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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)


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)


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)


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
Figure 9. Schematic diagram showing detailed morphological features of a dagger nematode, Xiphinema spp.

Dagger Nematode Xiphinema spp. (Cobb, 1913) Inglis, 1983 (Nematoda: Enoplea: Dorylaimia: Dorylaimina: Xiphinematinae)


July 31, 2015

Dagger nematodes parasitize plants. They cause economic damage and death of host crops through feeding on the roots and by spreading viral mosaic and wilting diseases, but field studies have shown that some control measures targeting reduction ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Entomology And Nematology Department, Featured Creatures Collection, Nematoda, Tesfamarian Mengistu, William K. Heve, William T. Crow

Citrus greening bacterium changes the behavior of bugs to promote its own spread

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July 29, 2015

LAKE ALFRED, Fla. --- The disease that threatens to destroy Florida's $10.7 billion citrus industry appears to have its own mechanism to promote its spread, making it harder to control. A recent study by five University of Florida researchers ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Citrus Greening, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, University Of Florida

UF/IFAS researcher finds way to cut cost, save water and help the environment by changing one simple thing

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July 28, 2015

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Sanjay Shukla looked out over row upon row of tomato and pepper plants and had an idea: What would happen if he made the compacted soil rows taller and more narrow? Would the plants need less water, fertilizer and fumigation? ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, UF/IFAS
Tags: Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, University Of Florida, Water

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