Dagger nematodes parasitize plants. They cause economic damage and death of host crops through feeding on the roots and by spreading viral mosaic and wilting diseases, but field studies have shown that some control measures targeting reduction in the population of dagger nematodes can be effective in controlling viral diseases in susceptible crops. This 7-page fact sheet was written by William K. Heve, William T. Crow, and Tesfamarian Mengistu, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, June 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1097
Tag: Featured Creatures collection
Australian cockroach Periplaneta australasiae Fabricius (Insecta: Blattodea: Blattidae)
Australian cockroaches are the most common outdoor cockroach in southern Florida. Though they typically stay outdoors, Australian cockroaches may also venture inside and live among humans. This 4-page fact sheet covers the Australian cockroach’s distribution and habitat, biology, medical risks to humans, and management as a pest. Written by Shiyao Jiang and Phillip E. Kaufman, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, April 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1088
Sting Nematode Belonolaimus longicaudatus Rau (Nematoda: Tylenchida: Belonolaimidae)
Among the most destructive plant-parasitic nematodes to a wide range of plants, Belonolaimus longicaudatus damages plant roots. When the plants cannot take up water and nutrients from the soil, they become stunted, wilt, and with severe infestation, die. Florida is considered to be the point-of-origin for Belonolaimus longicaudatus and therefore this nematode exhibits a great deal of diversity in morphology, host preference, and genetics in our region. This 6-page fact sheet was written by W. T. Crow, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, March 2015. (Photo W. T. Crow, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1080
Anagyrus pseudococci Girault (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae)
Anagyrus pseudococci is an economically important biological control agent commonly used against the vine mealybug (which infests wine grapes) and the citrus mealybug. It is a solitary, internal parasitoid and lays one egg per host, with the larva developing inside the host’s body. The wasps may be commercially reared and distributed inside mummies, and they will emerge within 1-5 days after delivery. Application involves placing a bottle containing the mummies in a dry spot of the crop and allowing the adults to emerge. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Theresa Chormanski and Ronald D. Cave, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, March 2015. (Photo: Kent M. Dane)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1081
Zombie Fly (suggested common name) Apocephalus borealis Brues (Insecta: Diptera: Phoridae)
The zombie fly is primarily a parasitoid of bumble bees and wasps in North America. In 2012, Dr. John Hafernik and his colleagus at San Francisco State University discovered that Apocephalus borealis also parasitizes honey bees. Parasitized honey bees show zombie-like behavior by leaving their hives at night and are often attracted to nearby lights where they show disoriented behavior and die in a few hours. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Nicole A. Casuso, Ashley N. Mortensen, and James D. Ellis, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, October 2014. (Photo: Jessica Andrieux, CC SA-BY 2.5)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1063
Chicken Mite (other common names: poultry red mite, roost mite) Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer) (Arachnida: Acari: Dermanyssidae)
The chicken mite affects egg-laying hens in many parts of the world, including Europe, Japan, China, and the United States. Although Dermanyssus gallinae affects birds in many regions, it is most prevalent in European countries, where egg industry losses are estimated at $177 million per year. It is a known vector for the St. Louis encephalitis virus, as well as other illnesses, such as fowl pox virus, Newcastle virus, and fowl cholera. In the United States, Dermanyssus gallinae is rarely found in caged-layer operations and is more commonly found in breeder farms. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Ethan Carter and Jennifer L. Gillett-Kaufman, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2015. (Photo credit: Lyle J. Buss, University of Florida)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1070
Tawny Crazy Ant (previously known as Caribbean crazy ant) Nylanderia (formerly Paratrechina) fulva (Mayr) (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae)
Nylanderia fulva is part of a group of ants referred to as “crazy ants” due to their quick and erratic movements. It has been reported from 27 counties of Florida and 27 counties of Texas, as well as from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Huge number of workers in infested areas can make human activities uncomfortable and difficult. They can infest sidewalks, buildings and gardens, and damage phone lines, air conditioning units and computers. They have killed honey bee larvae and used the hives as their nests, and are even displacing red imported fire ants where the two populations overlap in Texas. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Shweta Sharma, John Warner, and Rudolph H. Scheffrahn, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2014. (Photo: Lyle Buss, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1071
Fiddlewood leafroller, seagrape moth (suggested common names) Epicorsia oedipodalis (Guenée, 1854) (Lepidoptera: Ditrysia: Pyraloidea: Pyralidae: Pyraustinae)
These caterpillars roll up leaves of the host plants and use the rolled leaves as larval retreats and locations for pupal cocoons. Although these leaf-eating pests do no permanent damage, they can completely defoliate fiddlewood, a Florida native that can form a large shrub or small tree. The shrub simply puts out a new flush of leaves. The larvae themselves are valuable food source for baby birds during the spring dry season in Florida. This 4-page fact sheet was written by William H. Kern, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, February 2015. (Photo:W.H. Kern, Jr., UF/IFAS/FLREC)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1079
Squash Vine Borer Melittia cucurbitae (Harris) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Sesiidae)
Squash vine borer is a moth species that is active during the day (diurnal). The larvae complete their growth and development on wild and domesticated species of the genus Cucurbita. Once only considered a nuisance to commercial growers, with the expansion of cucurbit production in the United States over the last decade, the squash vine borer has become a pest of economic importance. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Eutychus Kariuki and Jennifer L. Gillett-Kaufman, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2014. (Photo: Lyle J. Buss, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1068
Rice Bug (suggested common name) Leptocorisa acuta (Thunberg) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Alydidae)
Broad-headed bugs belong to a well-known but relatively small family of plant-feeding true bugs, usually seen feeding on the foliage and flowers of leguminous and graminaceous crops. Leptocorisa acuta (Thunberg) can be found on many crop plants in the family Poaceae (grasses), especially rice, and is a reported pest of economic significance in rice-producing countries like India, Australia, and China. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Amelio Chi Serrano, Russell F. Mizell, III, and Morgan A. Byron, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2014. (Photo: Lary E. Reeves, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1067
Wellsina Mite Hemicheyletia wellsina (De Leon) (Arachnida: Acari: Cheyletidae)
This predatory mite was recently discovered in an unsprayed greenhouse at the University of Florida, Gainesville, living on Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium orchids, and assumed to be feeding on orchid pests such as spider mites, tenuipalpid mites, and mealybugs that were present on the orchids. Because there was no published information on this species as a natural enemy of orchid pests, colonies were initiated here to study its biology, maintained on two-spotted spider mite prey. Hemicheyletia wellsina does not appear likely to be an effective natural enemy in agricultural crops as an introduced predator, but could be beneficial in natural biological control in natural ecosystems, where pest densities are lower. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Haleigh A. Ray and Marjorie A. Hoy, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2014. (Photo: Haleigh Ray, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1066
Io Moth Automeris io (Fabricius) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)
The beautiful Io moth is one of our most recognizable moths, because of its prominent hind wing eyespots. The attractive Io moth caterpillar is also well-known because of its painful sting. But like many of the other saturniid moths, is less common now in parts of its range. With the exception of Cape Cod and some of the Massachusetts islands, it is now rare in New England where it was once common, and its populations have declined in most of the Gulf States since the 1970s. This 12-page fact sheet was written by Donald W. Hall, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2014. (Photo: Donald W. Hall, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1065
Wedge-Shaped Beetles (suggested common name) Ripiphorus spp. (Insecta: Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae)
Ripiphoridae are a family of unusual parasitic beetles that are thought to be related to tumbling flower beetles and blister beetles. They parasitize bees and wasps, roaches, and wood-boring beetles, but specific hosts for many ripiphorid species are unknown. Their secretive life cycle makes an assessment of their economic and ecological impact very difficult. Additional research is necessary to determine the abundance and impact of Ripiphorus species. This 4-page fact sheet was written by David Owens, Ashley N. Mortensen, Jeanette Klopchin, William Kern, and Jamie D. Ellis, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1069
