata The Bruce spanworm (Operophtera bruceata) is an inchworm, a close relative of the winter moth, that feeds on maples, poplars and many other hardwoods in spring. The caterpillars hatch as buds open in late April or May and can leave leaves ragged or skeletonized. Outbreaks are usually local and end on their own within a few years. Orangehumped Mapleworm Symmerista leucitys The orangehumped mapleworm (Symmerista leucitys) is a native moth whose boldly striped caterpillars, with an orange head and an orange hump near the tail end, feed on maples, especially sugar maple, and beech in late summer. It occasionally joins other caterpillars in outbreaks that strip northern hardwoods, but because it feeds late in the season the trees usually come through without serious harm. Balsam Gall Midge Paradiplosis tumifex The balsam gall midge (Paradiplosis tumifex), also called the balsam fir needle gallmaker, is a tiny orange fly whose larvae live inside new fir needles. Each larva makes the needle swell into a gall near its base, and the galled needles fall off in autumn. Forest trees suffer little lasting harm, but heavy infestations can make Christmas trees unsellable for years. Cryptomeria scale Aspidiotus cryptomeriae Cryptomeria scale is an armored scale insect from Asia that has become a serious conifer pest from southern New England to the Southeast, above all on Christmas tree farms. It settles on the undersides of needles, mostly on true firs and hemlocks, and causes yellow mottling and early needle drop on the lower and inner branches. Damage can start suddenly and spread quickly through a planting. Woolly whitefly Aleurothrixus floccosus The woolly whitefly is a citrus whitefly whose nymphs are covered in fluffy, waxy filaments on the undersides of leaves. It came to California from Mexico in the 1960s and is one of the main whiteflies of Florida citrus, but in both states it is normally held in check by natural enemies. Outbreaks usually mean something, such as broad-spectrum sprays, ants or extreme weather, has knocked those enemies back. Brown citrus aphid Aphis citricidus The brown citrus aphid (Aphis citricidus, formerly Toxoptera citricida) is one of the world's most serious citrus pests. It feeds on new citrus flush, but its real threat is citrus tristeza virus, which it spreads more efficiently than any other aphid; the virus causes quick decline of trees on sour orange rootstock. Native to Southeast Asia, it has spread to most citrus regions except California and the Mediterranean basin, and it reached Florida in the 1990s, where it has since become rare. Citrus snow scale Unaspis citri Citrus snow scale is an armored scale insect of citrus trunks and limbs. Its name comes from the white covers of the young males, which can coat the bark like snow, while the dark females blend in. Heavy, long-lasting infestations stop the bark from expanding so that it splits, opening the tree to fungi and borers. It is common in Florida groves but today rarely causes economic damage there. Citrus blackfly Aleurocanthus woglumi The citrus blackfly is a whitefly from Asia whose adults are a dusky slate blue instead of white. Its spiny black nymphs suck sap from citrus leaves and drip honeydew that turns the foliage black with sooty mold. It is found from north-central to south Florida, but parasitic wasps normally keep it at very low numbers, so it rarely needs treatment. Green scale Coccus viridis Green scale, also called green coffee scale, is a soft scale of tropical and subtropical regions that feeds on more than 200 plant species, from coffee, guava and citrus to ornamentals such as gardenia and ixora. The scales settle along the leaf veins and on young stems, and their honeydew blackens plants with sooty mold. Florida red scale Chrysomphalus aonidum Florida red scale is an armored scale insect, apparently native to tropical Asia, and one of the most damaging scale pests of citrus. It dots leaves and fruit with small, round, dark scales, and heavy infestations yellow the leaves and can defoliate trees. It also attacks palms, orchids and many ornamentals, including plants kept in greenhouses. Rusty Tussock Moth Orgyia antiqua The rusty tussock moth (Orgyia antiqua) came to North America from Europe and is now established across Canada and south to the mid-Atlantic states and northern California. Its showy, hairy caterpillars feed on more than 50 kinds of trees and shrubs, conifers included. Outbreaks are usually small and short, and the main thing to watch for is the caterpillar hairs, which can cause allergic reactions. Papaya Fruit Fly Anastrepha curvicauda The papaya fruit fly (Anastrepha curvicauda, formerly Toxotrypana curvicauda) is the main insect pest of papaya in the tropical and subtropical Americas. In the United States it lives in southern Florida and southern Texas. The female pushes her very long egg-laying tube into young green papayas, and the maggots feed on the seeds inside, so infested fruit turns yellow and drops early. Palm aphid Cerataphis brasiliensis The palm aphid doesn't look like an aphid. It's a flat, oval, dark brown insect ringed with white wax, easy to mistake for a whitefly or a scale insect. It and one close relative are the only aphids known to infest palms, and it can be a major pest of young landscape palms, especially coconut palms. In the United States it is common in southern Florida. Tessellated scale Eucalymnatus tessellatus Tessellated scale is a soft scale insect named for the checkered, tile-like pattern on the adult female's back. It is probably South American in origin and has been carried around the world on cultivated plants. It is mainly a leaf-feeding greenhouse pest, and in south Florida it is often found outdoors on palms, crape-jasmine and mango. No photo yet Bondar's nesting whitefly Paraleyrodes bondari Bondar's nesting whitefly is a very small whitefly that was detected in Florida in 2011 and is considered an emerging pest there. Its nymphs surround themselves with round 'nests' of white wax, and heavy infestations leave a polka-dot pattern of white nests on black sooty mold across ficus hedges and other ornamentals. It has also spread through tropical regions elsewhere as an invasive pest of horticultural and plantation crops. Glover's scale Lepidosaphes gloverii Glover's scale is a long, narrow, brown armored scale that lives on the bark, leaves and fruit of citrus wherever citrus grows in the tropics and subtropics. It is one of the most important armored scales in Florida citrus, though introduced parasitic wasps have made it much less of a problem than it once was. Heavy infestations leave green spots on ripening fruit and can yellow and drop leaves. No photo yet Chaff scale Parlatoria pergandii Chaff scale is a small, flat, grayish-tan armored scale found on the bark, leaves and fruit of citrus. It is one of the most important armored scales in Florida citrus and a citrus pest across the Gulf Coast states, and it favors older trees with plenty of shade. It also feeds on camellia, boxwood, oleander, ficus and dozens of other plants. Cottony azalea scale Pulvinaria ericicola Cottony azalea scale is a soft scale insect of azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries and other heath-family shrubs in the eastern United States. It is easiest to spot in late spring, when each female sits at the end of a flat, fluffy white egg sac. The scales feed on stems and also on roots, where they are sheltered from parasites and sprays. Irregular pine scale Toumeyella pinicola Irregular pine scale is a soft scale insect known only from California, where it is a serious pest of pines, especially Monterey pine. The females form lumpy, mottled bumps on young shoots that are often blackened by sooty mold, while the males' white cocoons line the needles like grains of rice. Heavy, prolonged infestations can stop new shoot growth and kill young pines. No photo yet Red date scale Phoenicococcus marlatti Red date scale is a small, pinkish scale insect that lives out of the light in the soft, white tissue at the base of date palm leaves and fruit stalks, hidden in fluffy white wax. It came from the Middle East and North Africa on infested date palms and ScaleNet's catalog calls it a serious pest of date palms, but in California's desert date groves it is uncommon, stays in small colonies and needs no treatment. Orange spiny whitefly Aleurocanthus spiniferus The orange spiny whitefly is a citrus pest native to tropical Asia whose spiny black pupae and slate-blue adults look almost identical to citrus blackfly. It reached Hawaii in 1974 and has spread to Africa, Australia, the Caribbean, the Pacific islands and parts of southern Europe, but as of UF's 2005 fact sheet no established populations were known in the continental United States. In several countries, imported parasitic wasps have brought outbreaks under control. No photo yet Mexican mealybug Phenacoccus gossypii The Mexican mealybug is a short-tailed mealybug common on many ornamental plants, including English ivy, geraniums, chrysanthemums, lantana and poinsettias, and a minor pest of lima beans in the warmer parts of the United States. Females are grayish and dusted with white wax, and they lay their eggs in dense white sacs. Numbers can build up quite a bit before the plant shows damage. Oriental Fruit Fly Bactrocera dorsalis The oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) is a very destructive pest of fruit. In the United States it lives on all the major Hawaiian islands, and it is often intercepted on the mainland, where infestations in California and Florida have been found and eradicated again and again. Females lay eggs in more than 150 kinds of fruit and vegetables, and the maggots feed inside. Snowbush Spanworm Melanchroia chephise The snowbush spanworm (Melanchroia chephise) is a banded inchworm that feeds in groups and can strip a snowbush hedge soon after the caterpillars hatch. Its adult, the white-tipped black, is a day-flying moth with dark wings tipped in white. Outbreaks look alarming, but snowbush usually grows back, and the