Tag: insect
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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 – 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…
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Question of the Week – Brown Lacewing
What is this critter that was found resting on the wall inside of a garage? This is another beneficial insect: a brown lacewing. Brown lacewings are smaller than the more common green lacewings, though both are voracious predators of soft-bodied insects, particularly aphids, mealybugs, small caterpillars, and mites. Whereas green lacewings lay their eggs at…
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Question of the Week – Hover Fly Larva
What is this maggot-looking insect on the bottom of this strawberry leaf? This is a hover fly larva. Hover flies (Syrphidae), also called syrphid flies, are common bee-mimicking flies that are often seen hovering around flowers and landing on your sweaty skin on a hot day (they’re attracted to the salt in your sweat). Not…
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Question of the Week – Ambrosia Beetle
What caused this small, toothpick-like mass of sawdust to protrude from from the trunk of this stressed peach tree? The small toothpick-like mass of sawdust protruding from the tree is often called a “frass toothpick” or “frass noodle”. The structure was created by an adult Ambrosia beetle (Xylosandrus spp.) female tunneling into the tree. …
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Question of the Week – Parasitized Aphid
What is the bloated tan thing found on the underside of this strawberry leaf? This is an aphid “mummy,” the lifeless body of an aphid that has been parasitized by a parasitoid wasp. Typically, the adult wasps are tiny, at only 0.08-0.12 inches long. The female wasp lays its eggs inside of the aphid. The…
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Question of the Week – Giant Leopard Moth
What is this critter that was found resting on a grill cover near the coast? This Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia) was found on my grill cover as I went to cook some dinner one-night last week. This is by far my favorite moth due to its striking appearance. These moths are common across South Carolina and…
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Question of the Week – Shothole borer
What caused the damage found on a dead branch of this peach tree? This damage was caused by a shothole borer. Shothole borers typically find a way into the wood through damage initially caused by sunburn or bark injury. Adult females bore into the bark and lay their eggs in the cambium layer of the…
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Question of the Week – Wireworm Damage
This week, the question was: What’s wrong with this sweetpotato that was found in a grocery store? While picking out the ingredients for my Thanksgiving sweetpotato cassarole, I found this sweetpotato full of holes. The holes are tell-tale signs of wireworm feeding. Wireworms are the soil-dwelling larvae of click beetles (Family: Elateridae). There are at…
The South Carolina Grower 