Category: Question of the Week
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Question of the Week – TSWV
What is going on with this Roma tomato? The tie-dye appearance of this tomato is due to it being infected by tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). TSWV is an important virus of tomato, pepper, eggplant, peanuts, tobacco, etc. that causes significant yield loss to affected plants. The virus is transmitted by thrips feeding. While TSWV…
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Question of the Week – Rocky Shoals Spider Lily
What is this flower that was found growing on a rock in the middle of a river? This is is a rocky shoals spider lily (Hymenocallis coronaria). This species is endemic to the Southeast and grows only in swift, shallow water environments, making the Catawba and Broad Rivers in South Carolina ideal habitats. The population…
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Question of the Week – Pink Lemonade Blueberry
What is wrong with these blueberries? This week was a trick question. Nothing is wrong with these blueberries! This is a variety called Pink Lemonade that when fully ripe, has a deep pink color. I don’t know if its because they are pink, but I personally think they taste slightly different than a blue blueberry. To me,…
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Question of the Week – Morning Glory Prominent
What kind of caterpillar is feeding on this buckeye leaf? This is the caterpillar of the morning glory prominent moth (Schizura ipomaeae). While the adult moth is rather nondescript, the caterpillar is very interesting. It is quite well camouflaged, and from a distance, it could be mistaken for necrotic tissue along the margin of a…
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Question of the Week – Pecan Leaf Phylloxera
What caused the galls to form on this pecan leaf? These galls were caused by an insect called the pecan leaf phylloxera (Phylloxera notabilis). These are tiny aphid-like insects that feed on immature pecan tree foliage. Due to their size, the insects themselves are rarely seen. The feeding damage causes rapid growth of the affected…
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Question of the Week – Black Swallowtail
What is munching on this dill? This caterpillar is the larval form of the Eastern black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius). This is a beautiful species of butterfly that is common in the Southeast. Host plants for black swallowtails include members of the carrot family (Apiaceae), such as dill, parsley, celery, and fennel, as well as…
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Question of the Week – Rice Trunk
What is this piece of equipment used for? This piece of equipment is called a trunk and was historically used to manipulate the water levels in rice fields along the coast of South Carolina. The fields could be flooded or drained by adjusting the height of the doors (attached to the bottom of the three…
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Question of the Week – Stink Bugs
What has caused this gelatinous substance to ooze from a developing peach? This gelatinous substance is often called “gummosis” and can be caused by a number of things, such as disease, mechanical damage, cold damage, or insect damage. In this case, the most likely cause is stink bug feeding damage. When stink bugs feed on…
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Question of the Week – Killdeer
Which common bird made it’s nest underneath this cucumber plant? These eggs were laid by a killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)who gets its name from their characteristic “kill-dee kill-dee” call heard as they fly over grassy fields. They should be a welcomed guest on farms since they eat mostly insects including beetles, caterpillars, and grasshoppers. Since their…
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Question of the Week – Periodical Cicada
What is this red-eyed creature found crawling up a pine tree? This is a periodical cicada nymph that has just crawled out of the soil after 13 years of feeding and developing underground, and is now looking for a place to molt. Parts of South Carolina, including the Upstate and parts of the Midlands, are…
The South Carolina Grower 