 |
Ornamentals and Turf |
Pillbugs (Armadillidium) and sowbugs (Porcellio) are small crustaceans more closely related to crayfish than insects. Pillbugs can roll up into a small ball (they are also called roly-polies). Pillbugs and sowbugs do not usually feed on living plant material unless the soil is exceedingly dry. Then they may feed on the roots and occasionally leaves of various plants to obtain moisture. Because sowbugs and pillbugs breathe by gills, they require a relatively damp environment. Populations are rarely high enough to do economic damage and though a few chemicals may be labeled, moisture and mulch management are usually adequate to keep numbers low. Ornamentals and Turf Insect Information Note No. 11 contains information on pillbugs and sowbugs.
I have not yet received any reports about stinging caterpillars, but they are probably on the horizon. Some of the stinging caterpillars are called slug caterpillars because their prolegs lack tiny hooks that most other caterpillars have, and the prolegs are so short that some of the slug caterpillars do resemble slugs. Several species of slug caterpillars have stinging hairs (saddleback caterpillar, hag moth caterpillar, and stinging rose caterpillar) that can inflict a quite painful sting. Some individuals are very sensitive to such episodes and may require professional medical treatment. Slug caterpillars overwinter in tough silk cocoons. Moths emerge the following spring and summer and lay flat eggs on leaves of various trees and shrubs. Such caterpillars should be sensitive to any of the pesticides listed in Ornamentals and Turf Insect Note No. 7. Puss caterpillars are one of the stinging caterpillars in the family of flannel moths. They produce a very painful sting when brushed against (brushing against the caterpillar breaks tiny hollow spines which are filled with an urticating fluid which produces the painful stinging sensation which may last several hours). Swelling associated with the sting may be evident for several days). The adult is a lovely brown-colored moth with fluffy wings called a flannel moth. Puss caterpillars feed on various deciduous trees and shrubs, especially oak, elm, hackberry, maple, and sycamore. The moths, called flannel moths, are yellow-brown in color and have fluffy, wavy, white hairs. The young larvae sometimes feed in groups on the surface of the leaf. Older larvae devour the entire leaf. The caterpillars finally spin a dense cocoon in which it spends the winter. Puss caterpillars are usually not abundant enough to be noticed although rarely outbreaks may be widespread and may cause noticeable defoliation. Two generations probably occur each year, and the winter is spent in the cocoon spun some place on the host tree. Sevin or one of the Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) pesticides should give adequate control although B.t. is not very effective on older caterpillars. Usually only a few are found and chemical control is not needed.
Fall armyworms are occurring just about everywhere in turfgrass. They are not causing problems everywhere, but be alert to the fact that they can. Newly-sprigged sites and areas with new sod are particularly vulnerable to attack. If you see a lot of birds frequenting a turf area, become suspicious about fall armyworm activity. Use a 2 percent soap solution to flush the caterpillars to the surface. Healthy turfgrass can tolerate 5 to 10 fall armyworms per square yard. Refer to the Turf Files web site for more information.
Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.
Last modified on August 12, 2002 by Stephen J. Toth, Jr.
