Scientific Name: Vespa mandarinia The Entomological Society of America has changed the accepted common name of Vespa mandarinia. “Northern giant hornet” has been formally adopted as the new common name. To learn more visit the Entomological Society of America Web site. What Is It? Northern giant hornet is an invasive species from Asia and a known predator of […]
Scientific Name: Sirex noctilio What Is It? The Sirex woodwasp is a species of wasp native to Eurasia and northern Africa. It primarily attacks pine trees (sometimes also spruce and fir trees), laying its eggs along with a symbiotic fungus and toxic mucus that kill the tree. The larvae tunnel through the wood, eventually emerging […]
Scientific name: Amphimallon majale What Is It? The European chafer is a beetle that feeds on grass roots while in its larval (grub) phase, killing the grass and leaving visible dead patches. Grubs feed on grass in fall and spring. Most of the damage is caused in spring just before pupation, the transition from grub […]
Scientific name: Drosophila suzukii What Is It? Spotted wing drosophila is a small vinegar fly from East Asia that lays its eggs in softer, thin-skinned fruits, such as berries. A spotted wing drosophila are able to lay its eggs in healthy fruit that is still ripening, as opposed to other vinegar flies that only attack […]
Scientific names: Citrus Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora chinensis), Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), and Red-necked Longhorned Beetle (Aromia bungii) What Are They? Citrus (Anoplophora chinenses), Asian (Anoplophora glabripennis), and red-necked (Aromia bungii) long-horned beetles are large beetles whose larvae feed on and in the wood of trees. When the beetles mature to adulthood, they emerge through […]
Scientific name: Phytomyza gymnostoma What Is It? The onion leaf miner (or allium leaf miner) is a fly native to parts of Europe that attacks plants in the Allium genus, which includes onions, garlic, leeks, chives, and more. The larvae chew the leaf tissue in a long trail down the plant, eventually forming a pupa […]
Scientific name: Halyomorpha halys What Is It? A brown marmorated stink bug is native to East Asia and was first noticed in the United States in the late 1990s, possibly having arrived in a shipping crate. It will attack a large variety of plants-more than 170 species-including many fruits and vegetables. It leaves small necrotic […]
Scientific name: Popillia japonica What Is It? The Japanese beetle is a garden pest native to northern Japan. The adult eats the leaves of plants while the larvae attack the roots, particularly the roots of grasses. Is It Here Yet? Yes. In 2020, the Washington Department of Agriculture found two Japanese beetles near Grandview, WA […]
Scientific name: Rhagoletis pomonella What Is It? The apple maggot is an insect native to eastern North America. It is considered one of the worst apple pests in the world, and is a major threat to Washington apple production. Adult maggots lay eggs inside the fruit. The eggs then hatch into young worms and consume […]
Scientific name: Agrilus planipennis What Is It? The emerald ash borer is a small Asian, wood-boring beetle that may attack and kill ash trees. The larvae burrow under the tree’s bark and eat the sapwood. These damaged layers of tissue below the bark are critical to transporting water and nutrients throughout the tree. Once damaged, […]
Scientific name: Lilioceris lilii What Is It? The scarlet lily beetle (also known as the lily leaf beetle) is a pest native to Eurasia that preys on true lilies and fritillaries. While all lilies are attacked, Asiatic lilies or hybrids and some native North America lilies tend to receive the most damage. Other plants that […]
Scientific name: Lymantria dispar The Entomological Society of America has changed the accepted common name of Lymantria dispar. “Spongy moth” has been formally adopted as the new common name. To learn more visit the Entomological Society of America Web site. What Is It? Spongy moths include Lymantria dispar asiatica, Lymantria dispar dispar, and other invasive moths […]
Scientific name: Lycorma delicatula What Is It? The spotted lanternfly is a piercing, sucking insect native to Asia. Adults and nymphs pierce plants and eat sap from stems. The insects are strikingly colored and fairly easy to identify. Is It Here Yet? No, but spotted lanternfly is elsewhere in the United States. It was introduced […]