Eucalyptus gall wasp, Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle
From Entomology Circulars.
Eucalyptus is used both as an ornamental and commercial tree. Its plantations are a major source of timber, firewood and mulch, and create areas for honeybee foraging. It is used in recreational areas, as shelterbelts from drifting sands, and as wind breaks surrounding cultivated and residential areas all over the world, including Florida. …read more
The Cicada Killers of Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
Cicada killers, or giant ground hornets, are among the largest wasps in Florida (up to 40 mm in length). They are conspicuous insects, since the males are territorial and will butt or grapple with intruders including other males. …read more
Parasitoids Associated with the Brown Citrus Aphid, Toxoptera citricida, in Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
The brown citrus aphid (BrCA), Toxoptera citricida (K.irkaldy), is one of the most serious pests of citrus. Aside from the damage it causes by direct feeding, it is the most efficient vector of the citrus tristeza closterovirus (CTV). …read more
The Stem Sawflies of Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
The Cephidae are called stem sawflies because of the habits of the larvae which bore and feed in berry canes, stems or twigs of various shrubs, or in grass stems. The North American species all belong to the subfamily Cephinae which contains two tribes, Cephini and Hartigiini (Ries 193 7). …read more
The Horntails of Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
The siricid wood wasps are fairly large, cylindrical insects usually exceeding 20 mm in length. Horntail larvae are pests of new timber. After horntails were introduced into New Zealand and Tasmania, as much as 40 percent of the standing timber of Pinus radiata D. …read more
The Tiphiid Wasps Of Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
Tiphiid wasps are among the most conspicuous parasitic wasps in Florida because of their large size and the swarming habits of Myzinum males. These wasps attack soil-inhabiting beetle larvae, principally white grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) which are lawn and turf pests. …read more
Spined or Horned Galls on Oaks in Florida Induced by Gall Wasps, Callirhytis quercusclaviger (Ashmead) and Callirhytis cornigera (Osten Sacken)
From Entomology Circulars.
Callirhytis quercusclaviger (Ashmead) causes the “spine-bearing potato gall” on laurel oak, Quercus laurifolia Michx., in Florida (Ashmead 188i). The horned oak gall, caused by Callirhytis cornigera (Osten Sacken), occurs on water oak, Quercus nigra L., …read more
The bumble bees of Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
Bumble bees are large, social bees which produce annual colonies. Mated queens overwinter in the soil and emerge from hibernation in early Spring when they feed on spring flowers and search for a suitable location, such as a former rodent nest in the soil, to begin their colonies. …read more
The Rhopalosomatidae of Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
The Rhopalosomatidae is a parasitic wasp family with only 34 described species in 4 genera in the world (Townes 1977). As far as is known, members of this family are external parasites of crickets (Gryllidae). …read more
Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Biological Control Agent for the Caribbean Fruit Fly
From Entomology Circulars.
Diachasmimorpha (formerly Biosteres or Opius) longicaudata Ashmead (Wharton 1987) is a solitary, endoparasitic braconid wasp which parasitizes larvae of the Caribbean fruit fly Anastrepha suspensa (Loew). The Caribbean fruit fly is one of a group of major fruit pests that occur in the new world tropics and subtropics. …read more
Amitus hesperidum (Hymenoptera:Platygasteridae), a parasite of the citrus blackfly (Aleurocanthus woglumi)
From Entomology Circulars.
Amitus hesperidum Silvestri is one of the most effective parasites of the citrus blackfly, Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby. This parasite was described by Silvestri in 1 927 from Aleurocanthus citriperdus in Hong Kong and Singapore ( Silvestri 1927). …read more
Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius)
From Entomology Circulars.
Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) is a nuisance ant that is occasionally important as a house pest. Established field populations of the ant appear to be limited to south Florida, but active colonies have been reported as far north as Gainesville (Bloomcamp and Bieman, pers. …read more
Encarsia opulenta (Silvestri) a parasite of Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby
From Entomology Circulars.
Encarsia opulenta (Silvestri) is one of the most effective parasitoids of the citrus blackfly, Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) (Fig. 1). It was discovered by Silvestri on A. incertus collected in Van-Phu (Vietnam) (Silvestri 1927). …read more
The Florida Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille)
From Entomology Circulars.
The Florida harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille), occurs throughout most of Florida; however, it is limited by ecological requirements. Where it does occur, the ant nest is readily visible as a large cleared area with a number of slow moving individuals on the surface near the nest. …read more
Encarsia lahorensis (Howard) a parasite of Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead)
From Entomology Circulars.
Encarsia lahorensis (Howard) is a specific parasitoid of the citrus whitefly, Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead). This parasitoid was discovered on citrus whitefly by R. S. Woglum, in 1911, while searching for natural enemies in India (Woglum 1913). …read more
The crazy ant, Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille)
From Entomology Circulars.
The crazy ant, Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille), is found in various parts of the world and was introduced into the United States (Smith 1965). The name “crazy ant” arises from its characteristic erratic and rapid movement. …read more
Oriental Chestnut Gall Wasp, Dryocosmus Kuriphilus Yasumatsu
From Entomology Circulars.
The oriental chestnut gall wasp, Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu, threatens the chestnut industry in southeastern United States. The wasps form galls in American chestnut, Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Bork., Chinese chestnut, C. mollissima Bl., and Japanese chestnut, C. …read more
The Florida Carpenter Ant, Camponotus Abdominalis Floridanus (Buckley)
From Entomology Circulars.