caterpillars pose little risk to people. Royal Poinciana Caterpillar Melipotis acontioides The royal poinciana caterpillar (Melipotis acontioides) is one of the few climbing cutworms that defoliates tall trees. In southern Florida, outbreaks strip royal poinciana trees, sometimes completely. The caterpillars feed at night, swarming up the trunk after sunset, and spend the day hiding in debris at the base of the tree. Apple Leaf Curling Midge Dasineura mali The apple leaf curling midge (Dasineura mali) is a tiny fly from Europe that feeds only on apple. Its pinkish orange maggots feed inside young leaves at the shoot tips and roll the leaf edges into tight tubes. It reached the northeastern United States in the 1960s and western Washington in 1994. Tetrio Sphinx (Frangipani Hornworm) Pseudosphinx tetrio The frangipani hornworm is the caterpillar of the tetrio sphinx (Pseudosphinx tetrio), a large gray moth of the American tropics that also turns up in southern Florida. The caterpillars are hard to miss: velvety black with yellow rings, an orange head and up to 6 inches long. They feed on frangipani (plumeria) and other plants in the dogbane family and can strip a tree in days, though trees usually survive. Fig wax scale Ceroplastes rusci Fig wax scale is a soft scale insect hidden under a thick, domed cap of pinkish to white wax. A pest of figs and citrus in the Mediterranean region, it was first found in Florida nurseries in 1994 and 1995, mostly on ixora, and in 2024 it turned up outdoors in a small fig orchard in San Diego County, California. Red wax scale Ceroplastes rubens Red wax scale, also called pink wax scale, is a soft scale insect covered by a convex cap of pinkish-red wax. It feeds on plants in more than 190 genera and is a major citrus pest in Australia, Hawaii and Japan. In the continental United States it was first found in November 1955 at an Orange County, Florida, nursery on greenhouse-grown aglaonema, apparently brought in on imported foliage plants. Coconut mealybug Nipaecoccus nipae Coconut mealybug, also called spiked, avocado or Kentia mealybug, is a small sap-feeding insect coated in thick yellowish-orange wax that is drawn out into rows of short spikes. It attacks plants in more than 40 families and can damage palms and tropical fruit crops. In the United States it has been recorded from Florida, California and Louisiana. No photo yet Lebbeck mealybug Nipaecoccus viridis Lebbeck mealybug, also called hibiscus mealybug or spherical mealybug, is an invasive mealybug with a reddish-purple body under white to pale yellow wax. It has been in Florida since 2009, and in 2019 it was found feeding on and damaging citrus in Highlands County. It favors fast-growing shoots and fruit, where its feeding leaves lumpy, discolored fruit, twisted leaves and heavy fruit drop. No photo yet Mango shield scale Milviscutulus mangiferae Mango shield scale is a soft scale insect with a flat, shiny, pale-green body shaped almost like a triangle. It occurs widely in tropical and warmer subtropical regions, including Florida and Texas, and it can be a serious pest of mango. It also feeds on citrus, avocado, hibiscus and other ornamentals. No photo yet Obscure mealybug Pseudococcus viburni Obscure mealybug is a powdery, white-waxed mealybug that is nearly identical to grape mealybug and attacks grapes, pears and many other plants. In California it is one of the main mealybugs in North Coast, San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast vineyards. Elsewhere it is a pest of greenhouse crops, and it has been recorded in more than two dozen U.S. states. Coconut scale Aspidiotus destructor Coconut scale is an armored scale insect that feeds on several hundred kinds of plants in tropical and subtropical regions and is a major threat to coconut palms worldwide. Its flat, translucent covers crowd the undersides of leaves like miniature fried eggs, and the toxic saliva it injects turns leaves yellow. In the United States it has been recorded from Florida and Hawaii north to Connecticut and Pennsylvania, though in northern regions it lives only in greenhouses and other enclosed spaces. Mango scale Aulacaspis tubercularis Mango scale, also called white mango scale, is an invasive armored scale insect that infests mango in Florida. Its small white covers cluster on leaves, young stems and fruit, where feeding turns patches of leaf yellow and leaves conspicuous pink blemishes on the fruit skin. It has spread with infested plants to many mango-growing countries. No photo yet Lesser snow scale Pinnaspis strachani Lesser snow scale is an armored scale insect that coats twigs, branches and trunks with snow-white male covers and grayish, mussel-shaped females. It feeds on more than 170 plant genera and is an occasional pest of citrus, hibiscus, palms, mango and banana. In the United States it is widespread in Florida and Hawaii and recorded from Texas east to Georgia. Dictyospermum scale Chrysomphalus dictyospermi Dictyospermum scale is an armored scale insect with a flat, round, grayish to reddish-brown cover, often with a coppery sheen. It feeds on plants in more than 70 families, favoring palms, dracaena and citrus, and it has been a serious citrus pest in Florida and the western Mediterranean. It also infests mango in Florida and lives in greenhouses and indoors in cooler areas. Filament Bearer (Horned Spanworm) Nematocampa resistaria The filament bearer, also called the horned spanworm (Nematocampa resistaria), is an inchworm you can recognize at a glance: it carries two pairs of pale-tipped tentacles on its back. It eats the leaves of many hardwoods, conifers and low plants, from oak and maple to blueberry and strawberry. Natural Resources Canada calls it a common defoliator that only occasionally causes noticeable damage. Pine Measuringworm Hypagyrtis piniata The pine measuringworm (Hypagyrtis piniata) is an inchworm of coniferous forests across Canada and the northern and mountain regions of the eastern United States. Despite its name it feeds on many conifers, including spruce, hemlock, Douglas-fir and fir. Natural Resources Canada describes it as common and innocuous. Small Pine Looper Eupithecia palpata The small pine looper (Eupithecia palpata) is a pug moth whose caterpillars feed on the needles of pine, spruce, fir, larch and other conifers. Grown caterpillars can be found for about five months of the year, from June into October. Natural Resources Canada calls it an innocuous defoliator. Common Gray Anavitrinella pampinaria The common gray (Anavitrinella pampinaria) is a very common geometrid moth whose tan, twig-like inchworms turn up in forests, fields and vacant lots. Its menu is unusually broad: trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, including apple, blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, soybean, cotton, clover and even grass. No photo yet Green Larch Looper (Six-Spotted Angle) Macaria sexmaculata The green larch looper (Macaria sexmaculata), whose moth is also known as the lesser larch angle, is an inchworm of larch and tamarack. It lives mainly in northern wetlands but also wherever larches are planted, including parks and yards. Natural Resources Canada calls it common, frequently abundant and occasionally destructive. Spruce-Fir Looper (Pale-Marked Angle) Macaria signaria The spruce-fir looper (Macaria signaria), known as the pale-marked angle in its moth stage, is a green inchworm of conifer forests and bogs. It ranges across both North America and Eurasia. Its caterpillars feed on spruce, fir, hemlock, larch and, in the West, Douglas-fir. Natural Resources Canada describes it as common and occasionally abundant but innocuous. Morrison's Pero Pero morrisonaria Morrison's pero (Pero morrisonaria) is a geometrid moth whose caterpillar is a convincing twig mimic. It feeds mostly on conifers such as fir, spruce, hemlock, larch, pine and, in the West, Douglas-fir. In Connecticut and Maryland it is common; Natural Resources Canada rates it relatively uncommon and innocuous in British Columbia. White Slant-Line Tetracis cachexiata The white slant-line (Tetracis cachexiata) is a geometrid moth whose caterpillar is a fine twig mimic: brown or gray, warty, with a thickened 'shoulder' behind the head. It feeds on a wide range of hardwoods and conifers. The USDA Forest Service geometroid guide calls it very common in Connecticut and Maryland, and Natural Resources Canada describes it as innocuous. Jocose Sallow (The Joker) Feralia jocosa The jocose sallow (Feralia jocosa), known in Canada as the redlined conifer caterpillar, is a noctuid moth whose caterpillar is deep green and, in the words of the USDA Forest Service eastern forest guide, stunningly marked with red, white and yellow. It feeds on the needles of fir, spruce, hemlock and other conifers in late spring and early summer. Natural Resources Canada calls it common and innocuous. Big Poplar Sphinx (Modest Sphinx) Pachysphinx modesta The big poplar sphinx, or modest sphinx (Pachysphinx modesta), is a large hawk moth found through much of North America. Its caterpillar is a big, pale green hornworm that feeds on poplars, including aspen and cottonwood, and in Alberta it is reputed to be the heaviest insect in the province. The species is common and widespread. No photo yet Vine mealybug Planococcus ficus Vine mealybug is an invasive mealybug that now occurs in all the major grape-growing areas of California. Unlike the other mealybugs found on grapes, it lives on roots as well as on the trunk, leaves and clusters, and it can spread grapevine leafroll viruses. No photo yet Passionvine mealybug Planococcus minor Passionvine mealybug, also called Pacific mealybug, is an Asian mealybug that feeds on more than 250 kinds of plants, cocoa above all. It was found in the continental United States for the first time in southern Florida in December 2010, after USDA APHIS had listed it as a high-priority threat. It looks so much like citrus mealybug that the two are often confused. Chinese wax scale Ceroplastes sinensis Chinese wax scale is a soft scale insect that hides under