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Category: Pests & Disease

Earthstar mushrooms (left) and the star topper of a Christmas tree (right).

O Earthstar of Wonder, Earthstar of Potted Plants

by Gillian McGuire
December 19, 2024

While you have undoubtedly seen a star upon a Christmas tree, have you ever seen this star-shaped mushroom growing from the soil of your potted plants? This holiday season, I am reminded of the Earthstar mushroom. Earthstars Are Growing Slightly I ... READ MORE

Category: Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Ask IFAS, Department Of Plant Pathology, EDIS, Holidays, Horticulture Industry, Houseplants, Mushrooms, Plant Pathology Department
Figure 1. Pillbug, Armadillidium vulgare (Latreille), rolled into a ball.

Pillbug, Roly-Poly, Woodlouse Armadillidium vulgare (Latreille) (Malacostraca: Isopoda: Armadillidiidae)

by Diana Hagan (she/her)
September 11, 2015

The roly poly is an isopod, a type of non-insect arthropod also known as a terrestrial crustacean. It is called a roly-poly because it rolls into ball when disturbed. This defensive behavior also makes it look like a pill, which is why it is ... READ MORE

Category: Forests, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease
Tags: #UFBugs, Crustacea, Entomology And Nematology Department, Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman, Julie A. Franklin, Morgan A. Byron, Soil Arthropods
Figure 2. Southwest Florida Research and Education Center Credit: UF/IFAS

Plant Diagnostic Clinic and HLB Lab

by Diana Hagan (she/her)
August 26, 2015

The Plant Pathology program at the UF/IFAS Southwest Research and Education Center is the state and local resource for plant diagnostic services, including HLB (Huanglongbing, or citrus greening) detection, and for insect identification. This ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Citrus Greening (Huanglongbing), Citrus Pest Management, Jamie Burrow, Joubert Fayette, Pamela Roberts, Pest Identification And Services, Plant Pathology Department, Shea Teems, Southwest Florida REC
Figure 1. Adult (A) female and (B) male Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz and Neiva), a sand fly. Credit: Cristina Ferro, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Colombia

A Sand Fly Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz and Neiva) (Insecta: Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

by Diana Hagan (she/her)
July 31, 2015

The true sand flies are densely covered with setae, have long slender legs, and broad and pointed wings that are held erect at rest. Several phlebotomine species are vectors of the protozoan parasites in the genus Leishmania, that are the causal ... READ MORE

Category: Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Work & Life
Tags: Entomology And Nematology Department, Family: Psychodidae (sand Flies), Featured Creatures Collection, Leishmaniasis, Maria C. Carrasquilla, Phillip E. Kaufman
Figure 1. Female vespiform thrips showing constricted waist and white band. Credit: Runqian Mao, University of Florida

Vespiform Thrips Franklinothrips vespiformis Crawford (Insecta: Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae)

by Diana Hagan (she/her)
July 31, 2015

Franklinothrips vespiformis Crawford is a predatory thrips with a pantropical distribution. The distinctive red, humped-back larvae and fast-moving ant-like adults are predaceous on small arthropods. In addition to being easily mistaken for ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Beneficial Insects, Entomology And Nematology Department, Featured Creatures Collection, Runqian Mao, Steven P. Arthurs, Thysanoptera, Yingfang Xiao
Figure 1. Adult female black scales, Saissetia oleae (Olivier) on cultivated olive (Olea europaea L.). Credit: Lyle Buss, University of Florida

Black Scale Saissetia oleae (Olivier, 1791) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Coccidae)

by Diana Hagan (she/her)
July 31, 2015

The black scale is an important pest of citrus and olive trees. Originally from South Africa, this scale is now distributed worldwide. In Florida, black scale is found on citrus, cultivated olive, avocado, and many popular landscape plants. ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Citrus Pests, Coccoidea (scales), Entomology And Nematology Department, Featured Creatures Collection, Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman, Morgan A. Byron, Olive Pests, Sandra A. Allan
Figure 1. Dorsal view of an adult black turpentine beetle, Dendroctonus terebrans (Olivier). Its large size, trapezoidal pronotum, and rounded declivity distinguish it from all other bark beetles infesting pines in the southern United States. Credit: Adam Black and Jiri Hulcr, University of Florida

Black Turpentine Beetle, Dendroctonus terebrans (Olivier) (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

by Diana Hagan (she/her)
July 31, 2015

Black turpentine beetles bore into the inner bark of stressed or injured pines, where they breed and feed on phloem tissue. Adults are strongly attracted to volatile pine odors and readily breed in fresh stumps. In typical forests, infestations ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Forests, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Albert E. Mayfield, Bark Beetles, Curculionidae, Entomology And Nematology Department, Featured Creatures Collection, Jiri Hulcr, John L. Foltz
Figure 1. Adult female Xyleborus affinis. Credit: Jiri Hulcr, UF/IFAS

An ambrosia beetle Xyleborus affinis Eichhoff, 1868 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

by Diana Hagan (she/her)
July 31, 2015

Xyleborus affinis is one of the most widespread and common ambrosia beetles in the world. It is also very common in Florida. Like other ambrosia beetles, it bores tunnels into the xylem of weakened, cut or injured trees and farms gardens of ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Forests, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Ambrosia Beetles, Andrea Lucky, Curculionidae, Entomology And Nematology Department, Featured Creatures Collection, Jiri Hulcr, Lanette Sobel

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