The Florida carpenter ant, Camponotus abdominalis floridanus (Buckley), is the predominant Camponotus sp. in Florida. Smith (1965) states that “this ant undoubtedly ranks as one of the most important house-infesting ants in Florida”. …read more
Pine Sawfly L Arvae, Neodiprion spp., In Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
Pine sawfly larvae, Neodiprion spp., are the most common defoliating insects of pine trees, Pinus spp., in Florida. Sawfly infestations can cause growth loss and mortality, especially when followed by secondary attacks by bark and wood-boring beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae, Cerambycidae, Buprestidae). …read more
The Pharaoh Ant, Monomorium Pharaonis (Linnaeus)
From Entomology Circulars.
The ant, Monomorium pharaonis (L.), is commonly known as Pharaoh’s ant. The name possibly arises from the mistaken tradition that it was one of the plagues of ancient Egypt (Peacock et al. 1950). …read more
The Little Fire Ant, Ochetomyrmex Auropunctata (Roger)
From Entomology Circulars.
Prior to the advent of the chlorinated hydrocarbons, phosphatics, and carbamates, the little fire ant, Ochetomyrmex auropunctata (Roger), was a problem in Florida. The use of modern chemicals, especially malathion and parathion, reduced the populations of the ants until they were no longer a menace. …read more
The Prospaltella Of Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
Prospaltella Ashmead is a worldwide genus of about 50 species of parasitic wasps which attack coccids and whiteflies (Nikolskaya, 1952). With the increased use of Prospaltella as biological control agents in Florida (e.g., …read more
Evania Appendigaster (L .), A Cockroach Egg Parasitoid
From Entomology Circulars.
Household cockroaches (Blatta orientalis L.; Periplaneta americana (L.); Periplaneta australasiae (F.) are parasitized by an imported ensign wasp, Evania appendigaster (L.). Adult wasps are occasionally seen in city buildings and homes. The earliest U.S. …read more
Ichneumoninae of Florida and Neighboring States
From Arthropods of Florida and Neighboring Land Areas.
“Ichneumoninae of Florida and neighooring states” encompasses all of Florida except the southern tip of the peninsula, most of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, eastern Texas, eastern North Carolina, and smaller parts of western Tennessee, southeastern Missouri and southwestern Kentucky. …read more
The Scoliid Wasps Of Florida II. Species Which Occur In Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
In Entomology Circular 179 (Grissell, 1977) I presented a general overview of scoliid wasps and a pictorial key to the genera. The present circular provides methods for identifying the 8 species which occur in Florida. …read more
The Scoliid Wasps Of Florida I. Introduction Biology And Key To Nearctic Genera
From Entomology Circulars.
The family Scoliidae is composed of fairly large, stout-bodied wasps (fig. 1A, B), often brightly patterned in shades of red and yellow, white, or one of these colors in combination with black. Scoliid wasps are parasitic upon larvae of soil-inhabiting scarab beetles. …read more
The Fire Ants (Solenopsis) Of Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
Solenopsis is a worldwide genus of ants, perhaps most notorious for pugnacious members of the subgenus Solenopsis, or fire ants. This subgenus is restricted to the new world with 5 species occurring in the united states. …read more
The Carpenter Bees Of Florida II. Ceratina
From Entomology Circulars.
In America north of Mexico Ceratina (small carpenter bees) is one of 2 genera of the subfamily Xylocopinae. The other genus, Xylocopa (large carpenter bees), was discussed in entomology circular 160 (Grissell, 1975). …read more
The Carpenter Bees Of Florida I. Xylocopa
From Entomology Circulars.
In America north of Mexico the subfamily Xylocopinae is composed of 2 genera, Ceratina (small carpenter bees) and Xylocopa (large carpenter bees). These bees obtain their common name from their nesting habits: small carpenter bees excavate tunnels in pithy stems of various bushes; large carpenter bees chew nesting galleries in solid wood or in stumps, logs, or dead branches of trees (Hurd and Moure, 1963). …read more
The Zethus Of Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
Members of the genus Zethus are widespread throughout the new world tropics. According to Bohart and Stange (1965) there are 189 recognized species in the Western Hemisphere with the greatest number in the Brazilian region of South America. …read more
The Eumenes, or Potter Wasps, Of Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
Currently there are 8 species and 10 subspecies of Eumenes known in America north of Mexico. Only E. fraternus Say and the nominate subspecies of E. smithii Saussure occur in Florida. These wasps make the familiar jug-like mud nests (fig. …read more
The Hornets And Yellow Jackets (Vespula) Of Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
Only 3 of the 16 nearctic species of Vespula are known from Florida (Miller, 1961). These include the white-faced hornet, V. maculata (Linnaeus), and 2 yellow jackets, V. maculifrons (Buysson) and V. squamosa (Drury). …read more
Sceliphron Caementarium (Drury), A Mud Daubing Wasp
From Entomology Circulars.
The term mud dauber is applied to several wasps which make mud nests, but it is most commonly associated with Sceliphron caementarium (Drury). The genus Sceliphron has 3 nearctic species, of which only S. …read more
The Genus Leucospis Fabricius In Florida
From Entomology Circulars.
The superfamily Chalcidoidea, which includes an immense complex of mostly small or minute parasitic wasps, comes only to the attention of specialists in hymenopteran systematics or biological control. The genus Leucospis is an exception to this rule, as its members are conspicuous for their large size (6.0- …read more
