Pest Index

Dark, concentric-ring leaf and fruit spots favored by warm nights and leaf wetness—common on brassicas, carrots, tomatoes, and cucurbits. Severe defoliation exposes fruit to sunburn and ends the season early.

A major Andean pest whose larvae mine tubers and adults climb plants to feed on foliage—turning subsistence potato patches into weevil daycare. Outbreaks track fields where infested tubers or soil are moved around.

A group of fungal diseases causing sunken, water-soaked lesions on leaves, stems, and fruit—often with salmon-pink spore masses in humid weather. Tomatoes, beans, cucurbits, and many tree fruits each host different Colletotrichum species.

Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that come in various colors such as green, black, yellow, or pink. They are typically found on the undersides of leaves or on new plant growth and feed on plant sap, which can weaken plants and cause leaves to curl or yellow.

Apple maggots are the larval stage of a small fly that infests apples by burrowing into the fruit. They can be identified by small entry holes, tunnels within the fruit, and the presence of frass, which makes the fruit unmarketable.

Apple Scab is a fungal disease that causes dark, velvety lesions on the leaves, fruit, and sometimes twigs of apple trees. It is recognized by the appearance of olive-green to black spots that can eventually lead to defoliation and fruit drop.

Armyworms are aggressive caterpillars that travel in large groups, rapidly defoliating crops. They are known for their destructive feeding behavior and can decimate large areas of vegetation in a short time.

A small jumping plant-louse that feeds on citrus flush and is the vector of the bacterium causing huanglongbing (HLB). Adults tilt their bodies when disturbed; nymphs produce waxy tubules on tender growth.

A leaf-feeding leaf beetle specialized on asparagus. Adults are metallic blue-black with red or yellow markings; larvae are soft, gray-green grubs that chew spears, ferns, and cladophylls. Heavy feeding weakens crowns, reduces spear size, and leaves sticky frass that makes harvest unpleasant. From temperate zones to warm-summer regions across the Americas (roughly zones 3–13 where asparagus is grown), scout from spear emergence through fern fill—damage is often worst where the same crowns are stressed by drought or repeated cutting.

Datana larvae gang-rush rhododendrons and azaleas in late summer—black bodies with broken yellow stripes and a habit of rearing both ends when disturbed like a confused inchworm committee. One colony can skeletonize a branch before your coffee cools.

Water-soaked specks that yellow and fall out on tomatoes and peppers, or stay angular on cucurbits bounded by veins—caused by several Xanthomonas pathovars. Spread by splash, tools, hands, and infected seed.

The larva of a moth that lives inside a spindle-shaped silk bag camouflaged with host plant bits—often mistaken for a pine cone until branches go bare. Caterpillars crawl while wearing the bag, feeding on needles and leaves of many conifers and some broadleaf ornamentals. Heavy infestations cause branch dieback and can kill stressed trees. Common from temperate eastern North America through much of the U.S. and into suitable climates in Mexico and Central America wherever hosts occur; evergreen plantings in zones roughly 5–9 are most often affected, with localized pressure in warmer pockets.

Bamboo-specialist spider mites that turn culm sheaths and new shoots stippled and dusty—feeding hides on the pale inner side of unfolding leaves, so the plant looks mysteriously tired before you flip anything over.

The banana corm borer—black weevils that tunnel galleries in rhizomes and pseudostems, weakening mats and inviting topple or snapped bunches. Grubs live in frass-packed tunnels; adults hide in leaf sheaths by day.

A greenish beetle with cream or yellow bands across the wing covers, common in the southern United States and tropics. Adults chew leaves and transmit bacterial wilt in cucurbits; larvae feed on roots and tubers.

A warm-climate whitefly that attacks cotton, cucurbits, beans, and many ornamentals; feeding causes chlorosis and honeydew with sooty mold. Adults show a gray band across each forewing—your cue it is not the greenhouse or silverleaf crowd.

A dark, soft-bodied aphid complex that colonizes legumes, beets, spinach, and many broadleaf crops and weeds. Colonies extract phloem sap, curl leaves, stunt seedlings, and coat foliage with sticky honeydew that grows sooty mold. It vectors several plant viruses where those diseases occur. Populations surge in cool, lush growth and can appear anywhere legumes and alternate hosts overlap from temperate through subtropical parts of the Americas (zones 3–13), often riding wind currents between seasons.

A small leaf beetle that punches round holes in soybean and bean foliage and can scar pods; color morphs range from red to yellow to tan with a black triangle behind the head—same pest, different paint jobs.

The dry bean bruchid—mottled little beetles that complete their entire drama inside stored beans, leaving round windows when adults chew out. Field infestations start when females lay eggs on ripening pods in the garden.

A tropical-temperate armyworm that skeletonizes leaves, bores into heads, and riddles lettuce, peppers, and ornamentals; larvae web frass and debris like unpleasant tent caterpillars for salad greens.

A tiny sap-feeding true bug related to aphids that specializes on Rubus—blackberries, raspberries, and hybrids. Nymphs and adults pierce young growth, causing leaf cupping, bronzing, and stunted canes; severe infestations reduce fruiting wood the next season. It overwinters on conifers such as Douglas-fir and western redcedar in parts of its range, migrating to brambles in spring—patterns vary, but damage shows up wherever brambles meet suitable conifer shelter across temperate North America and similar climates in Central America at elevation. Affects production from roughly zones 5–9 where both hosts coexist.

Blueberry maggots are the larval stage of a small fly that infests blueberries. They are identifiable by tiny puncture marks and tunnels in the fruit, which eventually lead to decay and loss of marketable yield.

Borers are insects whose larvae burrow into plant stems, trunks, or roots, causing internal damage that weakens structural integrity and reduces overall plant vigor. They are identified by exit holes, frass deposits, and galleries within the wood.

