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- Latin Name: Aleyrodes spiraeoides
- Latin Family Name: Aleyrodidae
- Common Name: Iris Whitefly
- Other Names: N/A
Origin:
Possibly native to North America.
Biology:
Primarily a pest on iris and gardenias, but they also infest many vegetables, landscape plants, and cotton. There usually will be a great amount of wax associated with infestations of this species, creating a powdery white appearance to the lower surface of the leaf. Females deposit up to 400 eggs in their lifetime, averaging about 25 eggs per day, in small groups that often are arranged in a circular pattern and usually on the lower surface of the leaf. Each egg is attached to the end of a short stalk. Nymphs are mobile in the first instar, but lose their legs become sessile and feed in one place in the next nymph stages, covering themselves with a waxy layer. The nymph
- Latin Name: Aleurodicus rugioperculatus
- Latin Family Name: Aleyrodidae
- Common Name: Gumbo limbo spiraling whitefly
- Other Names: Rugose spiraling whitefly
Origin:
Native to Central America.
Biology:
This species is named for its occurrence on ornamental gumbo limbo, but it also attacks many other landscape plants including banana, olive, mango, palms, oaks, and numerous shrubs. It does not appear to be as devastating to the plants as some other imported species of whitefly, and so far the problem is primarily the sticky honeydew that drips from infested plants. It occurs in Florida.
Identification:
Adults are typical of whiteflies, with very small size, pure white bodies and wings, and resembling small moths. The immature stages are difficult to spot as the wax covering over the actual insect is fairly
- Latin Name: Parabemisia myricae
- Latin Family Name: Aleyrodidae
- Common Name: Japanese Bayberry Whitefly
- Other Names: Bayberry whitefly
Origin:
Likely of Asian origin, as it was first described from Japan, and is found from China south through Malaysia, in Israel and Venezuela, and in the U.S. only in California and Florida.
Biology:
Potentially a destructive pest on citrus, but generally kept under control by a natural wasp parasite that appears to have been introduced with the whitefly when it entered the U.S. It has a fairly wide host range of ornamental trees and shrubs, including citrus, gardenia, camellia, rhododendron, oak, Ficus, and others. Females deposit eggs on the foliage, preferring very young emerging leaves and normally ovipositing along the leaf margins.
Identification:
The adult has a
- Latin Name: Tetraleurodes mori
- Latin Family Name: Aleyrodidae
- Common Name: Mulberry whitefly
- Other Names: N/A
Origin:
Probably native to the U.S., where it can be found in Florida, Tennessee, and California, and probably other states where citrus and other host plants occur.
Biology:
Despite its common name this is not often found on mulberry, but may be an important pest on citrus, guava, ash, and laurel. The female deposits the eggs on the lower surface of a leaf, often in a circular pattern and usually accompanied by abundant fluffy white wax. Heavy infestations can nearly cover the lower surfaces of the leaves, leading to heavy production of honeydew. Typical whitefly life cycle of eggs laid over the surface of the leaf hatching to the mobile first instar nymph. As this moves to the second instar the legs are lost and the insect
- Latin Name: Pealius kelloggii
- Latin Family Name: Aleyrodidae
- Common Name: Kellogg Whitefly
- Other Names: N/A
Origin:
Native to North America, and found widely where the host plants occur.
Biology:
Feeds only on members of the genus Prunus, including Chokecherry and Catalina Cherry. Heavy infestations can nearly cover the lower surfaces of the leaves, leading to heavy production of honeydew. Typical whitefly life cycle of eggs laid over the surface of the leaf hatching to the mobile first instar nymph. As this moves to the second instar the legs are lost and the insect becomes sessile, feeding in one place through the next nymph stages and the pupa.
Identification:
Another species of whitefly best identified by its pupa stage, which has an oval, white powdery body surrounded by an ornate fringe of long
- Latin Name: Tetraleurodes stanfordi
- Latin Family Name: Aleyrodidae
- Common Name: Stanford Whitefly
- Other Names: N/A
Origin:
Native to the western U.S. and Mexico.
Biology:
A pest of the western U.S., where it is found on several species of native oaks as well as tanoak, coffee berry, and chinquapin. Heavy infestations can nearly cover the lower surfaces of the leaves, leading to heavy production of honeydew. Typical whitefly life cycle of eggs laid over the surface of the leaf hatching to the mobile first instar nymph. As this moves to the second instar the legs are lost and the insect becomes sessile, feeding in one place through the next nymph stages and the pupa.
Identification:
Another species of whitefly best identified by its pupa stage, which has an oval, black body surrounded by a fringe of long
- Latin Name: Alysicarpus Vaginalis
- Latin Family Name: Fabaceae
- Common Name: Alyce Clover
- Other Names: Oneleaf clover, white moneywort
Origin:
Native to the Old World tropics, but introduced to the U.S. and now found throughout the southeastern states north to Virginia, as well as in Hawaii and the West Indies.
Biology:
A perennial weed that reproduces from seed. Plants are prostrate and spreading, capable of forming thick mats over the soil. They may be found in any disturbed habitat and along roadsides, as well as in turf.
Identification:
Numerous stems form mats on the soil, or stems may be somewhat upright. The leaves are alternate and undivided, round to somewhat elongate, and on very short stalks. Flowers are very small and occur in racemes, and range from purple to pink to orange. The seed pods
- Latin Name: Poa Annua
- Latin Family Name: Poaceae
- Common Name: Annual Bluegrass
- Other Names: Poa, walkgrass, annual meadow grass
Origin:
Native to Europe, but one of the most widely distributed weed grasses in the United States. It thrives in turf, gardens, crops, roadsides, or any other open area.
Biology:
An annual grass, with seeds germinating from late summer, through the winter, and into the following spring. Plants mature from late spring to early summer. Grows well in turf, where it outgrows the desirable turf creating a light green discoloration with abundant seedhead production, and when it dies in the summer it leaves a brown area on the turf.
Identification:
Mature plants may be 1 foot tall and bright green. Reproduces only from seed, so stems grow from central point at the soil. Leaves are
- Latin Name: Sonchus Oleraceus
- Latin Family Name: Asteraceae
- Common Name: Annual Sowthistle
- Other Names: Common sow-thistle, hares lettuce, colewort, milk thistle, sow-thistle
Origin:
Native to Europe and found commonly throughout North America.
Biology:
An annual weed found in virtually any crop or non-crop setting, and a common weed pest in landscaped habitats. It favors cool, moist environments and will die back in hot weather, but may continue to germinate seeds in cool landscapes. Propagation is from seeds, and these have long, silky hairs that enable the wind to disperse them great distances from the parent plant. Germination begins in mid-winter to spring.
Identification:
Mature plants may grow to 6 feet tall, with 3 to 4 feet tall most common. Stems are wide, hollow, and usually with many branches.
- Latin Name: Paspalum Notatum
- Latin Family Name: Poaceae
- Common Name: Bahiagrass
- Other Names: Highway grass, common bahia, Pensacola bahia
Origin:
Native to South America, but now spread throughout all of Latin America, the West Indies, Hawaii, and the southeastern U.S.
Biology:
A warm season perennial that reproduces by both seeds and rhizomes. It grows quickly to form thick mats over the soil and is extremely invasive outside of landscaped areas, or areas of roadside or pasture where it may be planted as a low maintenance turf.
Identification:
Mature growth is mat-forming, with tall stems with terminal seed heads growing above the vegetation. Leaves are somewhat folded and generally smooth on both upper and lower surfaces. A short ligule is present at the base of the leaf, and the bases of the stems