Chalcodermus aeneus Boheman Coleoptera Curculionidae
Distribution. This insect apparently is native to North America. It is restricted primarily to the southeastern states, from Virginia to Florida in the East, and west to Texas and Oklahoma. Occasionally it is reported in more northern states, but causes no damage there. It also is reported to occur in Central and South America. Host Plants. Cowpea curculio feeds principally on legumes, but other plants are sometimes consumed. Cowpea, snap bean, lima bean, and pea are the vegetables injured, but...
Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominalis Sasaki Homoptera Aphididae
Distribution. Rice root aphid may be of Asian origin, though it now has nearly world-wide distribution in tropical and subtropical areas, and to a lesser extent in temperate countries. It occurs widely in the United States, but is rarely a pest, and is injurious only in warmer climates such as California, Texas, and the southeastern states. It is not known to occur naturally in Canada, though it has been imported on plant products. Host Plants. The primary, or overwintering, host is Prunus spp....
Acknowledgments
Much of the entomological literature published in the past 125 years that pertains to North American vegetable pests was reviewed during preparation of this Handbook. This was a complex task, and undoubtedly there are numerous oversights and errors in interpretation. I take full responsibility for such errors and hope that readers will be so kind to point them out so that one day these may be corrected. I have attempted to correct as many mistakes as possible by obtaining reviews from...
Tipula paludosa Meigen Diptera Tipulidae
Distribution. The origin of European crane fly or leatherjacket is northern Europe, where it occurs from Finland to Great Britain. It was first found in North America in Labrador during 1952, followed by Nova Scotia in 1954, and British Columbia in 1965. The eastern populations have not expanded greatly, but on the west coast the population quickly spread south and east from Vancouver into western Washington and northwestern Oregon. Host Plants. Larvae feed on numerous plants, though they are...
Phyllotreta armoraciae Koch Coleoptera Chrysomelidae
Distribution. Horseradish flea beetle is an introduced species, probably from Europe. It was first found in North America in 1893 in the vicinity of Chicago, Illinois. It now is widely distributed in the northern United States and southern Canada, but principally east of the Rocky Mountains. It also has been collected from Oregon and Idaho, but in these locations it seems not to be a serious pest. Host Plants. The adults have been collected from several cruciferous plants, but damage by adults...
Megalographa biloba Stephens Lepidoptera Noctuidae
Distribution. This native insect is found throughout North and South America, including Hawaii. It is relatively infrequent, however, in western Canada and the northwestern United States. Apparently it cannot overwinter in northern latitudes and reinvades the northern United States and southern Canada each summer. Host Plants. Bilobed looper is reported to feed on several families of plants, but only a few crops are affected. Among vegetables crops eaten are bean, cabbage, and lettuce. Other...
Euxoa auxiliaris Grote Lepidoptera Noctidae
Distrib tion. This native insect is abundant in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions in the United States and Canada. It has been recorded from all states west of the Mississippi River, and as far east in Canada as Ontario, but it attains high densities only in semiarid areas. Host Plants. Army cutworm has been reported to feed on numerous plants. It is known principally as a pest of small grains, perhaps because these crops dominate the landscape where army cutworm occurs. Among...
Colaspis brunnea Fabricius Coleoptera Chrysomelidae
Distribution. This native insect is found widely in North America, east of the Rocky Mountains, though it is relatively infrequent in the western Great Plains. It also occurs spradically in the western states, as it also is reported from Arizona and Oregon. Host Plants. The grape colaspis is known to feed on numerous plants, in both the larval and adult stage, though rarely does it cause much damage. The preferred hosts seem to be legumes, but it can be quite common in legume-grass mixtures....
Euschistus conspersus Uhler Hemiptera Pentatomidae
Distribution. Consperse stink bug occurs in western North America from British Columbia and Idaho south to California and Nevada. It is a native species. Host Plants. Consperse stink bug damages vegetable and fruit crops. Known principally as pest of tomato, it also feeds on apple, apricot, blackberry, fig, loganberry, peach, pear, plum, and raspberry. It also is found occasionally in alfalfa, barley, cotton, sorghum, and sugarbeet. Among the numerous weeds known to support consperse stink bug...