A flat, elongate true bug that feeds on developing seeds of boxelder and other maples, plus occasionally fruits of apple, cherry, plum, and grape. Outdoors it is mostly a nuisance; feeding can cause leaf stippling, fruit dimpling, or seed abortion when numbers are high. The real drama is mass aggregation on sunny walls in late summer and fall, when adults seek overwintering cracks—common across temperate North America and into Mexico wherever host maples occur, roughly zones 3–10. It does not breed indoors but stains surfaces and startles people when it wanders inside.

Microscopic tarsonemid mite that distorts new growth—crinkled, hardened, 'bronzed' leaves and scarred fruit on peppers, tomatoes, citrus, and many ornamentals. Damage often appears before mites are seen.

A dark brown to black aphid that forms dense colonies on citrus flush, curling and deforming new growth and excreting honeydew. Can vector citrus tristeza virus where the disease exists.

A large, shield-shaped invasive stink bug that pierces fruit, pods, and nuts, leaving corky spots, dimpling, and rot entry points. It aggregates on buildings in fall like its boxelder cousins and taints harvests of tomato, pepper, apple, pear, stone fruit, corn, soybean, and many specialty crops. Established and spreading across temperate and subtropical growing areas of the Americas wherever winters are not extreme—roughly zones 5–11 with regional pockets beyond—populations spike after mild winters and long growing seasons.

Brown rot turns stone fruit into fuzzy brown mush—often with tan pustules of spores on mummies and ripe fruit. It hits cherries, plums, peaches, and apricots, especially where humidity stays high and sanitation slips.

A gray-green, waxy aphid that colonizes brassicas—cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, mustard, arugula, and many wild mustards. Dense colonies hide in crown and heart leaves, causing stunting, leaf curl, and contaminated heads slick with honeydew and sooty mold. Present wherever brassicas grow from cool temperate belts through winter production zones in subtropical and tropical highlands across the Americas (zones 3–13), with explosions in mild, humid spells and under row cover.

A true noctuid looper that skeletonizes brassicas, lettuce, and tomatoes; like other loopers it has only two pairs of abdominal prolegs, so it arches when it crawls. Often arrives with transplants or migrates on weather fronts.

Cabbage Root Flies are small flies whose larvae infest the roots of cabbage and related crops, leading to wilting and stunted growth. Their presence is often indicated by discolored, damaged roots.

Cabbage Root Maggots are the larval stage of flies that infest the roots of brassica crops. They tunnel through root tissues, causing stunting and wilting, which can lead to significant crop loss.

Cabbage White Butterflies are common pests of brassica crops. The adult butterflies have white wings with small black spots, and their eggs hatch into caterpillars that feed voraciously on leaves, causing extensive defoliation.

Cabbage worms are the larvae of the cabbage white butterfly, notorious for damaging brassica crops. They are identified by their green, camouflaged appearance and the characteristic holes they create in leaves.

A tephritid fly whose larvae develop in many tropical and subtropical fruits (guava, mango, Surinam cherry, loquat, etc.). Sting scars and softening fruit with larvae inside are diagnostic.

The carrot rust fly—low-flying, weak-jumping flies whose maggots rasp tunnels in roots, parsley, parsnip, and celery family volunteers. Above ground the crop looks fine; below is a subway map of brown scarring and rot.

Carrot rust flies are small insects whose larvae feed on the roots of carrots and related crops. Infestations often result in stunted growth, yellowing foliage, and overall reduced crop quality.

Carrot Weevils are small, slender beetles that attack the roots of carrot plants. They are typically brownish with a distinct snout, and their feeding results in notches and scarring on the carrot roots.

Tiny green spider mites that stipple cassava leaves from the bottom up, bronzing canopies during dry weather when plants cannot sweat out the insult. Populations spike where drought meets dust.

Pale wax-coated mealybugs that cluster shoot tips and undersides, sucking sap until cassava yellows, stunts, and drops leaves like a bad joke. Famous outbreak species in Africa; related Phenacoccus taxa occur in the Americas—scout, do not assume passport.

Caterpillars are the larval stage of butterflies and moths. They are known for their elongated, soft bodies and voracious appetite, often causing significant defoliation when present in large numbers.

Celery Leaf Miners are the larvae of a small moth that tunnel through celery leaves. Their feeding creates winding, serpentine trails that can lead to distorted, discolored foliage.

Fungal leaf spots with ash-gray to tan centers, reddish borders, and tiny dark fungal fruiting bodies visible with a lens—common on beet, chard, peanut, rose, and many ornamentals. Defoliation follows prolonged humid, warm spells.

A native fruit fly whose larvae tunnel sweet and tart cherries, leaving frass-filled tracks and brown, sunken flesh that rots and drops early. Adults lay eggs under the skin just as fruit starts to color, so damage often appears at harvest surprise. Occurs across much of North America where wild and cultivated Prunus avium and P. cerasus relatives grow—temperate zones roughly 4–8 with spill into adjacent areas—plus similar cherry climates in Central and South American highlands where hosts are planted. Related Rhagoletis species affect other stone fruit; correct ID matters for precise timing.

A bacterial disease causing raised, corky lesions on leaves, fruit, and twigs surrounded by oily yellow halos. Wind-driven rain splashes bacteria; leafminer tunnels can increase infection courts. Report suspect trees where the disease is regulated.

Huanglongbing (HLB): a phloem-limited bacterium spread chiefly by Asian citrus psyllid, causing blotchy mottled leaves, twig dieback, small lopsided fruit with aborted seeds, and eventual tree decline. There is no cure—management is vector and nutrition pressure.

A micro-moth whose larva tunnels in young citrus flush, leaving silvery serpentine mines and curled, distorted leaves. Damage is mostly cosmetic on mature trees but can set back young trees; open mines may allow fungal entry.

