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Insects

Possible Causes for 

Tomato Hornworm

Huge green caterpillars with white diagonal stripes and a horn-like projection on the rear that rapidly chew leaves and can strip entire stems bare.

Colorado Potato Beetle

Yellow-orange beetles with black stripes that chew large, irregular holes in leaves. Their plump reddish-orange larvae also feed heavily and can rapidly strip plants of foliage.

Squash Bug

Flat, dark grey-brown bugs that gather on squash plants and suck sap from leaves and stems, causing yellow spots, wilting and eventually brown, dead foliage.

Striped Cucumber Beetle

Small yellow beetles with three black stripes that chew holes in cucurbit leaves, stems and flowers. They can severely damage young plants and may spread bacterial wilt.

Bean Leaf Beetle

Small yellow, tan or reddish beetles, often with black spots, that chew round holes in leaves and may also scar developing bean pods.

Onion Thrips

Tiny, slender insects scrape and suck sap from onion leaves, leaving silvery-white streaks and patches that can weaken plants and reduce bulb growth.

Sap Beetle

Small dark beetles enter damaged or exposed ears and feed on kernels, often gathering around already injured, fermenting or rotting corn.

Corn Rootworm

Small white larvae feed on corn roots underground, causing stunting, poor anchoring and sometimes bent or “goosenecked” plants.

Fall Armyworm

Striped caterpillars with a distinctive pale inverted Y on the head chew ragged holes in leaves and often hide deep inside the corn whorl.

Corn Earworm

Caterpillars feed inside the tip of the ear, chewing kernels and leaving behind holes, frass and damaged corn.

Cabbage Looper

Mottled grey-brown moth with a small silvery-white mark on each forewing; its green caterpillars move with a distinctive looping motion and chew ragged holes in leaves.

Aphid

Tiny, soft-bodied insects clustered on leaves and stems, causing curling, yellowing or distorted growth.

Diamondback Moth

Small grey-brown moth; its small green caterpillars wriggle when disturbed and chew holes or “windowpanes” in leaves.

Cabbageworm

Velvety green caterpillars that chew large, irregular holes in leaves.

Cabbage Maggot

Small white maggots that tunnel into roots, causing brown scars, rot, wilting and poor growth.

Stink Bug

Adults: shield shaped. mottled brown, striped antennae. Nymph: rounder red, black and/or orange. Eggs: pale green or whitish and laid in tight clusters on the undersides of leaves.

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