a domed cap of white wax. Despite its name, it probably comes from Central or South America. It is a citrus pest in Australia, Italy and Spain, and in California it is one of the wax scales that sometimes build up on landscape shrubs. Pyriform scale Protopulvinaria pyriformis Pyriform scale is a flat soft scale named for its pear-like (pyriform) or heart-shaped outline. It spends its whole life on the undersides of leaves and is a serious pest of fruit trees and ornamentals in several tropical and subtropical countries. In Florida it is one of the scales that infest mango. Plumose scale Morganella longispina Plumose scale, also called Maskell scale, is a tiny armored scale with a round, almost black cover that lives on the bark of branches. It feeds on plants in more than 80 genera, and in Florida it is a pest of ornamental plants and has damaged mango and fig. No photo yet Harrisia cactus mealybug Hypogeococcus pungens Hypogeococcus pungens, called the Harrisia cactus mealybug, is a small pinkish mealybug from South America. In Florida it shows up mostly as cottony clusters on purslane and Alternanthera and is rarely found on cacti, but a cactus-feeding form is badly damaging native columnar cacti in Puerto Rico. Elm-grass root aphid Tetraneura ulmi The elm-grass root aphid, also called the elm sack gall aphid, lives on two very different hosts. In spring it raises small stalked sack galls on elm leaves, and in early summer winged aphids leave the galls for grass roots, where ants tend them. Mealy plum aphid Hyalopterus pruni Mealy plum aphids are pale green aphids coated in white mealy wax that build up on the undersides of plum and prune leaves in spring. They leave for cattails and reed grass in early summer and come back in fall to lay their eggs. Spotted gum lerp psyllid Eucalyptolyma maideni The spotted gum lerp psyllid is an Australian insect first found in California in August 2000 on a lemon-scented gum in Los Angeles. It quickly spread through Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties and became a major pest of ornamental lemon-scented gum and spotted gum eucalyptus. Eastern Pine Shoot Borer Eucopina gloriola The eastern pine shoot borer (Eucopina gloriola, formerly Eucosma gloriola), also called the white pine shoot borer, is a native moth of northeastern North America. Its caterpillar tunnels down the pith of new pine shoots, which droop, turn yellow or red and break off. Trees are not killed, but the damage is costly on Christmas tree plantings, where it leaves short, crooked leaders. Fir Coneworm Dioryctria abietivorella The fir coneworm (Dioryctria abietivorella, often recorded under the older name D. abietella) is a transcontinental moth whose caterpillar feeds in the cones of many conifers, and sometimes in shoots and bark. It does not seriously harm the tree, but in a bad year it can destroy an entire cone and seed crop, which makes it a particular problem in seed orchards. Northern Pitch Twig Moth Retinia albicapitana The northern pitch twig moth, also called the pitch nodule maker (Retinia albicapitana, formerly Petrova albicapitana), is a small moth of the northern pine country. Its caterpillar spends two years feeding in the bark and wood of young pines under a nodule of resin, silk and frass, usually at a branch whorl. Partly girdled leaders break in wind or wet snow, leaving crooked or multiple stems. Jack, lodgepole and Scots pines in plantations, shelterbelts and yards are the usual victims. No photo yet Western Pine Budworm Choristoneura lambertiana The western pine budworm, also called the sugar pine tortrix (Choristoneura lambertiana), is a native relative of the spruce budworm and the only pine-feeding budworm west of the Rocky Mountains. Its caterpillars feed on pollen cones, buds and new needles of western pines, tying the needles into silk shelters. Local populations can turn a few trees red, but the big regional outbreaks of its spruce-feeding cousins have not been reported, and the species is one of the least studied in the group. No photo yet Red Pine Needle Midge Thecodiplosis piniresinosae The red pine needle midge (Thecodiplosis piniresinosae) is a small gall midge, a fly, whose larvae live inside the needle sheaths of red pine. The needles they feed on stay short, turn brown in September and fall early. Damage is occasional and local, worst on slow-growing trees, and the midge does not threaten a tree's survival. Spruce Coneworm Dioryctria reniculelloides The spruce coneworm (Dioryctria reniculelloides, long listed as D. reniculella) is a native moth of the northern conifer forest. Its caterpillar feeds mainly in the cones of spruce and balsam fir, leaving holes and webbed frass, and switches to buds and needles when cones are scarce. It often turns up alongside the spruce budworm, and in good cone years it can take a heavy toll of white spruce seed. Phantom Hemlock Looper Nepytia phantasmaria The phantom hemlock looper (Nepytia phantasmaria) is a common inchworm moth of the Pacific coast, from British Columbia to California. Its lime-green caterpillar feeds alone on Douglas-fir, western hemlock and other conifers and is rarely noticed, but outbreaks are local and sporadic, and when they come they can kill trees, especially in city parks. Western False Hemlock Looper Nepytia freemani The western false hemlock looper (Nepytia freemani) is a common inchworm of Douglas-fir and fir forests in British Columbia and the interior western states. Its striped tan-and-yellow caterpillar is a wasteful feeder that bites needles off at the base, so a heavily infested tree looks scorched. Local outbreaks in young stands come and go without needing control. Greenstriped Forest Looper Melanolophia imitata The greenstriped forest looper (Melanolophia imitata) is a geometrid moth of the Pacific coast, from Alaska to southern California and inland to Alberta, that prefers humid forest. Its big apple-green caterpillar feeds alone on the foliage of western hemlock, Douglas-fir, western redcedar, true firs and spruce. It is normally abundant without being destructive, but an epidemic on Vancouver Island in 1960 and 1961 killed a large volume of western hemlock. Poplar Carpenterworm Acossus centerensis The poplar carpenterworm (Acossus centerensis) is a northern cossid moth, a relative of the carpenterworm, found from New Jersey west to Illinois and North Dakota and across Canada from Quebec to British Columbia. Its caterpillar bores in the wood of living poplars, including trembling aspen and balsam poplar. Like other wood borers it usually goes unnoticed until the riddled stem breaks in wind or snow. No photo yet Hemlock sawfly Neodiprion tsugae The hemlock sawfly is a native defoliator of western hemlock in the Pacific coastal forests of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and southeast Alaska, with interior populations in British Columbia, northeast Washington, Idaho and Montana. Its larvae feed in groups on older needles, and in outbreak years, such as the 2018 to 2019 outbreak in southeast Alaska, they can strip the old foliage from whole hillsides of hemlock. European spruce sawfly Gilpinia hercyniae The European spruce sawfly is an introduced defoliator of spruce, first detected in North America near Ottawa in 1922. Its outbreaks of the 1930s spread from Quebec through the Maritimes and into the adjacent United States before collapsing under an introduced virus and parasitoids, and no significant outbreak has been recorded since the late 1940s. Today it turns up as scattered, short-lived defoliation of older spruce needles. No photo yet Balsam fir sawfly Neodiprion abietis The balsam fir sawfly is a native North American defoliator of young and semi-mature balsam fir. Its larvae feed in groups and strip the needles of the previous year, turning them yellow and then red, and its outbreaks recur about every ten years and normally last three to five. Since the 1990s, outbreaks in thinned stands and plantations in eastern Canada have lasted longer and done more damage, which concerns both the forest industry and Christmas tree growers. Amber-marked birch leafminer Profenusa thomsoni The amber-marked birch leafminer is a small, stingless sawfly from Europe and Asia whose larvae feed inside birch leaves. Believed to have reached eastern North America early in the twentieth century, it spread across Canada and into Alaska in the early 1990s, where it has caused heavy infestations of birch in Anchorage since 2002 and later around Fairbanks. Its mines turn leaves yellowish brown in late July and August, often mistaken for early fall color. No photo yet Western webspinning sawfly Cephalcia californica The western webspinning sawfly is a web-building sawfly of western North America, from British Columbia and Alberta south to California. Its larvae eat the older needles of pines, and in the Pacific Northwest handbook also spruce, while living in loose silk webs that fill with frass. Heavily infested trees can be covered with large, unsightly webs, and it occasionally does real damage to pines planted in towns and to lodgepole pine seed orchards. Red pine sawfly Neodiprion nanulus The red pine sawfly is a native North American sawfly of hard pines. It has two subspecies that look and live alike but occupy opposite sides of the Rocky Mountains: Neodiprion nanulus nanulus east of the mountains on red, jack and pitch pine, and N. nanulus contortae in and west of them on lodgepole and ponderosa pine. Colonies of striped green larvae strip the older needles in late spring and early summer and leave the current year's growth at the shoot tips. No photo yet Swaine jack pine sawfly Neodiprion swainei The Swaine jack pine sawfly is a native defoliator of jack pine east of the Rocky Mountains. Its colonies of pale larvae feed at the branch tips in mid to late summer, stripping old needles while a chemical in the new foliage keeps them off the current year's growth. It caused a series of damaging outbreaks in Ontario and Quebec between 1945 and 1970, the last large one in Quebec in 1994, and has since been a localized problem. No