Oval, wax-coated sucking insects that colonize leaf axils, fruit clusters, and bark, producing honeydew and sooty mold. Ants often tend them and protect them from predators.

Bright red spider mite that stipples citrus leaves and fruit, bronzing foliage and sometimes causing drop when dry weather favors outbreaks. Field ID is the rusty cast to leaves and moving red dots on the underside with a lens.

The blue-green citrus root weevil (little leaf notcher) whose adults notch leaf margins and whose larvae feed on small roots, contributing to decline complexes—often discussed alongside other citrus weevils but distinct from Diaprepes.

Eriophyid mite that russets citrus rind and can bronze leaves, downgrading fresh fruit and sometimes causing leaf drop on sensitive varieties. Damage shows as smooth brownish patches on peel, not the raised scale of fungal rust.

A whitefly strongly associated with citrus, feeding on undersides of leaves and excreting honeydew that supports sooty mold. Often part of a complex with other sucking pests.

Clover Mites are tiny, soft-bodied arachnids commonly found on clover and other low-growing plants. While typically not causing severe damage, large infestations can create a nuisance by leaving reddish-brown stains on surfaces.

Clover Weevils are small beetles that feed on clover leaves and stems, causing notching and significant defoliation in clover stands. Their feeding can weaken plants and reduce forage quality.

A small moth whose larvae tunnel cocoa pods, stitch chambers with silk, and turn beans into fermenting regret. External entry is a tiny scar; inside is frass, webbing, and quality loss you cannot sort away.

Eriophyid mites that colonize the meristem under bracts, scarring young nuts and causing distortion, abortion, or cosmetic russeting. Damage hides until you peel the bracts—then it is a furry city.

Codling moths are small moths that are a major pest of fruit orchards. The adults are gray-brown with a modest wingspan, while the larvae are creamy white with dark head capsules. Larvae tunnel into fruits like apples and pears, creating entry holes and leaving behind frass, which leads to decay and reduced fruit quality.

Yellow-and-black striped adults and brick-red hump-backed larvae that skeletonize potato, tomato, and eggplant foliage faster than you can say ‘resistance management.’ They overwinter as adults in field margins and laugh at many single-tactic programs.

The larva of a noctuid moth that bores into sweet corn ears, tomatoes, peppers, and many other crops, leaving frass and open wounds for rot. Same animal as the cotton bollworm—different common name, same appetite.

A small dark snout beetle whose grubs ruin southern pea and cowpea seeds from inside the pod, leaving sunken, discolored kernels you notice at shelling time—after the weevil has already won.

A cranberry specialist whose larvae web blossom clusters and bore fruit, stitching berries with silk and frass—your pick for ‘why my berries are glued together.’ Moths fly in early summer when bog temperatures stabilize.

A gall midge whose maggots stunt upright tips into blackened crooks—classic ‘cranberry tip burn’ that growers curse during warm, humid stretches. Adults are tiny flies you will never see without a sweep net and optimism.

A crambid caterpillar that feeds on brassica leaves and buds, named for bold black cross-stripes on a gray-green body—easy to separate from imported cabbageworm and diamondback larvae with a glance.

A thrips species tied to Ficus (especially Cuban laurel and weeping fig), causing leaf rolling, bronzing, and black fecal spotting. Damage is mostly aesthetic on large trees but can stress ornamentals.

Cutworms are the larval stage of moths that sever young seedlings at the soil line. They are most active at night and can cause significant damage to emerging plants.

Translucent tarsonemid that hides in folded young leaves and buds of strawberries, geraniums, African violets, and peppers, causing severe stunting and crinkling. Infestations spread on hands, clothing, and propagation cuttings.

Cytospora Canker is a fungal disease affecting stressed woody plants and trees, identified by sunken, discolored bark lesions. These cankers often exude sap or resin and cause girdling, resulting in branch dieback or even tree death.

A tiny moth whose larvae mine and window-feed brassica leaves, buds, and heads; infamous for evolving resistance to anything you lean on too hard—rotate modes and lean on biology first.

A large colorful snout beetle whose larvae girdle structural roots of citrus, ornamentals, and berries, opening the door to Phytophthora and sudden canopy collapse. Adults notch leaves like pinking shears gone feral.

Dill Worms are caterpillars that feed on dill and other umbelliferous plants. Their feeding results in skeletonized leaves and significant reductions in plant vigor, affecting both yield and quality.

Not a true fungus—oomycete pathogens that cause yellow angular leaf spots (often vein-limited) and fuzzy gray-purple sporulation on the undersides in humid conditions. Cucurbits, grapes, lettuce, basil, and others each have specialized species.

An elongate insect with forceps-like cerci at the tail. The European earwig is the usual garden species in much of the Americas—omnivorous, mostly nocturnal, and guilty of chewing soft leaves, petals, and ripe fruit while also eating aphids and insect eggs. Damage peaks in cool, moist weather and under thick mulch or tight canopies from temperate zones through mild coastal and highland tropics (roughly zones 5–11 for heavy pressure, with scattered populations beyond). It aggregates under boards, pots, and straw, which makes scouting predictable.

A social caterpillar that builds silken tents in the crotches of cherry, apple, crabapple, hawthorn, wild black cherry, and other rosaceous trees. Larvae emerge early in the growing season and strip branches, mostly a cosmetic issue on healthy trees but stressful during repeated heavy years or on young stock. Widespread in eastern and central North America with related Malacosoma species in western forests—collectively relevant across temperate zones roughly 3–8 where hosts occur, including shelterbelts and orchard edges from Canada through the U.S. and upland Mexico.

A migratory moth caterpillar that damages corn, sorghum, turf, and many vegetables, often boring into whorls or fruit. Larvae show a distinctive inverted Y on the head capsule and four dark spots in a square on the rear segment.

