Natural Enemies: Predators and Parasitoids
Though most people cringe at the sight of an insect, there are countless species of beneficial insects. One such group of insects is referred to as natural enemies. These are insects that prey upon...
Category: Entomology
Sweet Potato & Irish Potato Insects
Wireworms Several kinds of wireworms feed on sweet potatoes as well as Irish potatoes. The southern potato wireworm (Conoderus falli) is injurious in the southeastern United States. Adults (click...
Cucumber, Squash, Melon & Other Cucurbit Insect Pests
Cucumber Beetles The spotted, striped and banded cucumber beetles are very harmful to cucurbits (members of the gourd family, including cucumbers, melons, pumpkins and squashes), particularly young...
Insect Pests of Sweet Corn
Cutworms Cutworms damage a few plants in most gardens every year, but some gardens are so heavily infested as to warrant control by the grower. Bottom land (low-lying land, creek bottoms, etc.) is...
Bean & Southern Pea Insect Pests
Major Seedling Feeders Aphids: Aphids (Aphis species and Macrosiphum euphorbiae) are soft-bodied “plant lice,” about 1/16 to 1/8 inch in length and are usually green although some species are...
Rose Insects & Related Pests
With their showy and often fragrant blooms, roses are easily one of the most popular flowering plants grown in South Carolina. Unfortunately, the numerous insects and related pests that attack them...
Integrated Pest Management (I.P.M.) for Cabbage Looper
Cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) is a common vegetable garden pest that feeds on many different species of crops, such as: beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and other brassica crops. Other host...
Boxwood Diseases & Insect Pests
Boxwoods (Buxus spp.) are adapted to a wide range of light conditions, and prefer fertile, moist, well-drained soil, which is amended with organic matter. For information on species, varieties and...
Incorporating Beneficials Into the Gardener’s Toolkit
Many insects are present in home gardens and landscapes. Groups like butterflies and moths catch the eye on a regular basis and tend to dazzle us with beauty and grace. Bees, native and...
Gnats
Gnats are among the most aggravating insects that plague certain regions of South Carolina each spring and summer. The first killing frost in the fall is always a welcome relief for those that enjoy...
Urban Wildlife – Butterflies
For decades portions of wilderness areas, usually removed from urban settings, have been used to encourage wildlife. Traditionally, wildlife management centered on improved habitat and hunting...
Black Twig Borer
Black Twig Borer (Xylosandrus compactus) is a species of a scolytid beetle and is one of the few ambrosia beetles that will infest healthy or stressed plants. The adult beetle is solid black, shiny,...