photo yet Douglas-fir twig weevil Cylindrocopturus furnissi Reddish-brown, dying branch tips on a young Douglas-fir, especially in a Christmas tree plantation or a new planting in a dry year, are the usual first sign of the Douglas-fir twig weevil. The adult is a wingless beetle about a tenth of an inch long, and the damage comes from its larvae, which mine just under the bark of twigs and small stems. Healthy trees shrug it off; stressed seedlings can lose their tops or die. Ash and privet borer Tylonotus bimaculatus The ash and privet borer is a native longhorn beetle whose larvae tunnel beneath the bark of ash, privet, elm, hickory and several other hardwoods. It favors trees that are old, drought-injured or otherwise stressed, killing an ash a branch at a time from the top down, and it is the borer most likely to wreck a privet hedge, where it attacks at the base of the plants. In dry regions such as the Great Plains it has been a serious pest of windbreak ash. Epinotia hopkinsana Epinotia hopkinsana Epinotia hopkinsana is a small moth of the Pacific coast, from California north through coastal British Columbia. It has no common name. The caterpillar spends the winter inside a mined needle, then moves in early spring to the swelling buds, new shoots and young cones of Sitka spruce, lodgepole and shore pine, true firs and Monterey pine. Natural Resources Canada rates the damage to newly flushed shoots as relatively minor. No photo yet Dioryctria pseudotsugella Dioryctria pseudotsugella Dioryctria pseudotsugella is a small western moth in the same genus as the fir coneworm and the Zimmerman pine moth, but it does far less harm. Its caterpillar feeds singly on the foliage and cones of Douglas-fir, and occasionally on grand fir, spruce and hemlock, from May to July. Natural Resources Canada describes it as a common, occasionally abundant and innocuous defoliator whose numbers rise and fall in step with the western spruce budworm. Birch-Aspen Leafroller Epinotia solandriana The birch-aspen leafroller (Epinotia solandriana) is a small moth of the northern hardwood forest, known in Europe since 1758 and first reported in North America in British Columbia in 1909. Its caterpillar eats into swelling buds in spring, chews the unfolding leaves, and then rolls a leaf into a small tube to feed inside. White birch, trembling aspen, alders and yellow birch are the hosts. It is sometimes abundant in the Northeast and Ontario, but its damage is usually sporadic and local. Larch Needleworm Zeiraphera improbana The larch needleworm, also called the larch bud moth (Zeiraphera improbana), is a small native moth of tamarack and western larch across southern Canada and the northern United States. Its caterpillars web bundles of young needles into compact silk tubes in May and June. When numbers are high the trees turn red and lose growth, but the damage comes early enough for a new set of needles before winter, and outbreaks are usually short-lived. For years it was confused with the European larch bud moth, Zeiraphera diniana. Cypress Leaftier Epinotia subviridis The cypress leaftier (Epinotia subviridis) is a small moth of the Pacific coast, from southern California north through Oregon and Washington into British Columbia. Its caterpillar spends the winter small, starts feeding again in March, and builds a cocoon-like shelter of frass, gnawed twigs and foliage near the shoot tips of cypress, arborvitae, redcedar and juniper. The USDA manual calls it a significant pest of ornamental cypress, and heavy infestations turn trees brown early in spring. It often shares a tree with the cypress tip moth. Metallic Pitch Blister Moth Retinia metallica The metallic pitch blister moth, also called the metallic pitch nodule moth (Retinia metallica, long listed as Petrova metallica), is a small mottled gray moth of the western mountains, from California, Colorado and Minnesota north to southern Yukon. Its caterpillar mines lengthwise inside a current-year shoot of ponderosa or lodgepole pine under a blister of resin, killing buds and sometimes the leader. The result on a young tree is a dead terminal or a crooked, forked stem. Pines half a metre to five metres tall in plantations, nurseries, seed orchards, shelterbelts and yards take most of the reported injury. Promylea lunigerella Promylea lunigerella Promylea lunigerella is a small gray moth of the coastal conifer forest from British Columbia and Washington south to California, with records from Colorado. It has no common name. Its green caterpillar, marked with a broad yellow stripe low on each side, feeds singly on the needles of grand fir, amabilis fir, Douglas-fir and western hemlock in May and June. Natural Resources Canada classes it as a common but innocuous defoliator, and the USDA manual calls it little known. Argyrotaenia dorsalana Argyrotaenia dorsalana Argyrotaenia dorsalana is a small straw-yellow moth of western conifer forests, found from California north into southern British Columbia and east to Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. It has no common name. Its grass-green caterpillar feeds singly on the foliage of Douglas-fir and, less often, western hemlock, western larch, Engelmann spruce, grand and white fir and ponderosa pine from early May to mid-June. Natural Resources Canada rates it a common but innocuous defoliator, and the USDA manual says it occurs in small numbers. Spruce Tip Moth Epinotia radicana The spruce tip moth, also called the red-striped needleworm (Epinotia radicana; the USDA manuals list it as Griselda radicana), is a small ashy-gray moth found right across the continent, from California and British Columbia to Newfoundland. Its small caterpillar feeds in the opening buds and on the current year's needles of spruce, Douglas-fir and true firs from late May to early July, much as the spruce budworm does, and it often occurs with the budworm. Unlike the budworm, it is not known to reach outbreak proportions. Spruce Needleworm Hypsopygia thymetusalis The spruce needleworm (Hypsopygia thymetusalis; older sources call it Dolichomia or Herculia thymetusalis) is a pyralid moth that lives on spruce from the Atlantic coast to Alberta and the central interior of British Columbia. Its tan, black-headed caterpillar feeds on the needles through the summer. Natural Resources Canada rates it a rather uncommon and innocuous defoliator, though in Manitoba and Saskatchewan it is one of a group of insects that defoliate the tops of black spruce. No photo yet Woolly pine scale Pseudophilippia quaintancii The woolly pine scale is a soft scale insect of pines in the eastern and southeastern United States. In most pine forests it stays at harmless levels, and it becomes a pest mainly where insecticides sprayed for other pests have killed off its natural enemies: seed orchards, Christmas tree plantations and ornamental plantings. Its calling card is fluffy, snow-white wax, first on the new shoots in spring and later on the older needles, which can make a whole tree look flocked. No photo yet Red pine scale Matsucoccus matsumurae The red pine scale is a tiny bast scale that feeds through the bark of red pine and a few Asian pines. It was discovered in 1946 killing 30-year-old red pine plantations at Easton, Connecticut, and became one of the most important insect pests of red pine in the Northeast, killing thousands of trees from nursery stock to mature timber. The American population was described as Matsucoccus resinosae; ScaleNet now treats that name as a synonym of the Asian species Matsucoccus matsumurae. Pine leaf adelgid Pineus pinifoliae The pine leaf adelgid is a native insect with a two-year double life. It spends one spring making cone-shaped galls on the new shoots of red and black spruce, then flies to eastern white pine, where its tiny offspring feed on the current year's shoots and can kill them. The spruce galls are mostly cosmetic; the pine side is what matters, and where white pine grows next to red or black spruce it is regarded as a very important pest. No photo yet Loblolly pine sawfly Neodiprion taedae The loblolly pine sawfly, Neodiprion taedae linearis, is one of the most serious insect pests of loblolly and shortleaf pine stands in the South-central United States. Its larvae hatch in late winter and early spring and can strip medium and large forest pines of their old needles before the new shoots expand. Trees are not known to die from its feeding, but a heavy defoliation can cut diameter growth in half for several years, and Arkansas outbreaks have covered as much as three million acres. Blackheaded pine sawfly Neodiprion excitans The blackheaded pine sawfly is an important native defoliator of pines across the South from Virginia to Texas, with serious outbreaks recorded in Florida and Texas. Unlike the spring-feeding pine sawflies, it breeds through the whole warm season, four or five generations a year, and does most of its damage in late summer and early fall, so a heavily infested pine can stand bare through the winter. No photo yet Jack pine sawfly Neodiprion pratti Neodiprion pratti is a native pine sawfly with two faces. In the Lake States and southern Canada the subspecies banksianae, the jack pine sawfly, is a serious defoliator of jack pine that became destructive once large, even-aged stands of jack pine were planted or seeded in after fires. In the South the subspecies pratti, the Virginia pine sawfly, feeds on loblolly, sand and Virginia pine. Both strip the previous year's needles in spring and leave the new growth alone, so damaged trees keep tufts of fresh needles at the branch tips. Pinyon sawfly Neodiprion edulicolus The pinyon sawfly is a native defoliator of pinyon pines in the Southwest and Great Basin. In eastern Nevada it has stripped more than 100,000 acres of single-leaf pinyon in a single outbreak, hitting small trees hardest and spoiling many for sale as Christmas trees. Its larvae are fussy about temperature: an Arizona population declined over twelve years as April lows swung too cold or too warm, and the insect rarely lives above about 1,900 meters even where its host trees are abundant. Green alder sawfly Monsoma pulveratum The green alder sawfly is a non-native sawfly from Europe, North Africa and the Near East whose larvae have been defoliating riparian stands of thin-leaf alder across southcentral Alaska, and it is the most commonly encountered sawfly on alder in Southeast Alaska. It turned up in the Pacific Northwest near Vancouver, Washington in 2010, where trapping found it already spread across 27 counties, though on red alder its damage has been minor. Unlike the native alder sawflies, it spends the winter inside dead wood rather than in the soil. No photo yet Neodiprion autumnalis (ponderosa pine sawfly) Neodiprion autumnalis Neodiprion autumnalis has no settled common name, but it is the most wide-ranging of the pine sawflies that feed on ponderosa pine, known across the western United States and throughout the pine forests of Mexico. The species name refers to its fall-emerging adults, which lay eggs that overwinter in the needles; the orange-headed larvae hatch the next spring and can feed until late summer. Outbreaks in the early 1990s covered 84,000 acres in eastern Wyoming and thousands more in western South Dakota, with widely spaced trees on dry, poor soils hit hardest. Woolly alder sawfly Eriocampa ovata The woolly alder sawfly is a non-native sawfly of alders whose larvae wear a white, waxy, hair-like coat that gets thicker as they grow. They chew small holes that give the leaf a shotgun look and then eat everything but the main veins. In Alaska it was the likely cause of the 2025 alder defoliation along the Matanuska and Knik Rivers and left pockets of severe damage in Southcentral Alaska; in Nova Scotia it is listed among the pests of the Acadian forest. Alders tolerate it well, and no insecticide is needed. No photo yet Balsam shootboring sawfly Pleroneura brunneicornis The balsam shootboring sawfly is a native insect of balsam fir whose larvae tunnel into the current year's shoots. By late June the attacked shoots wilt, flatten and turn reddish brown, damage easily mistaken for a late frost, and in bad weather they drop off. It prefers young firs under two meters tall in open areas and Christmas tree plantations, but even in large numbers it does not kill trees, and infestations are short-lived. Western Conifer Looper Caripeta aequaliaria The western conifer looper (Caripeta aequaliaria) is a geometrid moth of the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. Its inchworm, up to 42 mm long, comes in two color forms and feeds in the open on Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine needles through the summer. Natural Resources Canada calls it a relatively uncommon solitary defoliator, and the USDA Forest Service manual says Caripeta larvae cause no significant damage to conifers. Variable Girdle Moth Sabulodes venata The variable girdle moth (Sabulodes venata; Natural Resources Canada and the USDA Forest Service list it as Enypia venata) is a geometrid moth whose rusty brown inchworm feeds on the needles of western hemlock, Douglas-fir, true firs, spruce and pine. It is the most widely distributed of the four Enypia species, ranging from southern Alaska to Arizona and New Mexico. Natural Resources Canada rates it a common but innocuous solitary defoliator, and the USDA manual says these larvae cause no significant damage. Packard's Girdle Moth Sabulodes packardata Packard's girdle moth (Sabulodes packardata; Natural Resources Canada and the USDA Forest Service call it Enypia packardata, and the USDA manual names it the redheaded looper) is a coastal geometrid moth found from southern Alaska through coastal British Columbia to California. Its bright green, white-striped inchworm feeds on Douglas-fir and western hemlock needles. It is common but innocuous. Brownlined Looper Neoalcis californiaria The brownlined looper (Neoalcis californiaria) is the only species in its genus. Its elongate, twig-mimicking inchworm feeds on the needles of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar and true firs in British Columbia and Oregon. Natural Resources Canada rates it a common innocuous solitary defoliator and the USDA Forest Service manual calls it common and nondestructive. Hoary Conifer Looper Nepytia umbrosaria The hoary conifer looper (Nepytia umbrosaria) is one of four Nepytia species feeding on conifers in the West. Natural Resources Canada and the USDA Forest Service manual describe its western subspecies, N. umbrosaria nigrovenaria, which lives as scattered individuals on Douglas-fir, western hemlock, firs and other conifers in British Columbia and, in California, ties together the needle tips of young Monterey pine. Its boldly striped cream, orange and rust inchworm reaches 35 mm. Natural Resources Canada rates it common and innocuous. No photo yet Brown Cedar Leafminer Coleotechnites thujaella The brown cedar leafminer (Coleotechnites thujaella) is one of four small moths whose larvae tunnel inside the scale-like leaves of arborvitae (eastern white cedar) in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. With the arborvitae leafminer (Argyresthia thuiella) it is the most common of the group, and all four are often found on the same tree. The mines turn the leaflet tips dull yellow and then brown, and the USDA Forest Service manual says ornamental arborvitae is subject to serious injury. Pitch Gall Midges Cecidomyia Pitch gall midges, also called resin gall midges or pine pitch midges, are several species of tiny mosquito-like flies in the genus Cecidomyia. Their maggots bore into the cambium of pine twigs in spring, and the pitch that oozes out forms a white mass almost half an inch wide in which the orange maggots develop. The best-known species, the gouty pitch midge, is a transcontinental native that feeds inside the current year's shoots of ponderosa, pitch, Virginia and jack pine, killing needle tufts and twig tips and, in prolonged outbreaks, stunting plantation trees. Hickory Gall Midges Caryomyia Hickory gall midges are gall flies of the genus Caryomyia whose maggots develop inside galls on hickory leaves. NC State describes the hickory peach gall midge (Caryomyia persicoides), which makes small, fuzzy, more or less spherical galls on the undersides of the leaves, and the USDA Forest Service manual lists three more species, C. holotricha, C. sanguinolenta and C. tubicola, among the gall midges that produce galls on hickory. The galls are rarely abundant enough to injure a tree. Late birch leaf edgeminer Heterarthrus nemoratus The late birch leaf edgeminer is one of three leaf-mining sawflies accidentally brought from Europe to North America early in the 20th century; all three are now widespread in Canada and the northern United States. It attacks mature birch leaves from July on, mining inward from the leaf edge, and its mines take on a reddish color that sets them apart from the yellow-brown blotches of the amber-marked birch leafminer. The damage is mostly cosmetic: a healthy birch tolerates years of light to moderate mining, and no birch deaths have been attributed to the insect alone. No photo yet Neodiprion mundus Neodiprion mundus Neodiprion mundus is a native sawfly of western North America that feeds only on ponderosa pine. Its larvae feed openly in colonies on the previous years' needles, so the fresh needles at the shoot tips look untouched even on a well-chewed branch. It is common across the pine's range but rarely reaches destructive numbers; because it never eats the current year's foliage, it does not completely defoliate a tree, and localized outbreaks are infrequent. Cottony maple leaf scale Pulvinaria acericola The cottony maple leaf scale is a soft scale easily confused with the cottony maple scale; the two were treated as one species until 1898. The giveaway is where the white cottony egg sacs sit: this species lays on the leaves, while the cottony maple scale lays along twigs and small branches. It feeds on maples, hollies, dogwood, sourgum and several other broadleaf plants, produces one generation a year, and is usually worth treating only when populations are high and the plant is showing damage. Shortneedle evergreen scale Dynaspidiotus tsugae The shortneedle evergreen scale, also called the shortneedle conifer scale, is a non-native armored scale first noticed in New Jersey in 1910 on Japanese hemlocks shipped from Japan. It has since been reported from Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Rhode Island, and a white spruce sample from Cape Cod confirmed it in Massachusetts in 2017. It settles on the undersides of hemlock, spruce, fir and yew needles, and in Connecticut it has historically been a serious pest of native eastern hemlock, yellowing needles, dropping them early and sometimes killing trees. No photo yet Hemlock scale Hemiberlesia ithacae The hemlock scale is a native armored scale with a round, dark cover about 2 mm across. It feeds on the undersides of needles, hemlock first of all but also spruce, fir, Douglas-fir and pine, and the first sign is often a small yellow spot on the upper side of the needle. Four to six scales on a needle are enough to yellow it and make it drop. It is easy to confuse with the elongate hemlock scale and the introduced shortneedle evergreen scale, which share its hosts. Rose scale Aulacaspis rosae The rose scale is an armored scale of roses and their relatives. Its flat, white, nearly circular covers coat the canes of roses, raspberries, blackberries and currants, and a heavy infestation can cause rose canes to decline and die back or kill the plant. Mississippi State calls it one of the more common armored scales on roses. Crawlers spread it along the plant and on the wind; settled scales and eggs travel on infested plants. On roses, winter pruning of the worst canes plus an oil spray usually gives sufficient control, and parasitic wasps attack it. Twomarked treehopper Enchenopa binotata The twomarked treehopper is an 8 mm, brown-black hopper with two yellowish spots on its back. It is really a complex of closely related species, each tied to its own