Look closely at the leaves of ornamental sweet potatoes, morning glories, or bindweed for flecks of gold creeping across the lower leaf surfaces; those would be Golden Tortoise Beetles (Charidotella sexpunctata). They are also called “sweet potato beetles” because of their common occurrence on both cultivated and ornamental sweet potatoes and “goldbugs” because of their appearance.

The bright yellow floral display currently blanketing some lawns and roadway right-of-ways is being produced by Birdsfoot Trefoil. The yellow flowers are smaller than dandelion flowers, bigger than those of black medic, and resemble buttercups from a distance. This non-native plant was imported with good intentions, but is now gaining weed status in lawns, landscapes, and naturalized areas in Ohio. Yet another example of unintended consequences with introducing non-natives.

Annual Dog-Day Cicadas emerging in southwest Ohio are being “welcomed” by their nemesis, Cicada Killer Wasps. This is the largest wasp found in Ohio and the annual cicadas are their select prey. An abrupt halt in the buzzing of a cicada, often punctuated by a high-pitched screech, usually means a wasp has committed an insecticidal act

Tale of Two Bagworms

  As the BoggMan writeth, early bagworm damage is oft overlooked, with skeletonization injury passed off as Japanese beetle injury or other chewing insect damage. This was driven home to me last week as I checked out some elm street trees in Orrville.

 

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Participants at yesterday’s S.W. Ohio Diagnostic Walk-About viewed two problems on purple coneflowers; one potentially more calamitous than the other. The first was the handiwork of the Sunflower Head-Clipping Weevil (Haplorhynchites aeneus) which included dangling seed heads and stems that looked like soda straws. The second were stunted plants and deformed plant parts caused by the phytoplasma disease known as Aster Yellows.

Quarantines are a primary tool in preventing the spread of Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) (Anoplophora glabripennis) in Ohio and elsewhere in North America. They stop the beetle from hitchhiking to new locations in infested materials such as logs, firewood, pruned branches, etc. Yesterday, the ODA, ODNR, and USDA APHIS announced an expansion of the ALB quarantine in Clermont County, OH.

There is nothing "sweet" about Oriental bittersweet. This non-native species appears to be popping up, and then growing up, in NW Ohio. While it was an occasional invader in natural areas, forests and fence lines, more and more people are having to manage this invasive species.

Earlier this week, Joe Boggs reported localized high populations of Japanese beetles via a BYGL Alert, Japanese Beetles Abound - http://bygl.osu.edu/node/811  The report included excellent photos and on the ground reports from BYGL readers. 

I drove past four upright European hornbeams (Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’) today that were riddled with Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) damage; or so I thought. However, bagworms are sneaky feeders; their damage may be blamed on other pests.

I probably don’t need to post a BYGL Alert! to make you aware that we are seeing large numbers of Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica) in Ohio this season; you have no doubt seen them for yourselves. In fact, some of you have literally run into the beetles.