Entomology Resources
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The success of the Southeast Boll Weevil Eradication Program has played a major role in the recent revival of Georgia’s cotton industry. Along with these economic benefits, the remarkable success of the eradication program
has led to a significant decrease in insecticide use in Georgia cotton, and to substantial environmental benefits to growers and residents of the state.|
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This report provides research and extension results for trials conducted by the University of Georgia Vegetable Team and its collaborators in 2023. Contributing authors include county and regional faculty as well as specialists from UGA’s horticulture, plant pathology, crop and soil sciences, and entomology departments. All research has been supported by the Georgia Commodity Commission for Vegetables.
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Gloomy scale is a serious insect pest that affects maple trees in urban Georgia, but it can go undetected for years. Affected trees can show branch dieback and canopy thinning after 6–10 years, when the population reaches extremely high densities. A waxy shield covering protects females from predators and insecticide exposure, and usually gives them a convex shape.
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Oak lecanium, Parthenolecanium quercifex (Hemiptera: Coccidae), is a common soft scale insect pest of oak trees and other woody plants. They infest trees under high stress, such as those planted in parking lots, greenscapes, and other urban areas. Like other soft scale insects, oak lecanium scales feed on tree sap, and they excrete the excess sugars as honeydew. Sooty mold fungus grows on honeydew, and its black color blocks sunlight and interrupts photosynthesis. Although lecanium scales have little immediate impact on twigs and branches, extensive infestation and subsequent feeding damage may weaken or kill the tree over time. The problems with lecanium scale are worsened in urban landscapes where local temperatures are generally higher. Higher temperatures decrease the relative number of parasites that feed on scale insects, and the high densities of surviving females continue to produce viable eggs.
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This publication is a guide to 110 common pest insects found in and around the home, including prevention and treatment options.
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Scale insects are very common pests of landscape trees and shrubs, yet they often are overlooked when scouting. They can, however, be responsible for chlorosis (loss of green coloration of plants due to lack of chlorophyll), branch dieback, or death of the plant. Wax scales are part of the soft scale group as they produce soft, cottony, powdery, or waxy covers that cannot be separated from the scale body. Indian wax scale and Florida wax scale are the common wax scale species that occur in Georgia. Indian wax scale is prevalent in the eastern U.S. from Florida to Maryland. Florida wax scale is found from Florida to New York and westward to New Mexico.
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This pocket field guide provides a summary of the common economically damaging species of ambrosia beetles in the Eastern and Southern U.S. It includes an easy-to-use morphological identification guide, external and internal plant-injury descriptions to help in infestation diagnosis, and trapping guidelines and protocols for researchers, Extension agents, and growers. The finished printed size of this guide is 3″ wide x 5″ high. Please contact the Publications Editor at extpublications@uga.edu to obtain a PDF suitable for commercial printing (with page bleeds).
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Bumblebees are prone to catch your attention with their sonicating buzz or conspicuous and colorful appearance. They are robust, fuzzy-looking insects, with varying bands of coloration and a hairy abdomen. This characteristic differentiates them from the look-alike carpenter bees, which have bald abdomens. Bumblebees usually are active from early spring through fall, visiting and collecting pollen and nectar from flowers, and are distributed worldwide, with up to 260 species all over the globe. Most species are encountered in the Northern Hemisphere, while others are located in Central and South America and northern Africa. Forty-nine bumblebee species in the United States are known, and 17 of them are found in Georgia.
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We can positively affect pollinator populations in our region by providing plants that help sustain them. Pollinators face the increasing challenges of habitat loss, parasite and disease pressure, and the unintended consequences of pesticide misuse. Bee forage plants can bloom season-long with careful plant selection appropriate to the region. A combination of herbaceous perennial and annual plants, trees, and shrubs can provide valuable resources to bees and other pollinators. Even grasses can be used by bees as a pollen source, while crape myrtles can provide a later season resource for pollinators. Anyone—from individual home gardeners to commercial and agricultural property managers—can promote pollinator health by selecting and planting appropriate plants. This guide provides options for selecting flowering woody plants that are attractive to bees and butterflies and sometimes have additional wildlife benefits.
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