A highly polyphagous caterpillar that spins loose silk nests at branch tips in late summer and fall—unlike eastern tent caterpillar, the web encloses foliage at the ends of branches and expands as larvae feed. Outbreaks can defoliate shade trees, nut trees, and fruit trees; healthy wood usually releafs, but repeated stripping weakens stock and looks alarming. Native to the Americas and now familiar from southern Canada through the United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean on suitable hosts—activity shifts earlier in warm zones (roughly 6–11) and stays tighter to summer in cooler zones (3–8).

Big metallic green scarabs that show up when fruit gets soft—figs, grapes, stone fruit, even tomatoes with a split. Adults are the visible stage; they do not skeletonize leaves like Japanese beetles, they drill into ripe flesh and invite rot and wasp parties.

Aggressive social ants that build dome-shaped mounds in open sun and defend them with stings that burn and blister. Workers chew germinating seeds, girdle young transplants, tend sap-feeding insects for honeydew, and invade electrical boxes. Colonies also raft during floods. Red imported fire ant dominates the southern United States, parts of Mexico and the Caribbean, and keeps expanding in suitable warm-temperate to subtropical climates—roughly zones 7–11—with satellite pockets in greenhouses and nursery stock farther north. Native fire ant species occur in other areas; the same sanitation and baiting principles apply where colonies disrupt production.

Fire Blight is a bacterial disease that affects apple and pear trees, causing branches and blossoms to appear scorched by fire. It is identified by the rapid wilting and blackening of blossoms and shoots, often accompanied by a bacterial ooze.

Flea Beetles are small, agile beetles known for their ability to jump when disturbed. They feed on plant foliage, leaving behind characteristic shot-hole damage and creating stress on young or tender plants.

Slender dark flies that flicker around pots when disturbed; larvae live in potting mix and feed on fungi, decaying roots, and tender root hairs—often the hidden cause of poor establishment in overwatered seedlings.

Small dark flies whose thread-like larvae live in moist organic-rich media, feeding on fungi, decaying matter, and tender roots and stems. Indoors and in propagation they signal overwatering; heavy larval feeding can stunt seedlings.

Soilborne vascular wilt: the host-specific formae speciales of F. oxysporum plug xylem, causing one-sided yellowing, wilting despite moist soil, and brown streaks in stems. Tomatoes, melons, bananas, and many ornamentals each have their own pathotype.

Microscopic eriophyid mites that hijack plant cells to build erineum, finger galls, or bigleaf blisters—often on maples, grapes, or buds you swore were healthy yesterday. You will need a hand lens or patience to see the mites; the distorted tissue advertises their presence.

A white-rot basidiomycete complex that eats the lower trunk and roots of palms and hardwoods, often announcing itself with shelf conks at the soil line—by then substantial wood is already compromised. Palms often host Ganoderma zonatum; oaks and other hardwoods may carry related Ganoderma species.

Sawfly larvae that can strip currants and gooseberries bare overnight—green caterpillar look-alikes with more legs than a butterfly kid and none of the charm. Adults are wasp-mimic sawflies that lay eggs along leaf veins in spring.

Chewing orthopterans that clip leaves, silk, and fruit on field crops, forages, and gardens—outbreaks follow warm, dry springs that favor egg survival. Migratory species can appear suddenly along field margins.

A necrotrophic fungus that colonizes dead or senescing tissue and then spreads into healthy parts, producing fuzzy gray spore masses. Common on strawberries, grapes, tomatoes, and cut flowers during cool, humid weather.

A greenhouse and outdoor pest on vegetables and ornamentals; adults and nymphs suck sap from leaf undersides, excrete honeydew, and can vector some plant viruses. Often confused with Bemisia until you note the wings lie flatter and the waxy late nymphs look more like tiny scale insects.

A striking black-and-orange stink bug specialized on mustards and other brassicas. Both adults and nymphs suck sap, causing white blotches, wilting, and seedling death.

A large lady beetle introduced for aphid control that now ranks as a pest in its own right in many contexts. It contaminates grape and berry harvests with bitter alkaloids, stains soft fruit, nips thin-skinned grapes, and aggregates by thousands on buildings in late fall. Larvae still eat aphids—so the species is a paradox, a biocontrol ally in vegetables and a nuisance in vineyards and homes. Present across temperate North America and increasingly reported in Central and South America—zones roughly 4–10 for outdoor pressure, with indoor aggregations wherever winters are cold enough to drive sun-seeking behavior.

Internal trunk or stem rot—often flagged by conks, sudden wilt, or a hollow thunk when you rap the wood. In palms, Ganoderma butt rot eats structural tissue while the canopy still waves hello; in broadleaf trees, many white-rot fungi play the same long game.

A tortricid larva that tunnels pecan and hickory shucks, causing blackening, sticktights, and reduced kernel fill—Mother Nature’s argument against ignoring moth flights. It also attacks late corn ears where wild hosts abound.

Iguanas are large, herbivorous lizards commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions. They are known for their distinctive long tails, spiky crests, and powerful legs. In gardens and permaculture landscapes, they can become significant pests by feeding on vegetables, fruits, and ornamental plants.

The green caterpillar of the small white butterfly that drills holes in cabbage, kale, and nasturtium leaves and fouls heads with frass. Butterflies look innocent; your brassicas disagree.

Japanese Beetles are metallic green beetles with copper-brown wing covers that feed on a wide range of plants. Their feeding activity skeletonizes leaves, damaging both ornamental and crop plants.

A small mottled brown plataspid bug that feeds on legumes including kudzu, soybeans, and wisteria, and aggregates on houses in fall. On beans it can reduce yield; some people have skin irritation from contact.

The oomycete that helped rewrite Irish history—still demolishes tomatoes and potatoes when cool nights, warm days, and leaf wetness align. Water-soaked spots turn brown from the edges inward; white sporulation shows on leaf undersides in humid mornings.

