Plant Pests and Diseases Resources
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The tea scale is a serious economic pest of several ornamental plants in nurseries and landscapes in Georgia, including camellias and hollies. Tea scales are armored scales that cause yellowing of the leaf tissue, and under severe infestations, they can cause plant death. These pests undergo multiple overlapping generations per year and are very challenging to control. It usually takes two to three years to bring the infestations under control after the application of effective insecticides.
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Chilli thrips is an invasive thrips species in the United States. Chilli thrips infest more than 150 crops worldwide, including strawberries, cotton, tea, citrus, and peppers, as well as many ornamental plants. The pest has become increasingly problematic in nurseries because of its wide host range, small size, and rapid reproduction and development. In Georgia, chilli thrips were first reported in 2007.
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Hunting billbug, Sphenophorous venatus vestitus (Family: Curculionidae) is an important weevil pest of turfgrass in Georgia. It’s called a “billbug” because of its long snout, or bill, which has small mandibles at the tip. Hunting billbug infestations in turfgrass are not easily detected until the first signs of feeding damage, such as discoloration or irregular patches, appear scattered across the turfgrass. Although hunting billbugs attack all major turfgrass genotypes, damage on zoysia grass cultivars can be particularly serious. In addition to hunting billbug, several other species of billbugs are found in warm-season turfgrass including the lesser billbug, S. minimus, and uneven billbug, S. inaequalis.
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Magnolias, which are evergreen trees and shrubs, are a common landscape plant species in the southern U.S. Magnolia scale, native to the eastern U.S., is a serious pest of both native and non-native magnolias. Magnolia scale is found in 29 states in the U.S. and can reach the size of a human thumb, making it one of the largest scales in the country. It exclusively feeds on magnolias found in ornamental landscapes.
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Fall armyworms can quickly decimate a field of any forage crop or pasture, often eating higher quality forage first. Growers and farmers can face severe economic damage and total forage loss. Anyone growing forage or pasture used to feed livestock can use this publication to find answers to the most common questions about fall armyworm in Georgia pastures and hayfields.
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Bermudagrass mite is a microscopic mite species (at or smaller than ~0.2 mm or 0.0078 in.) that only infests and feeds on bermudagrass and has become an increasing problem in Georgia. It can develop into a serious problem on golf courses, athletic fields, sod farms, and both residential and public lawns. Bermudagrass mite infestations can reduce the aesthetic value of the turfgrass, causing thinning and poor grass growth. The size of bermudagrass mites poses a real challenge in identifying and monitoring the population in fields.
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Fall armyworms are native to North America and can destroy lawn grass and other turf. They first reach Georgia in the spring or early summer, and caterpillars are noticeable in turfgrass in early July. The third, fourth, and fifth stages of fall armyworm caterpillars are the destructive stages. The younger stages (first through third larval stages) are tiny and hard to see in the grass. When infested, green turfgrass will gradually turn brown as the caterpillars grow. The damaged turfgrass may appear diseased or like it experienced drought.
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Box tree moth is an invasive pest of boxwood plants. It was introduced into New York in 2021 and has been reported in six other states. It has not been reported in Georgia yet. Boxwoods are an important ornamental evergreen shrub in the southeastern U.S., widely planted in residential, commercial, and public landscapes in both urban and suburban areas.
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The walnut caterpillar is native to North America and is mostly distributed in the eastern part of the United States. The larvae feed on the leaves of the plants such as pecan, walnut, butternut, and other species of hickory. Although it is an occasional insect pest, it feeds voraciously. This publication provides growers with information about its biology, damage symptoms, and management options.
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