UF/IFAS GLOBAL BLOGS
A few weeks ago, we wrote about the oriental fruit fly, which has the potential to be a severe pest to fruits and vegetables in Florida. The oriental fruit fly is commonly trapped by DPI and sometimes spurs… Read More
DPI recently identified several weevil samples collected from Miami-Dade, Broward, and Hernando counties as Anthonomus testaceosquamosus, the hibiscus bud weevil. This weevil is currently found in Mexico and Texas, and it causes significant damage hibiscus flower buds. Adults lay… Read More
Guest post by Anna Babione In the beginning of the year, Mr. Ahrens introduced the idea of growing our own plants from seed to replace the invasive species on Florida’s beautiful coast. At first, I was not sure… Read More
Feral swine, Sus scrofa, were introduced to the United States by settlers in the 1500s as a food source. They were originally brought for agriculture, but escaped and released pigs have grown into a feral population across the… Read More
Bean pod borer moth, Maruca vitrata, is a significant pest of legume plants (Fabaceae). The caterpillars feed on a wide range of plants in the legume family. They are currently found in Mexico and other pantropical regions. In Florida,… Read More
The peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata, is a major agricultural pest that attacks a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. In May 2018, two male flies were caught in Lake Worth, FL. This pest threatens fruit crops such as citrus,… Read More
By L. Scott Jackson and Julie B. McConnell, UF/IFAS Extension Bay County Northwest Florida’s pristine natural world is being threaten by a group of non-native plants and animals known collectively as invasive species. Exotic invasive species originate from… Read More
You may recognize the long twining vines and glossy heart-shaped leaves of the exotic air potato vine,but would you recognize its greatest enemy in Florida? Air potato leaf beetles are small red beetles with a black head (see… Read More
Spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect in the Fulgoridae family. It has a wide host range including fruit, ornamental, and woody trees. Tree-of-heaven is one of its preferred hosts. It is currently in Pennsylvania under quarantine. They are being… Read More
The coconut rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros, is a major pest of cultivated palm trees. It primarily attacks coconut and African oil palms, but it is also a threat to sugarcane, papaya, and pineapple crops. Economic losses occur due to… Read More