Glassy Cutworm Apamea devastator Brace Lepidoptera Noctuidae
Distribution. This native species occurs throughout the United States and southern Canada except for the southeastern states. Its range also includes South America. Host Plants. Glassy cutworm is principally a grass-feeding species, and crop damage is most likely done when crops follow sod or are planted into fields heavily infested with grassy weeds. In Oregon, Kamm 1990 reported that bentgrass, Agrostis tenus ryegrass, Lolium perenne and wild oats, Avena fatua were attractive to ovipositing...
Capitophorus elaeagni del Guercio Homoptera Aphididae
Distribution. This species is found in temperate regions throughout the world, but probably is of European origin. It is the most common and damaging aphid affecting artichoke in California. Host Plants. The summer hosts of this aphid are artichoke and Cirsium and Carduus thistles. The winter hosts are Elaeagnus spp. trees and shrubs, principally Russian olive, E. angustifolia. Natural Enemies. Natural enemies are not well known, but Lange 1941 reported that lady beetles Coleoptera...
Phyllotreta albionica LeConte Coleoptera Chrysomelidae
Distribution. This native flea beetle is widely distributed in the western United States and Canada. It is found only as far east as Saskatchewan, Colorado, and New Mexico. Host Plants. Cabbage flea beetle feeds principally on cruciferous plants. Vegetable crops attacked by this beetle include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, radish, rutabaga and turnip, but radish and turnip are most preferred. It also attacks alfalfa, sugarbeet, and tomato, but these events are unusual,...
Armyworms and cutworms Beet armyworm Other caterpillars Saltmarsh
Pests with Piercing-Sucking Mouthparts Thrips Onion, tobacco, western flower Other Pests Occasionally Found on Onion and Related Plants Armyworms and cutworms Armyworm, fall, yellow-striped, and western yellowstriped armyworm army, black, clover, darksided, dingy, granulate, pale western, redbacked, spotted, and variegated cutworm Blister beetles Black, immaculate Borers Potato stem Crickets Shortwinged, southern and tawny mole Mormon Grasshoppers Differential, eastern lubber, migratory,...
What Is a Pest
A pest is not a biological phenomenon it is an anthropomorphic designation. For example, we consider termites as beneficial organisms when they live in forests, converting dead trees into soil organic matter. The same insects are pests when they feed on wood-associated human structures. In both cases, the termite behavior is the same, but in one case we place no value on the wood being consumed, and in the other we assign high economic value. Sometimes the mere presence of insects causes...
Hypena scabra Fabricius Lepidoptera Noctuidae
Distribution. This native species is found widely in eastern North America. It is recorded from all states east of the Great Plains, and there are occasional records from the Rocky Mountain region. As a pest, however, it is best known from the soybean-growing areas of the midwest and southeast where it has an abundance of suitable host material. In Canada, green cloverworm is known from southern Ontario, but it rarely causes serious damage. Host Plants. Larvae of green cloverworm develop...
Spodoptera eridania Cramer Ledidoptera Noctuidae
Distribution. This insect is native to the Americas, occurring widely in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. In the United States, southern armyworm is found principally in the southeastern states. Although its range extends west to Kansas, New Mexico, and California, this species is of little consequence in western states. Host Plants. Southern armyworm has a very broad host range. Some of the vegetables injured are beet, cabbage, carrot, collards, cowpea, eggplant, okra,...
Agrotis orthogonia Morrison Lepidoptera Noctuidae
Distribution. This native species is found in semiarid regions of the western United States and Canada. Its distribution is largely restricted to the western edge of the Great Plains and eastern portions of the Rocky Mountains, including southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, most of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah, and northern New Mexico. It also occurs in portions of adjoining states, and has been particularly troublesome in western Kansas. Host Plants. Larvae generally feed on grasses and...