host plant, found mainly in eastern North America on black walnut and other nut trees, black locust, redbud, viburnum, hoptree and grapevines. Nymphs crowd the tips of new shoots to suck sap, adults line up in rows on the same shoots, and the females leave slits and frothy white egg masses in the twigs. It is abundant but rarely does enough damage to justify control. Cactus scale Diaspis echinocacti The cactus scale is an armored scale of cacti and succulents, probably native to the New World and now found wherever cacti are grown, under glass in cold climates. Its whitish to tan, slightly convex covers, each with a brown off-center dot, speckle the smooth surfaces of prickly pear pads, columnar cacti, orchid and holiday cacti and dozens of other genera. Feeding reduces photosynthesis and can wither entire pads or whole plants, and it is a particularly serious pest in greenhouses; in the United States it has been reported from most states and is widespread in California. Pecan spittlebug Clastoptera achatina The pecan spittlebug is a small brown hopper whose nymphs hide in frothy white spittle on pecan and hickory twigs. It is common in pecan orchards of the southeastern United States and recorded from Kansas and Michigan to Florida, plus Canada and Mexico. Like other spittlebugs it overwinters as eggs in twig bark, has one generation a year and causes little direct damage, but Louisiana tests showed it can carry Xylella fastidiosa, the bacterium that causes pecan bacterial leaf scorch, from infected pecans to healthy ones. Chestnut weevils Curculio sayi Chestnut weevils nearly vanished with the American chestnut, and the greater chestnut weevil was presumed extinct, unseen for more than two decades, until community scientists photographed it on hybrid chestnut plantings and native Allegheny chinquapin. Now that blight-resistant chestnuts are being planted again, the lesser chestnut weevil is a resurgent pest, with infestations that can go from zero to nearly 100 percent of a crop in as little as two years. The grubs feed inside the nut and chew out weeks after harvest, which is why Kentucky's advice is to gather nuts daily and heat cured nuts to 140 F for 30 minutes. Pandemis Leafroller (Apple Pandemis) Pandemis pyrusana The pandemis leafroller, also called apple pandemis (Pandemis pyrusana), is one of the two-generation leafrollers of western apple orchards. Its green caterpillars with a green, straw- or gold-colored head overwinter in buds or under bark, feed on blossoms and young fruit in spring, and then windowpane leaves and tie them to fruit in summer. In California it is mainly a Central Coast orchard pest that builds up in cooler years and cooler sites. Oak Leafroller Archips semiferanus The oak leafroller (Archips semiferanus, written A. semiferana in extension sources) is a native leafroller of oaks with one generation a year. Its eggs overwinter on twigs and hatch at oak budbreak, and the creamy white to green caterpillars web the emerging leaves together, skeletonize and shred them, roll single leaves as they grow, and drop on silk threads when disturbed. Most years natural enemies hold it down, but outbreaks have covered large areas, and in the Texas Hill Country mid-April can bring hundreds of dangling caterpillars that drive people off their patios. No photo yet Boxelder Leafroller Archips negundana The boxelder leafroller (Archips negundana; the Forest Service writes A. negundanus) is a native caterpillar of boxelder and, to a lesser degree, raspberry, birch, elderberry, white elm and various shrubs. Its eggs overwinter in bark crevices, the larvae hatch at budbreak and feed in small groups along leaf veins before rolling single leaves, and heavy infestations can strip a tree by early to midsummer. Populations are usually low, outbreaks are occasional, boxelders put out a second set of leaves, and control is usually unnecessary. Campylomma bug (mullein plant bug) Campylomma verbasci The campylomma bug, also called the mullein plant bug, is a two-sided insect in apple and pear orchards. For a few weeks around bloom its newly hatched nymphs feed on blossom calyxes and tiny fruitlets, leaving corky dimples that stay on the apple until harvest. After that it cannot damage fruit, and the older nymphs and adults become useful predators of aphids, mites, thrips and pear psylla. It is not native to North America but has been here since the late 1800s. No photo yet Fire bush scale Lepidosaphes yanagicola The fire bush scale is a small brown armored scale that lives on winged euonymus (burning bush) and a range of other deciduous trees and shrubs. On burning bush it tucks itself between the corky ridges that give the twigs their wings, where it is easy to miss until leaves turn off-color or drop early. It is a different insect from the familiar euonymus scale, is never found on evergreen euonymus, and has one generation a year. Heavy infestations have caused leaf drop and dieback in Maryland and in Ohio and northeastern nurseries, while in Pennsylvania it often builds up without doing much harm. Pear fruit sawfly Hoplocampa brevis The pear fruit sawfly is a small reddish-yellow, fly-like wasp whose larvae feed only inside pear fruitlets for about six weeks in early to mid spring. Each larva hollows out the seeds of several young pears, leaving a round hole near the calyx that oozes wet, dark frass; the fruit swells, deforms and drops before the normal June drop. It is native to parts of Asia, was found in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the mid-1960s, is now reported from Virginia and Ontario, and was first identified in Utah in 2015. It is a different insect from the pear slug, also called pear sawfly, which eats leaves in summer. Kuno scale Eulecanium kunoense Kuno scale is a soft scale whose mature females are almost spherical, dark and shiny brown, about 1/6 inch (3 to 5 mm) across, and sit along twigs like beads on a string. It is most abundant on plum trees in California gardens and landscapes, where it can build up quickly and rain honeydew that turns to sooty mold and draws ants. It has one generation a year, is not a pest of commercial fruit and nut crops, and only rarely damages its other hosts such as cotoneaster, pyracantha, rose and walnut. Copper Underwing Amphipyra pyramidoides The copper underwing (Amphipyra pyramidoides) is a large noctuid moth whose green, hump-tailed caterpillar is one of the green fruitworms. UC IPM calls it the humped green fruitworm and ranks it with the speckled green fruitworm as the most important of at least ten green fruitworm species in California; the Pacific Northwest handbook lists it as the pyramidal fruitworm on apple. The caterpillars eat flowers and leaves in spring and then bite into the young fruit, leaving large russeted cavities, but they are also general feeders on many forest trees and shrubs. Leaf Crumpler Acrobasis indigenella The leaf crumpler (Acrobasis indigenella) is a small pyralid moth whose caterpillar spins a sinuous silk tube on the twigs of apple, crabapple, hawthorn, pyracantha, cotoneaster, quince and stone fruits, then webs the nearby leaves together. The leaves die and form conspicuous wads of brown material that are easy to mistake for fire blight dieback. In the Pacific Northwest the second generation also burrows into cherries and prunes. Mineola Moth Acrobasis tricolorella The mineola moth (Acrobasis tricolorella) is a small bluish-gray pyralid moth of the Pacific Northwest whose caterpillar, the destructive prune worm, overwinters in wart-like silk-and-bark cases on prune and cherry trees. In early spring the larvae bore into unopened buds and eat the flower parts; a summer generation then feeds inside green prunes, and a second inside ripening fruit. The Pacific Northwest handbook lists it with the leaf crumpler as a cherry pest, and a 1941 University of Idaho bulletin, written under the older name Mineola scitulella, describes its spread through prune orchards in southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon after it was first found attacking prunes in 1925. Juniper Tip Midge Oligotrophus betheli The juniper tip midge (Oligotrophus betheli) is a tiny yellow, mosquito-like fly whose legless maggots feed inside the tips of juniper shoots. The infested tips swell into small green galls; once the larvae leave, the galls turn brown or reddish and the tips die back, which looks much like the fungal tip blight caused by Phomopsis. The Forest Service records its reddish, conical tip galls on junipers in Colorado, Utah and British Columbia. Horned oak gall wasp Callirhytis quercuscornigera The horned oak gall wasp is a tiny cynipid wasp whose woody twig galls on pin, black, scrub, blackjack and water oaks grow to golf-ball size and sprout short horns, one wasp emerging from the tip of each. The galls are easy to spot after leaf drop; the earlier generation, which forms small blister galls along leaf veins, is usually missed. Heavy infestations make branches droop, disfigure trees and can cause dieback. Both Penn State and Kentucky report that insecticides give little control once galls form, and pruning out young galls on lightly infested trees is the practical option. Rose gall wasps Diplolepis (e.g., Diplolepis rosae, mossy rose gall wasp, and Diplolepis bicolor, spiny rose gall wasp) Rose gall wasps are tiny wasps, about an eighth to a quarter of an inch long, that are almost never seen; what gardeners notice are the galls their larvae cause roses to grow. The mossy rose gall is a cluster of hard, kernel-like cells on a stem or leaf covered in moss-like filaments, sometimes bigger than a golf ball, and it occurs on cultivated roses. The spiny rose gall is a hard sphere bristling with sharp spines, usually on the leaves of wild roses. Both are harmless to healthy plants. The wasp spends the year inside the gall and emerges in spring, so pruning galls out in late summer or winter, before the exit holes appear, is the only practical control; no spray removes a gall once it has formed. Citrus Peelminer Marmara gulosa The citrus peelminer (Marmara