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Tag: Featured Creatures collection

What’s New on Ask IFAS: Featured Creatures Collection (Sept. – Oct.)

by Susan Gildersleeve
November 6, 2025

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids, and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources
Tags: Alfalfa, Bees, Blueberry, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Featured Creatures Collection, Peanut

New EDIS/Ask IFAS Document Published by Entomology and Nematology During May and June

by Susan Gildersleeve
August 5, 2025

Discover the latest research and practical solutions from UF/IFAS experts. These are the new EDIS/Ask IFAS documents published by Entomology during May and June. Stay informed and inspired with our updates! Striped Sod Webworm (Larva), Changeable ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Pests & Disease
Tags: Ask IFAS, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, EDIS Journal, Featured Creatures Collection

The Featured Creatures Collection

by Susan Gildersleeve
November 18, 2022

What is that!? Wondering about the green caterpillar you found nestled in your broccoli or the manylegged creature crawling up your pants leg? Learn all about it in the Featured Creatures collection on Ask IFAS! Creatures with Stories UF/IFAS's ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources
Tags: Entomology And Nematology Department, Featured Creatures Collection

Tea Shot-Hole Borer Euwallacea fornicates (Eichhoff, 1868) (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

by Diana Hagan
August 3, 2015

The tea shot-hole borer is an Asian ambrosia beetle introduced to Florida in the early 2000s. In Florida it does not have any known economic impact, but it is a serious pest of tea around the world and is one of the few ambrosia beetles that ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Pests & Disease
Tags: Ambrosia Beetles, Andrea Lucky, Curculionidae, Entomology And Nematology Department, Featured Creatures Collection, Jiri Hulcr, You Li

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

by Diana Hagan
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

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

by Diana Hagan
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

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

by Diana Hagan
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

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

by Diana Hagan
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

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

by Diana Hagan
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

Asian Horntail Eriotremex formosanus (Matsumura) (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Siricidae: Tremicinae)

by Diana Hagan
July 31, 2015

Since it was introduced to North America, the Asian woodwasp has become the most common wood wasp in Florida. It is not considered an economically important pest because it only attacks dying or dead trees, but the species may someday prove ... READ MORE

Category: Forests, Natural Resources
Tags: Entomology And Nematology Department, Featured Creatures Collection, Jiri Hulcr, You Li