Cotinis nitida Linnaeus Coleoptera Scarabaeidae
Distribution. Green June beetle is found principally in the southeastern states. It occurs north to southern Connecticut and southern Illinois, and west to Kansas and Texas. This insect is native to North America. Host Plants. This insect is well known for the feeding habits of the adult stage because the injury of this stage is very visible. The adults feed commonly on ripening fruits such as apricot, apple, blackberry, fig, grape, nectarine, pear, plum, prune, quince, raspberry, and...
Garden Fleahopper Halticus Bractatus Say Hemiptera Miridae
Distribution. Garden fleahopper is a native insect occurring widely in the eastern United States and Canada. It is known to occur as far west as the Rocky Mountain region, but it is relatively uncommon in the Great Plains. Its distribution extends southward through Central and South America to Argentina. Host Plants. This fleahopper has a known host range that exceeds 40 different plants, but leguminous crops are most frequently damaged. Vegetable crops that host garden fleahopper include bean,...
Homoptera Aphididae
Distribution. The bean aphid, which is probably a complex of closely related species, apparently is native to Europe, but it has been spread to most temperate areas of the world except for Australia and New Zealand. Although it occurs in tropical areas of Africa, it is not a very serious pest in warm environments. Bean aphid occurs throughout the United States and southernmost Canada. See color figures 19 and 151. Host Plants. This aphid feeds on a wide range of hosts, though it seems to favor...
Helicoverpa zea Boddie Lepidoptera Noctuidae
Distribution. Corn earworm is found throughout North America except for northern Canada and Alaska. It tends to be less abundant west of the Rocky Mountains, and is infrequently a pest in Canada's Prairie Provinces. It also occurs in Hawaii and the Caribbean islands. Corn earworm is common in South America, persisting to a southern latitude of about 40 . Its origin is uncertain, but likely is native to North America. In the eastern United States, corn earworm does not normally overwinter...
Cydia nigricana Fabricius Lepidoptera Tortricidae
Distribution. Pea moth is native to Europe, and was first observed in North America in 1893 at Toronto, Canada. Probably, the insect had been in residence for a number of years before attracting attention. It quickly spread across the northern United States, causing great damage in the Great Lakes region in the early 1920s, and reached Washington in 1926. It inflicted considerable damage in both Washington and British Columbia in 1933. Now found throughout the northern United States and...
Lygus elisus Van Duzee Hemiptera Miridae
Distribution. These insects are native to North America. Both in appearance and biology, these species are quite similar, and have long been plagued with taxonomic problems. Therefore, they are best considered as a group. Tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris Palisot de Beauvois is widely distributed and is considered damaging wherever it occurs. It is found throughout the United States, including Alaska. In Canada, it is found from Newfoundland to British Columbia, including the Yukon. Western...
Brachycorynella asparagi Mordvilko Homoptera Aphididae
Distribution. This species was first observed in North America in 1969, in New York. Presumably it had been introduced accidentally from Eurasia, where it is found widely in eastern countries and along the Mediterranean. It dispersed or was dispersed quickly, attaining North Carolina in 1973, British Columbia in 1975, Missouri and Washington in 1979, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma and Idaho in 1981, and California in 1984. Although it is abundant across the northern portions of North America, and...
Order ThysanopteraThrips 1
These very small insects usually measure only 12 mm long. They have two pairs of wings, consisting largely of fringe hairs. The antennae are medium in length and thread-like. The mouthparts pierce plant tissue and remove plant sap, though the mouthparts are often described as rasping rather than piercing-sucking. These insects exhibit a form of incomplete development in which the first two instars feed actively, but are inactive. Tarsal claws usually are not present. The nymphal instars...
Order Hemiptera HeteropteraBugs
The Hemiptera are often called the true bugs to differentiate them from other orders of insects that are casually termed bugs. The spelling of insect families in the order Hemiptera consists of two words, with bugs a separate word e.g., burrower bugs and ambush bugs , whereas insects from other orders combine bugs into a single word e.g., lightningbugs which are beetles, and lovebugs which are flies . The Hemiptera are distinguished from other groups of four-winged insects by the presence of...
Anasa armigera Say Hemiptera Coreidae
Distribution. The squash bug, Anasa tristis, is found throughout the United States, and is known as a pest wherever it occurs. In Canada, it frequently is a pest in southern Ontario and Quebec and in southwestern British Columbia. Squash bug also occurs in most of Central America. The horned squash bug, A. armigera, has a more restricted distribution, occurring throughout the eastern United States west to Iowa and Texas, and is also known from Trinidad. Two other crop-feeding species of Anasa,...
Order Coleoptera Beetles
Coleoptera is the largest order of insects, containing about 40 of the known species in the class Insecta. The most distinctive feature is the structure of the wings. The front pair of wings, called elytra, are normally thickened and hard, providing protection for the thinner, membranous hind pair of wings. The hind wings are longer than the front wings and fold beneath the front wings when the insect is not in flight. Beetles have chewing mouthparts, with well-developed mandibles. The...
Family GryllotalpidaeMole Crickets
Shortwinged Mole Cricket, Scapteriscus abbreviatus Scudder, Southern Mole Cricket, Scapteriscus borellii Giglio Tos and Tawny Mole Cricket, Scapteriscus vicinus Scudder 528 turkestani Ugarov and Nikolski and Tumid Spider Mite, Tetranychus tumidus Banks 556 Tomato Russet Mite, Aculops lycopersici Class Collembola Springtails 560 Garden Springtail, Bourletiella hortensis Fitch 560 Class Diplopoda Millipedes 562 Garden Millipede, Oxidus gracilis Koch 562 Class Isopoda Pillbugs and Sowbugs 565...
Pests Feeding Externally on Leaves or Upper Stems
Armyworms and cutworms Beet, fall, southern, yellowstriped and western yellowstriped army- worm tobacco budworm corn earworm variegated cutworm Flea beetles Eggplant, potato, tuber, western potato, tobacco, southern tobacco Leaf beetles Colorado potato Loopers Alfalfa, cabbage Other caterpillars Tobacco and tomato horn- worm saltmarsh Tortoise beetles Eggplant Weevils Vegetable whitefringed beetle Pests with Piercing-Sucking Mouthparts Aphids Buckthorn, foxglove, green peach, Leafhoppers Aster,...
Paratrioza cockerelli Sulc Homoptera Psyllidae
Distribution. This native insect pest occurs principally in the Rocky Mountain region of North America, from Arizona and New Mexico north to Alberta and Saskatchewan. However, it occasionally has been reported as far west as California and British Columbia and as far east as Minnesota and Quebec. Potato psyllid also occurs in Mexico. It overwinters only in the southernmost United States and in Mexico, so occurrence in northern regions is largely a function of wind-borne dispersal. Host Plants....
Order LepidopteraMoths Butterflies and Caterpillars
This large group contains many destructive pests. The most important diagnostic character is the presence of flattened scales on the wings and often on the other parts of the adult's body. Adult lepidopter-ans have four wings, and are often rather heavy-bodied, and bear medium-sized to long antennae. The antennae vary in appearance in butterflies the tip is usually expanded to form a knob, whereas in moths the apical expansion is lacking. Adults also have long, tubular mouthparts that uncoil to...
Order OrthopteraGrasshoppers and Crickets
The order Orthoptera consists principally of grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids. Most are medium 2050 mm body length but some are large up to 80 mm in size. They tend to be relatively thin and elongate in body form, and possess long legs, particularly the hind legs. Most species have two pairs of wings however, some have abbreviated wings and a few are wingless. The front wings are narrow and slightly thickened, but not very hard. They serve mostly to protect the hind wings from damage rather...
Coleoptera Chrysomelidae 1
Distribution. The tuber flea beetle is western in distribution, although some eastward movement is evident in Canada, as it has only appeared recently in Alberta. It is highly damaging in British Columbia, where it is considered by some as be the most serious insect pest of potato, and in Washington and Oregon. Gentner 1944 found that in addition to the far western populations there was a disjunct population in Colorado and western Nebraska. Gentner speculated that this beetle might be native...
Plutella xylostella Linnaeus Lepidoptera Plutellidae
Distribution. Diamondback moth is probably of European origin but has become rather cosmopolitan, and is now found throughout the Americas and in Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. It was first observed in North America in 1854, in Illinois, but spread quickly. It was found in Massachusetts and Maryland by 1870, had spread to Florida and the Rocky Mountains by 1883, and was reported from British Columbia by 1905. In North America, dia- mondback moth is now recorded everywhere...
Hyadaphis foeniculi Passerini Homoptera Aphididae
Distribution. Coriander aphid is found in the Mediterranean regions of Europe and Africa and east to central and southern Asia. It was first found in North America in 1997, in Florida. Honeysuckle aphid has a similar Eurasian origin, but is now cosmopolitan, having invaded North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and southern Africa. It invaded North America in 1900s or earlier, as it was known from California and Connecticut before 1910. Honeysuckle aphid is suspected of being a...
Euborellia annulipes Lucas Dermaptera Carcinophoridae
Distribution. First found in the United States in 1884, ringlegged earwig now is widespread in southern states. It is also known from many northern states, and the southernmost portions of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec in Canada. Redlegged earwig occurs in Hawaii and has been transported to most other areas of the world, including both tropical and temperate climates. It likely is of European origin. Host Plants. Ringlegged earwig is omnivorous in its feeding habits, taking both plant...
Melanoplus sanguinipes Fabricius Orthoptera Acrididae
Distribution. This native grasshopper is extremely adaptable. It is found in every state in the continental United States, and in every province in Canada. It is absent from only the northernmost, coldest regions of Canada, and from southern Florida and Texas. Host Plants. This species feeds on a wide range of food plants, and occurs in numerous habitats. Relative to the other common crop-feeding Melanoplus spp., migratory grasshopper is more tolerant of arid, short-grass environments. It tends...
Epicauta vittata Fabricius Coleoptera Meloidae
Distribution. The striped blister beetle, Epicauta vittata Fabricius , is a native species and eastern in distribution. It has been collected from all eastern states west to, and including, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. In Canada, it is known from Quebec and Ontario. Populations from the southeastern coastal plain including Florida, southern Georgia, and eastern South Carolina differ in appearance from beetles found elsewhere and are called the lemniscate race, but interbreed...
Phyllotreta zimmermanni Crotch Coleoptera Chrysomelidae
Distribution. Zimmermann's flea beetle is widespread in North America, and is known from nearly all states and provinces. However, it is most frequently found in the northeastern and midwestern states. Its abundance is reported to have diminished with the introduction from Europe of crucifer flea beetle, Phyllotreta cruciferae Goeze , and striped flea beetle, Phyllotreta striolata Fabricius , presumably owing to competition. Host Plants. This beetle feeds principally on cru-cifers, including...
Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch Homoptera Aphididae
Distribution. This species may be of Asiatic origin, but now has a world-wide distribution. Corn leaf aphid does not persist in areas of severe winters, so it is absent from most of Canada, and northern Europe and Asia, and re-invades large areas of temperate regions annually. In North America, it is normally found on corn through most of the United States, but is relatively uncommon on this host in the northwestern states, preferring instead to feed on barley. In Canada, it is found...
Acanthoscelides obtectus Say Coleoptera Bruchidae
Distribution. Bean weevil is believed to have originated in Central America. It is now widespread in the United States and southern Canada, most of Central and South America, Africa, southern Europe, and New Zealand. Host Plants. This insect is a pest of several legumes including bean, chickpea, cowpea, faba bean, lentil, lima bean, mung bean, pea, and soybean. Many cultivars of bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, are susceptible, including kidney bean, navy bean, pink bean, red bean, wax bean, and white...
Diatraea crambidoides Grote Lepidoptera Pyralidae
Distribution. Southern cornstalk borer is, as its common name suggests, found predominantly in the southeastern states. It may be found as far north as Maryland and southern Ohio, and as far west as Kansas and New Mexico. However, these are the geographic extremes, and as a pest its range is mostly limited to the southeastern states from Alabama and Florida to Virginia. It frequently has been confused with related species, particularly sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis Fabricius , so some...
Discestra trifolii Hufnagel Lepidoptera Noctuidae
Distribution. Clover cutworm occurs throughout the United States except for the southeastern states. It also occurs throughout southern Canada and in Alaska. Apparently it is a native species, though it is also reported to occur in Europe and Asia. Host Plants. This species is an occasional pest of several crops, preferring crops and weeds in the plant family Chenopodiaceae. Among vegetables attacked are beet, cabbage, lettuce, onion, pea, spinach, tomato, and turnip. Field crops consumed...
Melanoplus bivittatus Say Orthoptera Acrididae
Distribution. This native grasshopper is widely distributed in northern North America. In the United States it extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans, and is absent only from the Gulf Coast region. In Canada it occurs from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. Host Plants. This species is adaptable, and is found in a variety of habitats. However, it is most abundant in moist meadows, dense vegetation along water courses, and in disturbed, weedy areas. In the Great Plains region it is...
Southern Green Stink Bug Nezara viridula Linnaeus Hemiptera Pentatomidae
Distribution. Southern green stink bug has a world-wide distribution. It is found on all continents where agriculture is practiced, but absent or rare from regions with cold winters. Its origin is probably eastern Africa, and was first observed in the western hemisphere in 1798. Distribution in North America is limited primarily to the southeastern United States Virginia to Florida in the east, to Ohio and Arkansas in the midwest, and to Texas in the southwest. However, it has become...
Dysaphis foeniculus Theobald Homoptera Aphididae
Distribution. These species are native to Europe and Asia, but are now widely distributed around the world, including North America. Dysaphis crataegi is found in the northern United States, including California, and perhaps in some parts of southern Canada. Dysaphis foeniculus seems to be limited to areas of west of the Rocky Mountains. In North America, economic problems seem to be limited to carrot production in California. Other Dysaphis species are occasionally reported to be associated...
Urbanus proteus Linnaeus Lepidoptera Hesperiidae
Distribution. Bean leafroller is a tropical species, but apparently is a native to the southeastern United States. It is found throughout Florida and in coastal areas from South Carolina west to eastern Texas. It also invades most of the southeastern states, even attaining New England during warm years, and regu larly invades the southernmost areas of the Southwest. It cannot tolerate prolonged freezing temperatures, however, and in the United States it persists only in the southern coastal...
Characteristics of the Major Vegetable Crops
Artichoke, more correctly known as globe artichoke, is a thistle-like plant grown for the edible blossom bud. It is one of only a few vegetable plants grown in North America as a perennial, with new growth arising from the roots annually. Like some other perennials, it can be grown with some success as an annual crop by planting roots, but this is not a common practice. Although artichoke can be grown over a broad geographic area, it is not cold-hardy. Commercial production is limited to the...
Family BruchidaeSeed Beetles and Weevils
Bean Weevil, Acanthoscelides obtectus Say 49 Broadbean Weevil, Bruchus rufimanus Cowpea Weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus Fabricius and Southern Cowpea Weevil, Callosobruchus chinensis Linnaeus 52 Pea Weevil, Bruchus pisorum Linnaeus 54 Family Carabidae Ground Beetles 57 Fabricius , Seedcorn Beetle, Stenolophus lecontei Chaudoir and Slender Seedcorn Beetle, Clivina impressifrons LeConte 57 Cabbage Flea Beetle, Phyllotreta albionica Corn Flea Beetle, Chaetocnema pulicaria Melsheimer and Toothed...