gulosa) is a small gracillariid moth of the Coachella and San Joaquin valleys of California whose larva feeds on the rind of citrus fruit, cutting a winding tunnel that grows wider as the larva grows. The damage is only skin deep, but a single mine can make a grapefruit or navel orange unsellable as fresh fruit, and the moth also breeds in the stems of walnuts, willows, oleander, cotton, beans and weeds, moving into neighboring citrus as those plants dry down. Researchers call it a sporadic pest; UC IPM says it is hard to control with sprays and expects long-term control to come from native parasitic wasps. Curved-toothed Geometer Moth Eutrapela clemataria The curved-toothed geometer (Eutrapela clemataria), called the purplish-brown looper in the USDA Forest Service caterpillar guides and the great or big cranberry spanworm on Massachusetts cranberry bogs, is one of the larger inchworms of the eastern United States. Its smooth gray to purple-brown caterpillar mimics a twig, grows to about 2.5 inches, and feeds on a long list of woody plants from oak and maple to fir and hemlock. It is common in forests and woodlands from Minnesota to Newfoundland south to Florida and Texas; on cranberry it usually turns up in distinct patches and is destructive only on rare occasions. Half-wing Moth Phigalia titea The half-wing (Phigalia titea) is an early-spring geometrid moth of the eastern United States whose female is virtually wingless, with useless 3 mm stubs, and whose caterpillar, called the spiny looper by cranberry growers, is a violet to gray-brown inchworm covered in fine black-edged stripes and rows of shiny black warts. It is common on many hardwoods, especially apples, oaks, maples, basswoods, hickories and elms, and has turned up in dense patches on the edges of Massachusetts cranberry bogs, where the larvae nip new shoots and brown the tips. Banded Ash Borer Moth Podosesia aureocincta The banded ash clearwing (Podosesia aureocincta) is the late-season twin of the familiar ash/lilac borer. Both are day-flying, wasp-like clearwing moths whose larvae tunnel under the bark of ash, and the adults look so alike that older literature confused their emergence periods until pheromone trapping showed a second species flying in late August and September. Rutgers calls it the last important clearwing borer to become active in the urban landscape each year, and unlike most clearwings, which seek out bark wounds, it will also lay eggs on healthy ash trees. Red Oak Clearwing Moth Paranthrene simulans The red oak clearwing (Paranthrene simulans), called the oak borer or oak clearwing borer by landscapers, is a wasp-mimicking clearwing moth of eastern North America. Its larvae bore into the solid wood of oak trunks a foot or two above the ground, usually only one to four to a tree, and Rutgers does not consider it a major landscape pest; it is better known as one of the earliest and most recognizable moths to turn up in the pheromone traps that landscape managers set for other clearwing borers. Treehoppers Membracidae (more than 260 North American species) Treehoppers are the odd little bugs that look like thorns or green humps sitting in the crotch of a twig. More than 260 species live in North America north of Mexico and at least 40 in California alone. What sets them apart from leafhoppers and other small hoppers is the pronotum, the plate behind the head, which is expanded into a hood or thorn that covers much of the body. They drink sap through a beak, and most species cause no real trouble; the main injury is the rows of egg slits females cut into small twigs, which can roughen bark and kill shoot tips. A few species, such as the buffalo treehopper and the threecornered alfalfa hopper, are considered pests. Manzanita leafgall aphid Tamalia coweni (UC IPM treats the gall makers as Tamalia spp.) Manzanita leafgall aphids turn manzanita leaves into green or red pods. Tiny gray or greenish aphids of the genus Tamalia settle on new leaves in spring and feed inside them, and the leaf swells and rolls at the edges into an elongate gall. The aphids feed only on manzanita (Arctostaphylos), produce several generations a year, and spend winter as eggs on the bark at the base of the plant. The galls can look unsightly, and heavily infested plants may grow slowly, but UC IPM calls the galling otherwise harmless, and the cure is mostly to stop encouraging soft new growth. Nigra scale Parasaissetia nigra Nigra scale is a soft scale with a very long host list: ScaleNet records it on plants from 101 families, including hibiscus, ficus, oleander, avocado, mango, schefflera and ixora, and it is also called hibiscus scale and pomegranate scale. The adult female is elongate-oval, shiny and dark brown, 3 to 4 mm long, broad and flat on leaves but longer and more humped on stems. It reproduces without males, and genetic work shows what is called one species is at least two ecologically distinct lineages. In the United States it is recorded from the Gulf and Atlantic states to California and Hawaii. Like other soft scales it excretes honeydew that feeds sooty mold, and it is managed as soft scales generally are: conserve natural enemies, control ants, and use well-timed oil sprays. Coffee berry borer Hypothenemus hampei The coffee berry borer is the most serious insect pest of coffee in the world, and since September 2010 it has been a Hawaii pest too. It was found infesting coffee berries in the Kona district of Hawaii Island, spread to the Ka'u, Puna and Hamakua districts over the next three years, and has since been detected on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Lanai. The beetle is about 1/16 inch long and spends most of its life inside the berry, which is why no insecticide available in Hawaii controls it well and why the program built around it leans on monitoring, picking the trees clean and a fungal biopesticide. No photo yet Western balsam bark beetle Dryocoetes confusus Most of the subalpine fir that dies in the high country dies from this beetle, but slowly. Less than five percent of a stand is usually attacked in a year, and the attacks are high on the trunk where nobody looks, so the first sign is a tree whose needles go brick red. Dryocoetes confusus also carries a canker fungus on its thorax, and Canadian work credits that fungus with roughly two-thirds of the mortality: trees that successfully pitch out the beetles can still be girdled by coalescing fungal lesions. Striped ambrosia beetle Trypodendron lineatum This beetle does not kill trees; it ruins logs. Females bore straight into the sapwood of conifers that are already down or dying, carry in a fungus that they and their larvae eat, and leave behind perfectly round pinholes ringed with black stain. On a Douglas-fir log that can mean degrade on a quarter of the volume, on western hemlock far more, which is why mills and sort yards in the Northwest watch the spring flight closely. Logs cut between August and January and left in the woods through spring are the ones it finds. No photo yet Western ambrosia beetles Gnathotrichus sulcatus and Gnathotrichus retusus Two native ambrosia beetles in the genus Gnathotrichus share the western log-degrade problem with the striped ambrosia beetle, and in some ways they are the harder pair to manage: they will attack timber felled at any time of year, come back to the same log for a second and third season, bore deeper, and have even been found in freshly sawn green hemlock lumber. Their holes are about 1.3 mm across, and the dark stain around them comes from the fungus they carry in and eat. No photo yet Silver fir beetle and fir root bark beetle Pseudohylesinus sericeus and Pseudohylesinus granulatus These two beetles are a steady background presence in true fir stands rather than an outbreak insect: every year they kill scattered trees and small groups, usually ones already windthrown, felled or injured. They divide the tree between them. The smaller silver fir beetle works the upper bole and branches, down to limbs an inch thick, while the larger fir root bark beetle works the base of the trunk and the roots. Their attacks are hard to spot because the entrance holes hide in bark crevices and under moss, so the first sign is usually a crown turning yellow, then red-orange. No photo yet Monterey pine ips Pseudips mexicanus This engraver beetle is a slash problem before it is a tree problem. Fresh Monterey pine slash from logging, wind breakage or land clearing produces enormous broods, and when those broods sit next to trees weakened by crowding, drought, mistletoe or other beetles, the beetles move into limbs, tops and sometimes whole trees. In native Monterey pine forests from the Bay Area south to Cambria it has periodically damaged scattered trees over many square miles, and in park and estate plantings it ruins prized specimens. Roundheaded pine beetle Dendroctonus adjunctus Every other tree-killing Dendroctonus in the United States flies in summer. This one waits: adults emerge and attack ponderosa pines from late September into November, spend the winter mostly as eggs under the bark, and hatch in March. The Forest Service calls that life history unique for the genus in this country, and probably a consequence of living at the northern edge of a range that runs down through Mexico. Outbreaks in southern New Mexico have killed hundreds of thousands of pole-sized pines. No photo yet Northern spruce engraver Ips perturbatus In most years this beetle is a minor presence, breeding in logging slash, broken tops and a few scattered spruce. After a disturbance it is a different insect: an outbreak north of Fort Yukon in the 1950s covered more than 1,500 square miles, and a 1986 outbreak near Fairbanks killed thousands of mature white spruce on over 16,000 acres after a wildfire and heavy ice and snow breakage. The tell is the gallery: frass-free and shaped like a tuning fork, often etched into the wood beneath the bark. Pine Webworm Moth Pococera robustella The pine webworm (Pococera robustella, long listed as Tetralopha robustella) is a moth of southern Canada and most