UF/IFAS Pest Alert
The Asian giant hornet (AGH) is in the news again. This time, following the discovery of its first nest in the United States, (hidden) in a tree’s cavity in Washington State. The agency responsible for monitoring AGH says… Read More
Meloidogyne spp. (root-knot nematodes, RKN) are associated with decline in a global crop yields. They are the most economically important nematode species, and are difficult to get rid of when you accidentally introduce them into your field or… Read More
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), an invasive insect, was in the news about two weeks ago because of its first sighting on Staten Island, New York. The SLF is established in Pennsylvania and has been reported in Delaware,… Read More
In early August, some horntail snails, Macrochlamys indica Benson, were collected from Miami-Dade County, Florida. The horntail snail (HTS) is considered a high-risk pest in India, where it causes damage to beans, lettuce, chrysanthemum, cucurbits, and several other… Read More
The Florida First Detector (FFD) Program is here again, an opportunity for you to learn something new this Fall. This time we would be learning about invasive species identification and sample submission, more specifically about the invasive Asian… Read More
A hibiscus virus has been found in sweet oranges. The hibiscus-infecting cilevirus (HiCV) was previously thought to only infect hibiscus. HiCV was found infecting sweet oranges in Columbia with the citrus-infecting cilevirus (CiLV-C2) in 2020. HiCV was first… Read More
Introduction The two types of grapes grown in Florida, Muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) and the American bunch (Vitis labrusca L.) grapes, are susceptible to attack from the grape root borer (GRB), Vitacea polistiformis (Harris). The GRB is the most… Read More
A mealybug pest first detected in Florida in 2009 has been found injuring citrus. The lebbeck mealybug (Nipaecoccus viridis) was reported to feed on a variety of plant species in Florida. In 2019, it was found feeding and… Read More
A potentially invasive bamboo pest has been reported in Florida. The bamboo thread scale, Kuwanaspis bambusicola, is a small immobile pest with a hard armor covering. It was first detected in Florida 2005 and has been found in… Read More
A new thrips pest was reported on snap beans in Miami-Dade county in 2020. Thrips are tiny insects that are about a millimeter long and are common in flowers. The name, “thrips” is both the singular and plural… Read More
