November 2023 First Friday with Florida First Detector

Recap of November 2023 First Friday with Florida First Detector

In November, we looked at some more Hemipteran pests and focused on invasive whiteflies, aphids, psyllids, and more. These insects all have a piercing sucking mouth part. Many also excrete honeydew which can lead to sooty mold that impacts the plant growth and development. Some may not directly cause severe damage to plants but it is the plant pathogens they transmit that cause the most harm.

We covered several insects that are already found in Florida including the Asian citrus psyllid, coriander aphid, Bondar’s nesting whitefly, Ficus whitefly, and rugose spiraling whitefly. The Asian citrus psyllid has had a huge impact on Florida’s citrus industry. The coriander aphid can cause problems in herb production. Bondar’s nesting whitefly, Ficus whitefly, and rugose spiraling whitefly all can cause damage in ornamental plant production and landscaping.

We also talked about a few insects that have not yet been found in Florida but we are on the look out for to prevent introduction to the state. The US Regulated Plant Pests that we covered were the orange spiny whitefly, the potato psyllid, the Ligurian leafhopper, small brown planthopper, and the spotted lanternfly. These pests are regulated because of the potential impacts they could have on Florida’s agriculture and horticulture. We learned identification strategies for all these insects so that we can be on the look out for them in the field. If detected in Florida, regulatory agencies will try to work quickly to eradicate the pest and stop the spread to other areas.

Resources on Invasive whiteflies, aphids, psyllids and more

Want to watch the recording?

What is the upcoming schedule?

We are meeting online via Zoom from 12:00PM-1:00PM on the First Friday of every month from Sept 2022-Aug 2024. Please visit this blog for registration information and the upcoming schedule for Sept 2023-2024.

Questions?

Contact Dr. Morgan Pinkerton, morgan0402@ufl.edu

Visit the Florida First Detector Website