Category: Question of the Week
-
Question of the Week – Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar
This week, the question was: What is on this citrus leaf? This looks a lot like bird poop, however, it’s just a camouflage tactic of the giant swallowtail caterpillar. This species is often called the “orangedog” as they feed on members of the citrus family throughout their larval stage. They can be a pest to…
-
Question of the Week – Mantidfly
This week, the question was: What is the critter sitting on this eggplant leaf? This may look a lot like a paper wasp, but it is actually a mantidfly. If you look carefully, you’ll notice the front pair of legs is different from the two back pairs. The front legs look like those of a…
-
Question of the Week – Black Swallowtail
This week, the question was: What will this caterpillar munching on dill grow up to be? This is the caterpillar of the Eastern black swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes). These caterpillars feed and develop on members of the carrot family, including dill, parsley, fennel, and celery. The black swallowtail is one of the more showy butterflies…
-
Question of the Week – Blossom End Rot
This week, the question was: What’s going on with this watermelon? This watermelon is suffering from blossom end rot. This physiological disorder is also common in tomatoes and peppers. Blossom end rot results from a localized calcium deficiency in the fruit; however, this may not necessarily indicate a calcium deficiency in the soil. Blossom end…
-
Question of the Week – Sulphur Butterfly Chrysalis
This week, the question was: What is the pinkish-colored thing attached to this tomato stem? This is the chrysalis of a sulphur butterfly, most likely the cloudless sulphur (Pheobis sennae). The cloudless sulphur is a common butterfly in South Carolina seen frequently foraging wildflowers. The caterpillars feed on legume plants, specifically within the Chamaecrista and Senna genera.…
-
Question of the Week – Paper Wasp
This week, the question was: What is going on here? A friendly game of tag? This sulphur butterfly caterpillar probably wishes this was just a game of tag, but this predaceous paper wasp is going to use it to feed its larvae. Paper wasps are common insects in the garden and around structures, where they…
-
Question of the Week – Turmeric
This week, the question was: What is this crop being grown on John’s Island, SC? This is turmeric. This plant is grown for its swollen roots (rhizomes) which will be dug and harvested in the fall. Turmeric is a close relative of ginger that is a traditionally popular ingredient in Asian, African, and Caribbean dishes.…
-
Question of the Week – TSWV
This week, the question was: What is going on with this pepper leaf? This pepper leaf is showing symptoms of a virus, likely tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). TSWV is an important virus of tomato, pepper, eggplant, peanuts, tobacco, etc. that causes significant yield loss to infected plants. Numerous ornamental and weed species are also…
-
Question of the Week – Cross-striped Cabbageworm
This week, the question was: Which brassica-feeding caterpillar is commonly found in groups on a single leaf, as shown here? These are cross-striped cabbageworms (CSCW). CSCW moths lay eggs in clusters of 3 to 25 rather than singly like most other brassica caterpillar pests. Because there are numerous caterpillars feeding on a single leaf once…
-
Question of the Week – ICW Crysalis
This week, the question was: What is stuck to this collard leaf? This is the chrysalis of an imported cabbageworm (ICW). The ICW is an unusual brassica feeding caterpillar in that the adult stage is a butterfly, rather than a moth. Because of this, it pupates in a chrysalis, instead of a cocoon. The adult,…
The South Carolina Grower 