Picudo de la melaleuca (nombre comun sugerido) Oxyops vitiosa (Pascoe) (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
El árbol melaleuca es una planta leñosa invasiva, nativa de Australia, Nueva Guinea, y las Islas Salomón. La melaleuca, conocida también como el árbol de corteza de papel, cajeput, punk tree, o árbol de cepillo blanco, fue introducida en Florida al final del siglo 19 pero aparentemente no se naturalizó hasta el año 1906. La melaleuca fue sembrada extensivamente como un árbol ornamental, y eventualmente invadió los humedales con y sin bosques en el sur de Florida formando monocultivos densos. This 5-page fact sheet is the Spanish language version of Melaleuca Snout Beetle, Melaleuca Weevil (unofficial common names), Oxyops vitiosa (Pascoe) (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionidae), written by J.P. Cuda, S.A. Wineriter, G.R. Buckingham, T.D. Center, and K.T. Gioeli, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1020
Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Acari: Ixodidae: Amblyomminae)
Gulf Coast ticks are found in grass prairies and coastal uplands throughout much of the western hemisphere. The ticks are ectoparasites that feed on a variety of birds and mammals, and will readily bite humans. Gulf Coast ticks are of increasing concern because of their ability to transmit several pathogens of veterinary and medical importance. This 7-page fact sheet was written by Jeffrey C. Hertz and Phillip E. Kaufman, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, October 2014. (Photo: Jeffrey C. Hertz, edited by Jane Medley)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1062
Tropilaelaps mite Tropilaelaps spp. Delfinado & Baker (Arachnida: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae)
Honey bees throughout the world are exposed to numerous pests, parasites, and pathogens. One such parasite is Tropilaelaps spp. Delfinado & Baker, an ectoparasitic mite that feeds on the hemolymph of developing honey bees. Four species of Tropilaelaps have been identified and characterized. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Ashley N. Mortensen, Sarah Burleson, Gunasegaran Chelliah, Ken Johnson, Daniel R. Schmehl, and Jamie D. Ellis, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, October 2014. (Photo credit: Pest and Diseases Image Library, Bugwood.org)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1061
Imperial Moth Eacles imperialis imperialis (Drury, 1773) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Saturniidae: Ceratocampinae)
The imperial moth is one of our largest and most beautiful moths. It is also the most variable in appearance and the most widely distributed of our large eastern U.S. saturniid moths. This 9-page fact sheet was written by Donald W. Hall, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, September 2014.
(Photo: Donald W. Hall, University of Florida) http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1051
African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae Giles (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae)
Anopheles gambiae Giles is commonly called the African malaria mosquito because it is the most efficient vector of human malaria in the Afrotropical Region. They are considered to be one of the world’s most important human malaria vectors because of their susceptibility to the Plasmodium parasite, their preference for humans as a host, and their indoor-feeding behavior. Due to their short development time and their preference for developmental habitats near human dwellings, Anopheles gambiae are considered effective vectors of human malaria, as well as lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis). This 6-page fact sheet was written by Sabrina A. White and Phillip E. Kaufman, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, September 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1048
Pavement ant Tetramorium caespitum (Linnaeus) (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
The pavement ant is one of the most commonly encountered ants in the United States. Since first introduced from Europe at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the ant has become well established and is prevalent in urban areas in the northern U.S. and parts of Canada. However, the extent of their invasiveness and severity as a pest is not well characterized. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Tyler Vitone and Andrea Lucky, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, September 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1047
A Parasitoid Wasp Cotesia congregata (Say) (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Braconidae
This species of Cotesia has been widely used as a model system in insect physiology. It has also been used to examine insect learning in host-parasitoid-plant interactions. It is an important natural enemy of the tobacco hornworm, a detrimental pest species that feeds on many plants in the Solanaceae (tobacco, pepper, tomato, etc.) family. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Christopher D. Crockett, Andrea Lucky, Oscar E. Liburd, and Karen M. Kester, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, July 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1042