Flower Thrips in Blackberries in Florida

Figure 1.  A blackberry field in Florida. Credit: O. E. Liburd, UFBlackberry production is a small but growing industry in the state of Florida. Their numerous health benefits make them a good choice for Florida growers who want to diversify from traditional crops such as strawberries. Several potential pest insects and mites have been found on blackberries in Florida, but the two most likely to become key pests are stink bugs and flower thrips. This 3-page fact sheet provides information on flower thrips identification, monitoring and management for blackberries. Written by Oscar E. Liburd, Elena M. Rhodes, Elke Weibelzahl, and Sara E. Brennan, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, November 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1060

A Stink Bug Euschistus quadrator Rolston (Insecta: Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) (EENY523/IN937)

Figure 1. Dorsal view of Euschistus quadrator Rolston; adult male (left) and female (right), a stink bug.Euschistus quadrator, like other stink bugs, is highly polyphagous. It is found on weeds such as clover, vetch and other legumes. It feeds on many different crops, though it is primarily found on cotton, soybeans and corn. Stink bugs cause injury to various fruits and vegetables by feeding, resulting in significant quality and yield loss. They have piercing-sucking mouthparts and most feed primarily on fruits and seeds. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Sara A. Brennan, Joseph Eger, and Oscar E. Liburd, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, June 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in937