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Ornamentals and Turf |
If you grow parsley, you have probably seen striking pale green and black striped caterpillars. Parsleyworm caterpillars are in their second generation by now and are feeding strongly on parsley and related plants in the garden. We see a definite preference by these insects for the curly leaf parsley varieties over the flat leaf varieties. If you do not enjoy them, you can plant flat leaf parsley and pick off any larvae by hand. If you do like them, plant more curly parsley! The caterpillars morph into a black swallowtail butterfly. The black swallowtail butterfly varies in size and coloration, the female being slightly larger and more somber than the male. Both sexes are velvety black and have hind wings with tails and peacock-like eyes. Some individuals, especially the males, have bands of yellow spots across the wings.
Sometime soon, holes may start appearing in ornamental sweetpotato foliage. Tortoise beetles are small, round beetles that are more or less shaped like the body of a tortoise. The most attractive is the golden tortoise beetle that has a wonderful iridescent golden color when they are alive. The mottled tortoise beetle and Argus tortoise beetle feed on morningglory, sweetpotato and other related vines. These beetles overwinter as adults under bark or in leaf litter or other dry places. In the spring the beetles emerge and feed on weeds until morningglories or sweetpotatos leaf out. Females deposit clusters of eggs under the leaves and grubs hatch a week or so later. Several generations occur each year. Hand picking beetles, Sevin application or other contact insecticide should provide adequate control.
_____ Fall armyworms are on the move.
_____ Yellowjackets may start to build in numbers, though we may see fewer in areas with heavy rains.
_____ Check your hollies for spittlebug damage.
_____ Cicada killer wasps are on the prowl.
_____ Green June beetles are still hanging around.
_____ Mole crickets should be evident by now in those areas of concern.
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 2, 2004 by Stephen J. Toth, Jr.
