Trees Archives - Page 2 of 4

Scale Insects

Varying in size, shape, and color, the many species of these aphid cousins look like bumps on bark, leaves, and fruit. All are equipped with an insecticide-resistant coat, a leathery or waxy material in the case of soft scales, a sturdier covering for armored scales. Young scales (called crawlers) move around the plant, but they … Read more

Sawflies

Unlike their bee and wasp relatives, sawflies are plant eaters, named for the way females use their egg-laying organs to saw slits in plants. Adult sawflies look like wasps, but they don’t have a constricted waist, nor do they sting. They don’t feed on plants, it’s the larvae that do the damage. The various sawfly … Read more

Psyllids

The several species of these aphid size insects, which suck sap primarily from leaf undersides, are sometimes called jumping plant lice. They feed on a variety of plants, including fruit trees; the pear psylla (shown) is the most damaging pear tree pest in the United States. Psyllids are extremely variable in appearance. The greenish or … Read more

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are insects in the order Diptera (flies), which have only a single pair of wings. The wings of mosquitoes are narrow and have a fringe of scales on the margins and veins. Mosquitoes have three pairs of long, slender legs and two long antennae. The mouthparts of mosquitoes form an elongate beak called a … Read more

Mites

Mites are small arthropods with two body regions, sucking mouthparts, no antennae, and four pairs of legs as adults. The life cycle of a mite has four active stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. The life cycle requires one to four weeks and can result in high populations when there are favorable conditions. There are … Read more

Mealybugs

Common on houseplants, these sap feeding aphid relatives are also found outdoors in warm climates. The name ‘”‘mealybug’”‘ refers to the female insects’ powdery wax coating- a shield that prevents insecticides from penetrating. Colonies are often dense enough to make a cottony mound on leaves or, more typically, on stems. Target: Soft tissues of most … Read more

Leafrollers

The name ”leaf-roller” applies to the many species of caterpillars that roll leaves around themselves as they feed, creating a protective tube. Color and size vary with the species. Some leafrollers attack only one type of plant, while others eat numerous kinds. When disturbed, leafrollers wriggle backward and drop from the plant on a silken … Read more

Leafhoppers

There are some 2,500 species of these small, agile, wedge-shaped insects; many types are handsomely colored and patterned. Both adults and nymphs, which look like wingless or short-winged adults, suck sap from leaf undersides. Some species favor just one kind of plant, while others enjoy a wide variety. Leaf hoppers run sideways when disturbed and, … Read more

Lacebugs

Various species of these true bugs are found in all parts of the country. Both the whitish, 1/8-inch-long, lacy winged adults and the darker, wingless nymphs, suck sap from leaf undersides. Despite their wings, adult lace bugs seldom fly; they have a slow sideways movement. Sometimes called lacewings. Target: Many ornamental trees and shrubs, especially … Read more

Gypsy Moths

Since its accidental release in Massachusetts in 1869, this pest has defoliated millions of acres of trees in the East. A notorious hitchhiker (hence the name “gypsy”), it’s gradually moving westward, traveling to new regions as egg masses attached to vehicles. An Asian strain which feeds on an even wider range of plants than the … Read more