of the eastern United States whose caterpillars build the globular, frass-filled silk nests found on the twigs of young pines in summer. It is mainly a pest of seedling pines in plantations, Christmas tree fields and managed landscapes: a single nest can strip and kill a seedling under 2 feet tall, and nests on trees grown for sale can make them unsellable, though on larger trees the damage is mostly cosmetic. Pine Needleminer Moth Exoteleia pinifoliella The pine needleminer (Exoteleia pinifoliella) is a native gelechiid moth of eastern North America whose 6 mm caterpillars live and feed inside pine needles, moving from one needle to the next and killing each one they mine. Pitch pine is the main host, with jack and shortleaf pines also preferred. Forest trees are seldom seriously hurt, but the brown, dead needles can spoil the look of nursery pines and Christmas trees, and heavy infestations on ornamentals can be serious. Hydrangea Leaftier Moth Olethreutes ferriferana The hydrangea leaftier (Olethreutes ferriferana) is a small brown-and-white moth whose caterpillar glues two to four expanding leaves at the tip of a hydrangea shoot into a cupped, bladder-like pouch and feeds on the flower bud and leaves inside. It is common in eastern North America from Maine to North Carolina and west into Illinois, has a single generation, and does no real harm to the shrub, so the usual advice is to pull the pouch open and squash the caterpillar rather than spray. Skiff Moth Prolimacodes badia The skiff moth (Prolimacodes badia) is a limacodid, or slug caterpillar, of eastern woodlands and yards. Its caterpillar is a smooth, strongly humped oval that looks like a tiny overturned boat, with its head tucked into the body and no visible legs; it comes in green, gray, or green with brown blotches. Although it belongs to the same family as the saddleback, hag moth and puss caterpillar, it has none of their stinging spines, and NC State calls it more of a curiosity than a true plant pest. Gold-striped Leaftier Moth Machimia tentoriferella The gold-striped leaftier (Machimia tentoriferella) is a small, pale yellowish moth of the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada whose green caterpillar spins a silk shelter on a leaf, folds the leaf around itself and feeds from inside. The Forest Service lists it as rather common on birch, ash, maple, oak, honey locust, hickory, elm and wild cherry, and NC State records it as one of three leaf-tying caterpillars on highbush blueberries in North Carolina, where leaf tiers are common but rarely cause severe damage. Pitch Twig Moth Retinia comstockiana The pitch twig moth (Retinia comstockiana; both sources use the older name Petrova comstockiana) is a small native moth found from Maine to North Carolina and west into the central states on hard pines, above all pitch pine. Its caterpillar feeds first at the needle bases and then bores into a current-year twig, where leaking resin mixed with frass builds the characteristic orange nodule on the upper side of the shoot. Infested twigs may be girdled and snap off, deforming young and ornamental pines, but the trees themselves are typically not killed. Linden Bark Borer Moth Chrysoclista linneella The linden bark borer (Chrysoclista linneella, formerly Glyphipterix linneella) is a small, brightly colored European moth first found in North America on linden trees near New York City in 1928 and since reported from New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, the Boston area and parts of Canada. Its whitish larvae bore and tunnel in the bark of European linden, leaving rusty frass in the furrows and, in heavy infestations, honeycombing the inner bark from the ground up into the crown. Its real impact on the trees is still poorly understood. Maple Trumpet Skeletonizer Moth Catastega aceriella The maple trumpet skeletonizer (Catastega aceriella, long listed as Epinotia aceriella) is a small gray moth of southern Canada south to North Carolina whose caterpillar is the architect of the folded, crumpled maple leaves seen in late summer. Working on the underside of a sugar or red maple leaf, it spins a trumpet-shaped tube of silk and frass up to 5 cm long, pulls the leaf around it and skeletonizes the webbed tissue from inside. Minor damage shows up every year and outbreaks occur occasionally, but because the feeding comes late in the season it rarely harms the tree. Sumac Leaftier Moth Episimus argutana The sumac leaftier (Episimus argutana, written Episimus argutanus by UMass and the Forest Service) is a widely distributed little moth, about half an inch across, whose caterpillars roll and tie the leaves of sumac and, less often, witch-hazel, poison ivy and spurge. Feeding shows up by June in Massachusetts, there are two or more generations a year in New England, and the damage is not considered a real threat to the plant's health, so UMass says management is typically not necessary. No photo yet Arizona fivespined ips Ips lecontei This small bark beetle prefers freshly cut pine slash. In drought it turns on standing ponderosa pines: during 2002 and 2003 it killed tens of thousands of trees on more than 90,000 acres of the Prescott National Forest, and inside an infestation center more than 90 percent of pines 3 inches or more in diameter can die. Outbreaks are usually local and last only a year or two. No photo yet Southwestern pine beetle Dendroctonus barberi For more than 50 years this beetle was lumped in with the western pine beetle, so anything written about western pine beetle east of the Great Basin between 1963 and 2019 is really about this one. It is a lower-trunk attacker of ponderosa pine, and in the Davis Mountains of west Texas it helped drive a die-off between 2011 and 2016 that has now taken more than half of the ponderosa pines there. Underwing Moths Catocala Underwing moths are the large genus Catocala, with more than 100 species in North America north of Mexico. By day they sit on tree trunks, where their gray or brown forewings match the bark; when disturbed they flash hindwings banded in orange, red, yellow, pink, white or black, then disappear again when they land. The caterpillars eat the leaves of oaks, hickories and other trees and shrubs, and the Forest Service calls the group of little economic importance. Spiny Oakworm Moth Anisota stigma The spiny oakworm (Anisota stigma) is the most common of Ohio's three oakworm moths. Its caterpillars, tawny to pink and dusted with white specks, have longer back spines than the other oakworms in the Forest Service's caterpillar guide and feed together in groups on oak leaves from late summer into fall. Numbers rise and crash in cycles; in a boom year they can defoliate young trees, but Ohio DNR says the trees normally suffer no lasting damage. Virginia Creeper Sphinx Darapsa myron The Virginia creeper sphinx (Darapsa myron), also called the hog sphinx, is one of the most common sphinx moths in Ohio and is found statewide in Missouri. Its caterpillar is a hornworm that feeds on the leaves of grapes, Virginia creeper and viburnums. It can be a pest in vineyards, but Missouri points out that its many native wild grapes and Virginia creepers also feed them, and the adults visit flowers and come to lights. Promethea Silkmoth Callosamia promethea The promethea moth (Callosamia promethea) is a giant silkmoth found through most of the eastern United States and southern Canada. Its large blue-green caterpillars feed on cherry, sassafras, spicebush, lilac, tuliptree and many other trees and shrubs, and in winter the cocoon, wrapped in a dead leaf and tied to the twig with silk, hangs in plain view. The adults look different by sex: males are almost black, females reddish-brown. Blinded Sphinx Paonias excaecata The blinded sphinx (Paonias excaecata, written excaecatus in older sources) is the most common of the five Ohio sphinx moths with eyespots on the hindwings. At rest its forewings look like a dead leaf; when a bird comes close, the moth flicks them open to show large false eyes on the hindwings, ringed with pink. The caterpillar is a pale green, sandpapery hornworm that feeds on willow, aspen, cherry, birch, oak and many other trees, in forests and in suburbs with larger trees. Fruit-tree pinhole borer Xyleborinus saxesenii This ambrosia beetle came from Europe and now turns up across much of the United States, in nearly every kind of broadleaf tree and occasionally conifers. It goes after trees that are dying or recently cut. Willow Sawfly Euura ventralis (formerly Nematus ventralis) Groups of black larvae with big yellow spots chewing willow leaves are most likely willow sawflies. They look like caterpillars but are the larvae of a non-stinging wasp relative. They start by eating small holes and end up taking whole leaves, leaving only the midrib. Most of the time the damage is cosmetic, though willows are occasionally stripped bare. Elm Lace Bug Corythucha ulmi If the leaves on an elm look pale and speckled on top, turn one over. Tiny tan bugs with lacy wings, black spiny nymphs and dark specks of excrement on the underside point to the elm lace bug. It feeds on American elm and, on the Northern Great Plains, Siberian elm. NC State calls it rarely reported, but the USDA Forest Service notes it can defoliate its host. Hackberry Lace Bug Corythucha celtidis Hackberry leaves that turn pale, scorched-looking or brown by August or September are usually the work of lace bugs. The hackberry lace bug is one of the most common lace bugs in Ohio, and heavy infestations are frequent on Midwest hackberries. The damage can look alarming, but healthy, established trees are not seriously harmed, and late-summer spraying does little good. Walnut Lace Bug Corythucha juglandis The walnut lace bug is a tiny sap-feeding bug with lacy, see-through wings that lives on the undersides of black walnut, butternut and linden leaves. In a Massachusetts study, one butternut carried a heavy infestation every year, with up to 48 bugs on a single leaf. Like other lace bugs, it leaves pale, speckled leaves with dark specks of excrement underneath.