Leaf Blight is a plant disease characterized by irregular, brown to black lesions on leaves. It causes premature leaf drop and diminished photosynthesis, weakening the overall health of the plant.

Peach leaf curl shows up as thick, puckered, reddish leaves on peaches, nectarines, and almonds before they look like a failed origami project. The fungus overwinters in bark and bud scales; cool wet springs release spores that infect new tissue.

A symptom, not a single villain—round to angular lesions with yellow halos, dark fruiting dots, or shot holes depending on which fungus or bacterium won the lottery on your leaves. Wet leaves plus spores equals a new pattern by morning.

Leafhoppers are small, agile insects that feed on plant sap, often transmitting pathogens. They can be identified by their wedge-shaped bodies and rapid, darting movements on foliage.

Leafrollers are caterpillars that roll or fold leaves to create a sheltered feeding site. They are commonly found on fruit trees and shrubs, and their rolled leaves are a clear sign of infestation.

Leek Moths are small moths whose larvae feed on leeks, garlic, and related alliums. Their presence is marked by serpentine mines in the leaves and overall reduction in plant vigor.

A clearwing moth whose larvae bore in the trunks and scaffold limbs of peach, plum, cherry, apricot, and other stone fruit, especially at graft unions, pruning wounds, and bark injuries. Frass mixed with gum exudes from holes; chronic attack girdles wood and kills limbs. Closely related in habits to peachtree borer but often focuses slightly higher on trunks and wounded tissue. Occurs across temperate stone-fruit regions of North America—roughly zones 5–9—wherever Prunus orchards and backyard trees accumulate sunscald and mechanical damage.

A blue-green to olive aphid that colonizes lettuce heads, endive, escarole, and related composites—often deep inside wrapper leaves where washing misses it. Feeding causes stunting, contamination, and rejection at market; it tolerates cool weather better than many aphids, so it dominates in spring and fall tunnels and coastal fields. Worldwide distribution includes intensive production zones across the United States, Mexico, Central America, and Andean cool highlands wherever lettuce ships year-round—roughly zones 3–11 in field contexts, with greenhouse pressure beyond.

A longhorn beetle that uses black locust as a nursery—yellow-and-black adults mimic wasps on goldenrod in fall while larvae chew heartwood tunnels for years. Stressed street trees snap in ice loads; healthy thickets just host wildlife drama.

A small leaf beetle whose larvae blotch-mine black locust leaflets—brown windows that make the canopy look drought-struck even when soil is fine. Adults chew elongated holes before the real mining starts.

Grayish mealybugs with distinct tail filaments, often on stems, leaf undersides, and fruit of citrus, grapes, and ornamentals. Live-bearers, so populations can rise quickly without obvious egg masses.

Large, slow-moving flightless grasshoppers of the southeastern United States that gather in open sunny areas and strip vegetation. Bright warning coloration signals toxicity to many predators.

Curculionid weevil whose grub completes development inside the mango seed while the fruit still looks fine on the tree—international quarantine pest because larvae survive in shipped fruit. Exit holes may appear only after ripening.

Mealybugs are small, sap-sucking insects covered with a white, powdery wax that gives them a fuzzy appearance. They cluster in sheltered areas on plants, such as leaf axils and under stems, feeding on plant fluids and excreting honeydew.

A colorful tephritid notorious for stinging thin-skinned fruit—stone fruit, citrus, berries, tomatoes—leaving soft rots and regulatory headaches. The spotted thorax and patterned wings separate it from vinegar flies on the wing.

A close relative of the pickleworm: green caterpillars that skeletonize leaves and web foliage before sometimes scarring fruit. More leaf-feeding early, fruit risk later in cucurbits.

Mites are minute, eight-legged arthropods that feed on plant sap, often causing stippling, discoloration, and eventual leaf drop. They are usually so small that they are visible only under magnification.

Nematodes are microscopic roundworms that attack plant roots, causing the formation of galls and disrupted nutrient uptake. Infested plants typically display stunted growth and wilting.

A hump-backed anthomyiid fly whose maggots liquefy onion, shallot, and leek bases—the underground equivalent of a bad roommate eating the rent money. Wilting seedlings and soft necks often mean larvae are already tunneling.

Seedcorn maggot’s onion-obsessed cousin—flies lay eggs at the base of seedlings; larvae tunnel stems and bulbs until plants flop like cheap props. Onions planted too deep into cold mud send a VIP invite.

Onion Thrips are tiny, slender insects that feed on the sap of onion plants, leaving behind silvery, stippled damage on leaves. Their rapid movement and small size make early detection challenging.

A highly polyphagous tephritid that stings ripening fruit to lay eggs; larvae liquefy pulp and trigger quarantines. Adults are strong fliers drawn to protein and male lure traps—your orchard's least welcome tourist.

Small tortricid whose larvae tunnel twig tips ('flags') of stone fruit and later bore fruit near the stem end—often confused with codling moth on apple but OFM shows the characteristic twig dieback first.

Large snout beetles whose creamy grubs hollow palm crowns—often after pruning wounds or stress invite them in. Related species like the red palm weevil cause similar drama worldwide; the giveaway is oozing holes, fermented odor, and frass at the crown.

North America's largest weevil; larvae bore the crowns of stressed sabal and other palms, producing fermenting odor and collapsing spear leaves. Transplanted palms are sitting ducks.

A potyvirus spread by aphids in non-persistent fashion—meaning it hitchhikes on stylets for minutes, not lifetimes. Leaves show mosaic, shoestring distortion, and water-soaked rings; fruit develops ugly circular scars that scream ‘unmarketable.’

Parsley Worms are caterpillars that feed on the foliage of parsley and related herbs. They can be identified by the irregular, serpentine mines they create in the leaves, leading to reduced plant vigor.

