Q: What kind of caterpillar is this? It looks similar to a monarch butterfly caterpillar but I know it is not. A: Thank you for bringing in the caterpillar on a leafy twig so it has something to eat. The caterpillar is the larval stage of ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
A: The life span of butterflies varies according to the butterfly. Larvae generally live longer than the adults. The longest life spans are associated with the migrating Monarchs, Mourning Cloaks, and some moths which can live for about 6 to ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Q: What is the name of the insect and what does it do? It looks like it has a long stinger at the end of the abdomen. A: I believe the insect you brought in to the office is a Broad-neck root borer, possibly Prionus laticollis. The female ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Q: I have found dozens of these colorful insects on my tree. I am concerned because the tree limb is weeping exactly where I saw these insects. What are they? A: The photos you showed me are of the Blue-green Sharpshooter, Graphocephala atropunctata. ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
A:"False blister beetles," sometimes known also as "pollen feeding beetles," are unique in that adults of all the approximately 1,000 species in the world are pollen feeders. They obtain their common name because many species cause blisters ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
A: Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful, iridescent blue-green insect with me. This is one of the ground beetles and I believe it could be the Fiery Searcher, Calosoma scrutator, or Caterpillar Hunter. The caterpillar hunter is one of ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Q: I live in the historic district of Fernandina Beach and my pine floors have holes in them. I believe the holes were caused by powder post beetles; could you give me some information regarding these beetles? A: The University of Florida ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Q: I have an insect on my cleomes and they are eating it up. What is this insect? A: I am so glad you brought this specimen in for me to see. What was equally exciting was to see the egg sacs too. While I was examining the egg sacs, the nymphs ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
A: This beetle was so small it required a microscope to identify. The antennae are the most distinguishing characteristic and once I could see them, the insect was easy to label. It is the cigarette beetle. The cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne, ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Q: I just moved here from New Hampshire and I brought my wool carpets with me. I now have tiny beetles all over my house and I suspect most of them came from this carpet. I never had a problem with insects in the past. What kind of insect is ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease