Aphids are pests of ornamental trees, shrubs and flowers. They feed by inserting microscopically thin mouth parts into the phloem and sucking out sap that is rich in sugars. As they feed, aphids also inject saliva. This saliva causes some plants to develop curled, hardened or distorted growth. Overall plant vigor may suffer. Some aphids transmit plant viruses as well. Aphids excrete a sweet, sticky liquid called honeydew. When aphid numbers are large, honeydew often completely coats leaves and other objects below, giving infested plants a sticky or varnished appearance. Honeydew attracts ants, flies, wasps and other insects. Unsightly fungi called sooty molds often develop in honeydew, further disfiguring plants. Aphids are slow, fragile, insects that vary from 1/16 to 1/4 inch long. They can be black, brown, yellow, red, gray or green. Most of the aphids are without a waxy covering, although the bodies of some of the woolly aphids are covered with white, waxy threads. Aphids may be wingless or may have functional wings. The offspring are smaller than the adults and are always wingless.
     Many species of aphids in North Carolina overwinter in the egg stage; however, during the growing season all aphids give birth to living young. The young aphids mature in about 10 days. Most aphids species have several generation per year. Both winged and wingless aphids are born during the growing season. Winged forms migrate to start new colonies, usually on the same type of plant. Some aphids, however, can move to an entirely different species of plant. Although most aphids attack the stems and leaves, a few feed on roots of certain plants. For example, the woolly apple aphids feeds on the leaves of elm trees and the roots and stems of crabapples, apples and pyracantha. Return to top of page

     About 1/2 inch long, Japanese beetles are a shiny, metallic green with coppery brown wing covers that extend almost to the tip of the abdomen. Small tufts of white hairs occur at the tip of the abdomen and along each side. Eggs are translucent white to cream and elliptical and about 1/16 inch in diameter when first laid. In a few days, the egg becomes more spherical and doubles in size. Grubs are white, slightly curled and have yellow-brown heads. Grubs are about 1 inch long when mature. Unlike other grubs found in turf, it has two rows of spines which form a "V" on the underside of the last abdominal segment. The pupa is approximately 1/2 inch long and 1/4 inch wide, and it gradually turns light brown and then develops a metallic green cast.
     First reported in North America in 1916, the Japanese beetle now occurs in most of the eastern United States. The beetles feed on over 275 different kinds of shade and fruit trees, shrubs, flowers, small fruits, garden crops, and weeds. Some of their favorites are roses, crape myrtle, grapes and fruit trees. Japanese beetle adults eat flowers and foliage, leaving only a lacy network of leaf veins. The beetle grubs are pests of the roots of grasses and shrubs. Japanese beetle grubs occur in lawns, golf courses and pastures. They burrow through the soil consuming roots. Areas of dead grass may appear when large numbers of grubs are present especially during dry spells in September or early October. The grubs overwinter in cells about 6 inches deep. In spring, they move almost to ground level, where they complete feeding and then pupate. 
     Adults emerge as early as mid May in eastern North Carolina. Peak emergence occurs in July. Throughout summer, the beetles attack the fruit and foliage of many plants. Soon after emerging, females deposit 40 to 60 eggs in small batches 2 to 3 inches deep especially in damp soil. During dry periods, adults may be more attracted to low lying and irrigated areas to lay eggs. In extremely dry weather, many eggs and larvae perish. In warm, wet summers, eggs hatch in about 2 weeks. The newly emerged larvae feed until cold weather forces them into hibernation. One generation occurs each year. Return to top of page

     Bagworms are 1/8 to almost 2 inches long depending on age. The head and forward parts are dark and hardened and the rest is paler and soft. Each bagworm is covered by a bag made of white silk with bits of the host plant spun onto the outer surface. The pupae are dark brown. Male pupae are slender and female pupae are fatter. The pupal stage occurs inside the bag. Female bagworms are wingless, legless and grub-like (they never leave the bag). Males are small, brown hairy moths with dark wings that clear with age. Eggs are spherical or oblong and about 0.8 mm by 1.0 mm. Eggs are found in the mother's bag inside her pupal cast skins. 
     Bagworms occur throughout North Carolina. Bagworms have a very wide host range but are usually associated with arborvitae or juniper. A single bagworm does relatively little harm as it feeds on leaves. Excessive defoliation may kill conifers within one or two seasons. Damage is most noticeable in landscapes rather than woodlands. Occasionally, the silk band with which the bagworms attach themselves to a twig before they pupate girdles the twig as the twig enlarges. Winter is spent as eggs (500 to 1000) in the mother's bag.
     They hatch in May and June. The newly hatched larvae spin down on silken threads and are blown about by the early spring breezes. Most of the larvae land on the original host plant but some small worms may be "ballooned" for some distance on the silk thread. Upon reaching a suitable host, the worm begins to spin its bag and as it grows, it incorporates some of the host plant foliage into the bag for camouflage. As the bagworms grows, it enlarges the bag and adds fresh plant material to the outside. In August the worms mature and molt into the pupal stage. The bag is firmly attached by a sturdy silk band which the bagworms usually wrap around a twig. During August and September, male moths emerge from their bags to mate. After mating, females lay their eggs inside the pupal cast skins and die. 
     Apparently when the newly hatched larvae reach a plant which is different from its parents' host plant, these insects often have difficulty in adapting to it and may die or may produce only a few offspring. After several years of struggling to keep from going extinct, the population may hit on the right combination of genes for the "new" plant and "suddenly" the new plant is covered with bagworms. Return to top of page

     The whitefly is a small sucking insect and a close relative of scales and mealybugs. It is often present in great numbers on the underside of leaves and may be abundant on greenhouse and house plants. Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves and hatch in 4 to 12 days into active six- legged crawlers. The crawlers move about for a short time; then they insert their beaks in the plant leaves and start sucking sap. After the first molt, they look like small scales. After the second molt, the insects become pupae, and finally the four-winged adults leave the pupal skins. Whitefly secretes a honeydew which supports sooty-mold fungus.
     Except for slightly smaller size, slightly more yellowish color, and slightly more slender appearance, silverleaf whiteflies resemble other whiteflies. The eggs are tiny, cylindrical, white to brownish, and inserted into the leaf tissue on the underside of the leaf. Nymphs are translucent, pale yellow, flat scale-like insects that feed on the lower leaf surface (this is the "egg" stage that growers refer to). Silverleaf whitefly pupae are pale yellow, scale- like insects that sometimes have noticeable waxy hairs (sometimes they appear to be bare). The sides are not perpendicular and there is no tiny fringe of waxy filaments around the margin. Females live about 4 weeks and lay 28 to 300 eggs each on the lower leaf surface. In hot weather, development may take only two weeks; in cool weather, development takes much longer. 
     The silverleaf whitefly was first described in 1994. It was first observed in Florida about 1986 and discovered in North Carolina in July 1987. Silverleaf whiteflies infest ornamentals and vegetables grown in commercial greenhouses. It is especially attracted to poinsettias, gerbera daises, and hibiscus. This whitefly is troublesome on poinsettias because as the bracts mature they become increasingly sensitive to pesticides.
     The ash whitefly is a tiny insect that attacks a variety of crop and ornamental trees. In California, where it was first discovered in 1988, ash whitefly caused severe damage to citrus crops. In 1993, ash whitefly was discovered feeding on Bradford pear trees in North Carolina. Ash whitefly has also been collected on other common ornamental plants in NC such as Pyracantha and Photinia.
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     There are several different varieties of scales in North Carolina. Characteristics in common are that the insects are primarily found on the underside of leaves. Like aphids and whitefly, they suck the moisture from the plant and secrete honeydew and in most cases create a waxy substance. With heavy infestations you will find yellowing of leaves, sooty-mold and either a white fibrous or crusty surface on the underside of the leaves. Females generally have small armored bodies with microscopic legs. Males of some varieties eventually emerge as winged adults. Several types of scale have no males or the occurrence is very rare and in that case reproduction is by parthenogenesis.

BROWN SOFT SCALE
     Living adult female brown soft scales are pale yellowish-green to yellowish brown, often mottled with brown spots. Older females are brown. The body is usually oval in outline, up to 3/16 inch in length and slightly convex in profile. The shape tends to vary according to position on the host plant. Males are rare, but resemble tiny wasps or flies. Brown soft scale is cosmopolitan in tropical and subtropical regions and in greenhouses in northern regions. In North America it occurs out of doors in the deep South, and north along the eastern seaboard to Virginia, and as far north as southern Vancouver Island on the west coast. Brown soft scale has been reported feeding on hundreds of different plants. It can survive on most greenhouse plants, but seems to prefer perennials to annuals. Ferns are a favored host.

HEMISPHERICAL SCALE 
     Depending on the host plant, the adult scale may vary in size. The scale varies from 1/8 inch on Cycas to as small as 1/16 inch on asparagus fern. Relatively hemispherical, brown, smooth, and shiny, the scales may resemble a miniature army helmet. Young females may have a pattern of ridges in the form of the letter "H" on the dorsal surface. From its probable origin in South America, the hemispherical scale insect is now found in greenhouses and interiorscapes throughout the United States. The hemispherical scale insect has a wide range of hosts including bamboo, camellia, chrysanthemum, crape myrtle, croton, ferns, figs, gardenia, honeysuckle, lily, orchids, and zamia.

