Curtis Young (OSU Extension, Van Wert County) has been sharing images of Black Blister Beetles (Epicauta pennsylvanica) for the past few weeks on our Tuesday morning BYGL Zoom Inservice. Over the weekend, I received two e-mail messages from homeowners describing blister beetles swarming onto flowering perennials and vegetable garden plants, most notably tomatoes.

The uniquely entertaining Beech Blight Aphids (Grylloprociphilus imbricator) are taking the stage in Ohio. I’ve received several e-mail messages from across the state about the aphids and Brian Heinz (Horticulture Manager, Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum) alerted me to chorus lines shaking their derrieres on their namesake host in southwest Ohio

Check out this week's OSU Turfgrass Times. The video includes updates from Dr. Dave Gardner and Dr. Ed Nangle and includes information on turfgrass weeds and management options this fall. 

The following is an update on the bird illness that has been impacting certain species of songbirds across Ohio.

Spotted Lanternfly Lycorma delicatula infestation have been confirmed in 3 different locations in Ohio. Ohio Department of Agriculture confirmed an active infestation in Mingo Junction in southeast Ohio and two separate infestations in Cuyahoga County. What can you do? SCOUT!

Participants in the BYGL Zoom Inservice on Tuesday morning had a lengthy discussion about whether we’ll experience a sequel to the Fall Armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda, family Noctuidae) saga in Ohio. Points were pondered and expectancies examined; however, the consensus was straightforward: never bet against insects!

Common bagworms (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis, family Psychidae) are native moth caterpillars that live in silk bags festooned with plant debris. It’s the perfect camouflage allowing them to remain undetected until revealed by their voracious appetites.

A site visit last week revealed a heavy infestation of Elm Leaf Beetle on ‘Patriot’ elm street trees in downtown Cincinnati. It was a surprise. This non-native beetle was once considered a major urban forest pest in Ohio as well as across most of the U.S. and eastern Canada. However, for unknown reasons, the beetles seemed to vanish from much of the U.S. in the early 1990s.

As I was mowing the lawn, I noticed that there seemed to be an inordinate number of leaves on the ground near my wife’s favorite magnolia.  Immediately, my red flag warnings went off and I was on the hunt for what had caused the leaves to turn yellow, then brown and then fall off.  This tree is Magnolia X brooklynensis 'Yellow Bird' with elliptical leaves 4-8 inches long and 4-6 inches wide.

 

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I first encountered these brightly colored flea beetles in an eastern Cincinnati landscape in mid-October 2011. The beetles were doing so much damage the only way I could identify the defoliated plants was through a plant tag; it was Hylotelephium telephium ‘Autumn Joy’ (family Crassulaceae). There was little joy in the appearance of the landscape planting.