Parsnip Canker is a fungal disease affecting parsnip plants, causing sunken, discolored lesions on stems and roots. It leads to tissue decay and plant collapse if not managed.

A small tortricid whose caterpillars live inside pea pods, eating seeds and leaving frass that ruins shelling day. You notice the moth never—you find the crime at the kitchen bowl.

A chunky bruchid beetle that lays eggs on developing pea pods so larvae bore straight into seeds—your jar of soup peas becomes a weevil condo if you save seed from infested pods. Adults overwinter and migrate to pea fields in spring.

A small moth whose larvae bore into tender peach, nectarine, almond, and apricot shoots, causing flagged tips and dieback, and later generations may enter fruit near the stem. Damage is often confused with bacterial canker or shot hole until you split the twig and find tunneling. Present in stone-fruit belts of North America, southern South America where Prunus is grown, and matching climates in between—roughly zones 5–10—with multiple generations where summers are long.

A clearwing moth whose larvae tunnel at the base of peach, plum, cherry, apricot, and nectarine trunks—often at or just below the soil line—pushing gum mixed with coarse frass. Heavy infestations girdle trees and kill young orchards fast. Native to eastern North America and present wherever stone fruit is grown in warm-temperate climates across the continent, including Mexico at suitable elevations—roughly zones 5–9—with earlier flights in hot summers.

Pear Psylla are tiny, sap-sucking insects that infest pear trees, causing leaf yellowing, curling, and the secretion of sticky honeydew that can promote sooty mold.

The poster child for humid pecan country—olive-black velvety lesions on leaves, petioles, and nuts that turn crop into a scab museum. Susceptible cultivars in crowded, dew-heavy orchards get hammered first.

A true nut snout beetle whose grub turns kernels into powder and frass—often after the shell looks fine from the outside. Adults emerge from soil, feed on nuts, then lay eggs through punctures; larvae drop to pupate underground for two-year cycles in cooler areas.

A small snout beetle that lays eggs in pepper buds, flowers, and young fruit; larvae feed inside, causing yellowing, abortion, and internal rot that shows up as mystery drop in the row. It is a regulated and economically devastating pest of bell and chile peppers in warm production belts from the southern United States through Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, with intercepted populations sometimes appearing in greenhouses farther north. Outdoor pressure concentrates in roughly zones 8–12; tunnels can harbor weevils year-round if infested transplants enter clean houses.

A clearwing moth larva that bores persimmon trunks and larger limbs, producing sawdust-like frass and sometimes oozing sap—like a termite with wings and bad timing. Weak or sun-scalded bark is their favorite door.

Persimmon Psylla are small, sap-sucking insects that attack persimmon trees, leading to leaf discoloration and honeydew buildup. Their feeding can weaken trees and affect fruit quality.

Aggressive oomycete root and crown rots affecting avocado, citrus, tomato, pepper, raspberry, and landscape trees—often tied to prolonged wet crowns, heavy clay, or contaminated surface water. Aboveground symptoms mimic drought or salinity.

The larva of a tropical crambid moth that bores into cucumber, squash, melon, and related fruit after feeding on flowers. Frass at entry holes and collapsing fruit are telltales in warm-season gardens.

A snout beetle that scars and drops stone and pome fruit with crescent-shaped oviposition cuts, then larvae tunnel flesh until fruit falls. Adults overwinter in brushy margins and move into orchards during warm, humid spells— management is all about timing those flights. Eastern North American native that also damages apples, pears, and quinces where ranges overlap; similar curculio complexes occur in other regions, but this species drives management across temperate zones roughly 4–8 in commercial and backyard orchards throughout the U.S. and southern Canada.

The Pomegranate Butterfly is a pest of pomegranate plants, where the adult lays eggs on foliage and fruit. Its larvae feed on the tissues, causing blemishes and reduced fruit quality.

Actinobacteria that roughen tuber skin with corky pits and cracks—cosmetic havoc for market growers, soup-pot annoyance for everyone else. Infection spikes in dry soils with high pH, fresh manure, and lots of new root growth.

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease characterized by a white or gray powdery coating on leaves and stems. It spreads quickly in warm, dry conditions and can significantly reduce plant vigor.

Oomycete 'water mold' that rots seeds, hypocotyls, and fine roots in cold, saturated media—classic damping-off and stunted, yellow, wilted seedlings despite wet pots. Common where drainage is poor or irrigation runs continuously.

Raspberry Beetles feed on raspberry fruits, puncturing the skin and causing blemishes that reduce the fruit’s marketability and quality.

A longhorned beetle whose larvae tunnel in raspberry and blackberry primocanes, causing swellings (galls) a few inches long, often mid-cane, followed by weak or dying tips above the injury. Infested canes break in wind and produce fewer fruiting laterals. Common in temperate bramble regions of North America—roughly zones 4–8—where wild Rubus and cultivated rows intermingle, and in similar climates in upland Central and South America where cane berries are grown.

A giant red-brown palm borer invasive in many palm-growing regions; larvae hollow the apical meristem until the crown folds like a failed umbrella. Pheromone trapping is central to area-wide programs.

Semi-endoparasitic nematode that embeds its front half in cotton, soybean, and vegetable roots while the swollen rear stays outside—causing stunting, nutrient deficiency symptoms, and yield loss in warm sandy soils.

A large dynastine scarab whose larvae compost palm debris and whose adults bore into crowns, snapping unopened fronds like spiteful umbrellas. Famous across coconut and oil palm regions; other horned scarabs worldwide are harmless decomposers—context matters.

A long-snouted weevil that punches feeding holes in rhubarb stalks and dock leaves, leaving sap spots and inviting rot—think of it as a cocktail pick with commitment issues. Adults migrate from wild hosts in spring.

