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From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist
Baccharis halimifolia (a.k.a. groundsel tree or silverling), a woody aster and one that is fairly common from the coast through the piedmont, is occasionally attacked by a leaf beetle known as Trirhabda baccharidis (image by Peggie Mackenzie). Tom Glascow reported this beetle in Craven County a few weeks ago. If this beetle is locally abundant on a tree in the landscape, it could consume a lot of foliage and a homeowner may want some management. This shrub might grow 6 to 8 feet tall, and is also good forage for honey bees and other native pollinators (Baccharis halimifolia pollen (~800X); image by by Nancy Leidy). For additional information, see the USDA plant fact sheet available on the following web site: http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_baha.pdf.
The caterpillar of the slug oak sawfly, Caliroa quercuscoccinae, is from a wasp, not a moth. It is somewhat transparent and you can see through to the digestive system. Besides the slug-like appearance, the skeletonizing feeding is characteristic of this insect (image by Steve Bambara). It is only reported on white oaks. It may be locally common on trees, and may not occur in high numbers with any regularity. Oaks can take a lot of abuse and control is probably not needed. On the other hand, any foliar caterpillar spray, such as Sevin, would eliminate or reduce infestion. For more information, see the following web site: http://www.forestpests.org/southern/slugoak.html.
The woolly pine scale, Pseudophilippia quaintancii, occasionally infests landscape plantings on loblolly, slash, longleaf and shortleaf pines (image by Steve Bambara). They don't move to other hosts. Outbreaks are rarely large enough to do major harm, but a severe infestation could cause branch dieback and is not helpful to a stressed tree. Woolly pine scale is easy to identify by the woolly wax (image by Steve Bambara) and is often accompanied by honey dew, ants and sooty mold fungus. A horticultural oil application at the crawler stage (NOW) would be helpful.
It is true, false chinch bugs (image by Whitney Cranshaw; http://www.bugwood.org) are already here. This week I received a report about a mass of Nysius species plant bugs moving into a yard and crawling up a house. Last year our complaints were in August. This is a grassland insect, but might do damage to vegetable crops. Sevin is one choice of insecticide for homeowners and should give adequate control of plant bugs. In lieu of spraying Sevin or a turf pyrethroid insecticide around the entire home and yard, insecticidal soap or even “sudsy” water would be helpful on the driveway, house and sidewalk. Though these insects may also feed on flowers, it would be wise not to spray the flowers themselves or clover filled turf, so as not to kill beneficial pollinators. They won't harm you or your house, but could be annoying. You could treat them as you would boxelder bugs (see Ornamental and Turf Insect Information Note No. 40 available on the web at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/houseplants/ort040e/ort040e.htm).
From: Alan A. Harper, Lenoir County
June
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Number of Adult Insects
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Date HW CEW ECB AW AWC GSB BSB TBW
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June 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
June 2 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0
June 3 0 1 0 1 0 3 0 0
June 4 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0
June 5 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0
June 6 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
June 7 1 1 0 0 0 2 4 0
June 8 1 2 1 1 0 1 1 0
June 9 0 2 0 1 1 4 2 0
June 10 1 2 0 1 1 2 1 0
June 11 1 2 0 1 1 1 1 0
June 12 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
June 13 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0
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Abbreviations: HW = hornworms; CEW = corn earworms; ECB = European
corn borers; AW = true armyworms; AWC = armyworm complex; GSB =
green stink bugs; BSB = brown stink bugs; TBW = tobacco budworms
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Last modified on June 14, 2008 by Stephen J. Toth, Jr.