Author: Vicky Bertagnolli

Eastern Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma americanum Tent Structure and Feeding Habits Eastern tent caterpillar, Malacosoma americanum, typically builds tents in the crotches of trees. (In contrast, fall...

Tea Scale, Fiorinia theae Symptoms of scale insect infestations may include chlorosis (yellowing), fewer and smaller blossoms, leaf drop, twig dieback, and sometimes plant decline or even plant...

Brown Snake, Storeria dekayi Brown snake, Storeria dekayi, is sometimes referred to as Dekay’s brownsnake. The relatively small (6-13 inches), nonvenomous brown snake is common throughout most of...

Moss There are more than 15,000 described species of moss worldwide. These underappreciated, primitive green plants fill spaces where other plants cannot or will not grow. Moss thrives in the...

Lichens There are about 3,600 described species of lichens in North America. Lichens are symbiotic partnerships between multiple organisms (a fungus and a green alga or cyanobacteria (blue-green...

Eyed click beetle, Alaus oculatus (Coleoptera: Elateridae) Eyed click beetle, Alaus oculatus, is a relatively large beetle found throughout eastern North America. The Entomological Society of...

Chinese Mantid Ootheca “Ootheca” is a Latinized term that comes from oo-, meaning “egg” and theca, meaning “cover”/”container”. An ootheca is an egg...

Biscogniauxia, (formerly Hypoxylon), Canker Biscogniauxia, a common genus of fungi found throughout the United States, causes canker, dieback, and death of stressed oaks (Quercus spp.), pecan (Carya...

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius, Sapwells Tidy, uniform rows or columns (or both) of holes on a landscape or woodland tree likely indicates the presence of yellow-bellied sapsuckers in...

Milesia virginiensis (Diptera: Syrphidae) Milesia virginiensis does not have an ESA (Entomological Society of America) approved common name. Colloquially, this fly is known as a “yellowjacket...

Spottedwinged antlion, Dendroleon obsoletus (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) The genus, Dendroleon, means “tree lion” and references larval habitat. Instead of digging pits in the dirt to...