The world’s heavyweight rice pathogen—diamond-shaped necrotic lesions with gray centers on leaves, collar rot that kills tillers, and panicle blast that turns grain heads white overnight. Spores ride dew and wind through humid canopies.

Small gray weevils that dive rice paddies to lay eggs in leaf sheaths; larvae mine roots and cut nutrient uptake so plants yellow in arcs—classic rice water weevil signature across flooded production.

Aphids that feed underground on fine roots, crown tissue, or gall-forming species that tie into soil biology— not the flashy green crowd on leaf tips. Infested plants yellow, wilt in heat despite wet media, and may show honeydew or ant tunnels at the crown. In container, greenhouse, and high-tunnel production they spread through reused substrate; in fields, species such as the corn root aphid associate with soil compaction and heavy organic matter. Anywhere temperate to subtropical crops grow across the Americas (zones 3–13), suspect root aphids when foliage symptoms mismatch soil moisture readings.

A syndrome of wilting, stunting, yellowing, and collapse from decayed roots and crowns. Above-ground symptoms mimic drought or nutrient issues; inspection shows brown, mushy roots and often a lack of fine feeder roots.

Rootknot nematodes are microscopic soil-dwelling parasites that infect plant roots, causing the formation of galls or 'knots.' These galls disrupt the flow of water and nutrients, leading to stunted growth and poor crop yields.

The larva of a sawfly—not a slug at all—that skeletonizes rose leaves from the underside, leaving upper epidermis intact like windowpane damage. Heavy feeding weakens repeat-blooming shrubs and makes ornamentals look moth-eaten. Adults are small wasp-like sawflies that insert eggs into leaf tissue. Common on garden roses across temperate North America and in similar climates in the Andes and upland Central America where roses are grown—roughly zones 4–9—with multiple generations where summers are long.

An invasive spiraling whitefly that attacks gumbo limbo, palms, woody ornamentals, and more; produces abundant wax, honeydew, and sooty mold. Rugose refers to the textured wing surface—field ID plus the usual spiral egg pattern and mess.

Elongate four-legged eriophyid mites that cause russeting, bronzing, or felt-like erinea on leaves, buds, and fruit—common on apples, grapes, stone fruit, and conifers depending on species. You will not see the mite without high magnification.

Scale Insects are small, immobile pests that adhere to plant stems and leaves, secreting a waxy protective covering. Their feeding weakens plants and produces honeydew, leading to the growth of sooty mold.

Tiny fly larvae tunnel between leaf surfaces, leaving pale, winding 'serpentine' mines that widen as the maggot grows. Adults are small black-and-yellow agromyzid flies; damage shows up first on lower, sheltered foliage and can stunt seedlings.

Small moth-like flies that breed in algae and biofilm on wet greenhouse floors, capillary mats, and saucers. Adults speckle foliage with fly specks and are a nuisance indicator of chronic overwatering, not always direct feeders.

A highly polyphagous whitefly complex whose feeding can induce squash silverleaf disorder, transmit many plant viruses, and coat foliage with honeydew. Biotype names exist; field ID is usually 'Bemisia' management.

Slugs are soft-bodied, shell-less mollusks that feed on plant tissues, leaving behind slimy trails and irregular feeding damage. They are most active in damp, cool conditions.

Snails are soft-bodied mollusks that feed on tender plant tissues, leaving behind irregular holes and slimy trails. They thrive in moist conditions and can cause significant damage in garden beds.

Black, powdery fungal growth on leaf surfaces fed by honeydew from aphids, scales, whiteflies, or psyllids—not a primary pathogen but a billboard advertising sap feeders. Blocks light and can reduce vigor on heavily coated evergreens.

A defoliating caterpillar of field crops, vegetables, and weeds; late instars can strip plants rapidly during migrations. Often shows two-tone longitudinal stripes and a yellowish head—armyworm discipline without the cutworm burrowing habit.

A large bright green shield bug that feeds on many fruiting crops, causing dimpling, cloud spots, and aborted seeds in legumes. Adults overwinter and often aggregate before moving to crops.

A looper caterpillar—not a true geometrid—that rasps soybean, cotton, tomato, and many other leaves, leaving ragged windows and holes. Named for the arched inching gait from reduced prolegs.

A tortricid whose larvae bore cranberry berries and web uprights—sulfur-yellow adults give away the species name while larvae give away your yield. It overwinters as partially grown larvae in bog litter.

Spider mites are tiny arachnids that feed on plant sap, often identified by their fine webbing on the undersides of leaves and rapid reproduction. Their feeding can cause leaves to yellow, develop stippling, and drop prematurely.

A tropical/subtropical whitefly famous for laying eggs in a spiral pattern and coating leaves with woolly wax and honeydew; heavy on palms, citrus relatives, and many ornamentals. Infestations look like someone dusted the plant with cotton and syrup.

Spittlebugs are nymphs of froghoppers that produce a frothy, spittle-like mass as a protective covering while feeding on plant sap. They are typically found on young plants and grasses, and the characteristic froth is a key identifier.

A greenish-yellow leaf beetle with twelve black spots that chews cucurbit seedlings, flowers, and fruit rinds and vectors bacterial wilt through Erwinia tracheiphila. Adults fly; larvae feed on roots of many grasses and some crops.

A large planthopper that sucks sap from trunks, stems, and fruit clusters while excreting massive honeydew that fuels sooty mold. Nymphs are black with white spots early, then red with white patches; adults are gray-winged with bold black spots and brick-red hindwings in flight. It uses tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus) and many crop and forest hosts, stressing vines, stone fruit, apples, and maples. Established in parts of the eastern United States and under active containment efforts elsewhere—growers in zones roughly 5–9 should assume it can travel on vehicles and nursery stock across the Americas until monitoring proves otherwise.