COTTONY CUSHION SCALE
     Female cottony cushion scales are rusty red with black legs and antennae. They are about 4.5mm long. The body is often obscured by wax. Male cottony cushion scales are small (3mm), slender, reddish-purple insects with 2 metallic blue wings. The Indian wax scale is found from Florida to Maryland. Indian wax scales have been reported on azalea, blueberry, camellia, Chinese elm, citrus, fig, eugenia, gumbo-limbo, Chinese holly, yaupon, jasmine, mulberry, pear, persimmon, plum, quince, sabodilla, turkscap, and other plants. 

INDIAN WAX SCALE insects are tiny, brownish-purple females with microscopic legs and a thick covering of sticky, white wax. There are no males. The eggs are ovoid, pale purple, and resemble pollen when shaken onto a white surface. Eggs are found under adult scales. From the eggs hatch crawlers which are the mobile stage. They are flat and tiny. In a mass, newly hatched crawlers appear rusty red. After molting, crawlers insert their mouthparts into the plant and remain fixed there. Each scale secretes wax tufts, forming a star. This is called the star stage. Larger nymphs secrete wax tufts that merge to resemble a cameo pin. This is the cameo stage.

TEA SCALE has been reported on camellias throughout the Deep South and in California. It probably originated in southeast Asia. In the Southeast, tea scale is a serious pest of camellias as well as Chinese and Japanese hollies. It  has  also been reported on bottlebrush, dogwood, ferns, euonymus, mango, Satsuma orange, tea plant, orchids, and yaupon.
 
 

COTTONY MAPLE LEAF SCALES are found throughout the eastern United States and southern Canada. They have also been reported from some western states. This scale feeds primarily on dogwood in North Carolina, but it also infests maples, hollies, andromeda and gum. Cottony scales suck sap from leaves (summer) and twigs (fall, winter, early spring). They excrete honeydew in which grow sooty molds. Consequently infested trees are stunted and appear scorched and black. Heavily infested trees have small flowers and leaves. Twig dieback may occur. 

GLOOMY SCALES are found from Texas to Florida and north to Michigan and Pennsylvania on maples, especially the soft maples (boxelder, red maple and silver maple). Grape, soapberry, native hollies, mulberry, sweetgum, and buckthorn are also infested. Heavily infested maples are unthrifty. The bark becomes dark with molds and grainy  from the armor of the scales. Significant twig dieback occurs. The scales probably cause dieback by injecting saliva into the trees as they feed. Return to top of page

     There are over 1400 kinds of moths and butterflies in North Carolina. Some of these lay eggs from which hatch destructive caterpillars that feed on our trees and shrubs. Although the adult moths and butterflies cannot do any damage to plants themselves, in their larval state they are voracious eaters. The following caterpillars are commonly reported from ornamental plants. 
 

• Bagworm - mostly evergreen 
• Birch skeletonizer - birch 
• Cankerworm - elm, maple, oak, etc. 
• Catalpa sphinx - catalpa 
• Cecropia moth - many trees 
• Eastern tent caterpillar - cherry, apple 
• Fall webworm - pecan, elm, etc. 
• Forest tent caterpillar - maple, oak, poplar 
• Greenstriped mapleworm - maple, oak, etc. 
• Hemlock looper - hemlock 
• Hickory horned devil - hickory, walnut 
• Imperial moth - many trees 
• Io moth - various trees and shrubs 
• Juniper webworm -junipers 
• Luna moth - many forest & shade trees 
• Pinkstriped oakworm - oak 
• Polyphemus moth - many trees 
• Poplar tentmaker - poplar, willow 
• Promethea moth - many trees 
• Redhumped caterpillar - cherry, dogwood 
• Redhumped oakworm - oak, elm, etc. 
• Saddled prominent - maple, beech, etc. 
• Regal moth (hickory horned devil) - many trees 
• Spiny oakworm - oak 
• Stinging caterpillars - oak, many others 
• Uglynest caterpillar - cherry, etc. 
• Walnut caterpillar - pecan, walnut, etc. 
• Yellownecked caterpillar - hickory, oak 

In North Carolina you will find the Boxwood and Azalea Leafminer. Although their life cycle is very similar there are many differences as well. Both lay their eggs in the leaf flesh. Tiny, whitish maggots hatch and feed inside the leaf. As they grow (up to 1/8 inch long), the maggots become bright yellow. Several maggots may develop in a single leaf. Their feeding induces the formation of blisters on the lower leaf surface inside of which the maggots develop for about a year. Very early the next spring, the blisters form a thin, translucent spot called the window, and the maggots develop into pupae. Fully developed pupae wriggle through the windows and hang down from the underside of the leaf. Soon, in the case of the Boxwood Leafminer, adult flies resembling little orange mosquitos, emerge from the pupae to begin a new generation. In the case of the Azalea Leafminer, the adult appears more moth like.
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