A large, flat true bug that pierces cucurbit leaves, stems, and fruit, causing wilting that mimics vine borer or disease because injected enzymes disrupt xylem. Nymphs cluster in gray masses on leaf undersides; adults hide under debris. Heavy pressure collapses melons, squash, and pumpkins during hot, dry spells. Present throughout North America wherever cucurbits grow and through Mexico and Central America in warm-season production—roughly zones 3–11 outdoors—with extra generations in long summers.

The larva of a clearwing moth that bores into squash and pumpkin stems (and sometimes melons), often killing vines when tunnels girdle the plant. Look for sawdust-like frass at the base of stems, wilting that does not recover overnight, and entry holes near soil level.

Shield-shaped true bugs that pierce fruit, pods, and nuts and inject enzymes, causing catfacing, dimpling, sunken spots, or internal white pithy areas. Several native and invasive species share this habit; identification matters for monitoring but management themes overlap.

A flightless weevil whose whitish larvae chew fine roots and crowns of strawberry, brambles, and some ornamentals, while adults notch leaf edges at night. Plants decline in patches, wilt in heat, and produce small fruit before collapsing—symptoms mimic root rot until you find crescent feeding on leaves. Common in temperate berry regions of North America—roughly zones 4–9—and in similar climates in the Andes and Mexican highlands where strawberries are grown on plasticulture or matted rows.

A yellow beetle with three black stripes lengthwise down each wing cover; skeletonizes cotyledons, shreds flowers, and vectors cucurbit bacterial wilt in the eastern U.S. Often the first pest you meet when cucurbits emerge.

Small crambid moth whose larvae web and feed inside sunflower heads, contaminating seed with frass and allowing Rhizopus head rot to colonize damaged florets. Economic on oilseed and confection types when populations spike.

Black swallowtail larvae—green with black bands and yellow-orange ‘horns’ that pop out like party favors when disturbed. They munch carrot, parsley, dill, and fennel foliage; one or two plants worth of damage beats zero pollinators later.

Swede Midge is a tiny fly that infests swede and other brassicas, where its larvae feed within plant tissues, causing distortion, curling, and stunted growth.

A serious sweet potato pest whose larvae tunnel storage roots and vines, leaving frass, rot, and bitter flavor; adults are ant-like snout beetles. Infested roots fail market and home-kitchen tests alike.

Social caterpillars in the genus Malacosoma that spin silk tents in branch forks (western and eastern types) or march in groups on forest and fruit trees (forest tent caterpillar habits differ but managers lump them at the roadside). Larvae strip leaves in spring and early summer; healthy trees usually releaf, but young stock and drought- stressed trees suffer more. Species mix shifts by latitude and coast—collectively these caterpillars matter across temperate North America into Mexican highlands and similar zones roughly 3–9 wherever rosaceous hosts, oaks, and aspens dominate hedgerows, orchards, and shelterbelts.

Flat, dark tetranychid mite that feeds on the upper leaf surface of citrus and some ornamentals, causing a fine silvery speckle and, in heavy infestations, leaf drop. Often peaks in warm, dry spells.

Thrips are tiny, slender insects that feed on plant sap, often causing stippling and silvery damage on leaves. Their rapid movements and small size make them difficult to detect until infestations are well established.

A noctuid caterpillar that mines buds, flowers, and fruit of tobacco, cotton, tomatoes, and ornamentals; closely related in damage habit to corn earworm but with distinct larval microspines and head color patterns for the brave with a hand lens.

Tomato hornworms are large, green caterpillars that feed voraciously on tomato plants. They are easily recognized by their prominent horn-like projection on the rear and their rapid defoliation of leaves.

Twig Girdlers are beetles that lay eggs in small branches, causing the adults to girdle the twig to create a suitable environment for their larvae. This girdling cuts off nutrient flow, leading to branch dieback and loss of structural integrity.

Andean weevils that treat ulluco tubers like an all-you-can-eat starch bar—larvae tunnel flesh while adults notch leaves. Infestations spread with soil on tools, footwear, and saved seed tubers.

Agromyzid fly whose larvae mine leaves of beans, cucurbits, peppers, and many leafy greens, leaving blotchy or serpentine tunnels and reducing photosynthetic area. Often worse in warm seasons and irrigated, high-nitrogen plantings.

A southern soybean and legume defoliator with a velvet-textured larva that feeds openly on leaflets, sometimes leaving only veins. Populations can explode in late summer beans when predators lag.

A European-origin weevil now widespread in nursery stock and berry operations—adults chew notched leaf margins at night while larvae hollow roots of container plants, strawberries, and many ornamentals. Sudden wilt in otherwise moist media is a classic calling card. Established in temperate North America, parts of South America where nursery trade moves plants, and greenhouse belts year-round—outdoor pressure concentrates roughly zones 6–10, with larvae continuing in heated houses farther north.

Tephritid relative of apple maggot that stings walnut husks, causing dark sunken stings, stuck hulls that stain the shell, and premature drop. Larvae feed in the husk, not the kernel—damage is market grade and handler annoyance.

White Rot is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants, characterized by a white, cottony mold that leads to tissue decay. It can affect stems, leaves, and roots, severely weakening plant health.

Whiteflies are tiny, sap-sucking insects that typically cluster on the undersides of leaves. They are usually white or yellowish and can be identified by their powdery appearance and rapid movement when disturbed.

Tiny white-winged sap feeders on leaf undersides; when brushed, adults flutter up in a cloud. Honeydew leads to sooty mold. Many crops are hosts; species-level ID often needs magnification or expert keys.

Willow Beetles feed on the leaves of willow trees, often causing irregular notches and premature defoliation. They can be identified by the distinctive damage they leave on the foliage and their small, oval, often greenish-brown bodies.

Click beetle larvae—shiny amber tubes that hollow out seeds, shred roots, and drill tubers like they paid rent. Damage shows as wilting transplants, missing stands, and potatoes that look shot.