WEBWORMS
    Webworms are caterpillars that feed protected by webs; these caterpillars primarily feed on leaves. They vary in size from 1/2 to nearly 1 1/2 inches in length. Some webworms are known by other names, only those caterpillars commonly called 'webworms' will be discussed here.

Alfalfa Webworm (Loxostege commixtalis): Adult moths are buff colored, irregularly marked with light and dark gray, and have a row of spots on the underside of the hind wings.  Larvae are green-to-yellow with a broad light colored stripe down the middle of the back and around 1 1/4 inches long.

Beet Webworm (Loxostege sticticalis):  Adult moths are smoky brown, mottled with dusky and straw colored spots and lines; moths also have dark markings on the underside of the hind wings, which are in the form of a continuous dark line near the margin. Larvae are yellowish or greenish to almost black with a black stripe down the middle of the back, around 1 1/4 inches long, and on each side of each segment, there are three small dark spots.

Cabbage Webworm (Hellula rogatalis):  Adult moths are grayish, mottled with brown.  Larvae are grayish-yellow with purple stripes and around 1/2 inch long.

Corn Root Webworm (Crambus caliginosellus):  Adult moths are pale brown, between 1/2 to 1 inch in length, and have a pronounced projection from the front of the head; the projection from the head has given them the name of snout moths.  Larvae are whitish, thick-bodied, between 1/4 to 3/4 inch long, and can often be found in silk-lined tunnels in the soil.

Garden Webworm (Loxostege rantalis):  Adult moths are buff colored with shadings and irregular markings of light and dark gray.  Larvae are greenish-yellow, about 1 inch long, have 3 dark spots on the sides of each body segment, and bristle-like hairs project from these spots.

Parsnip Webworm (Depressaria pastinacella):  Adult moths are grayish and have a wingspread of around 1 inch.  Larvae are small, yellow, greenish, or grayish caterpillars covered with small black dots and short hairs.  The flower heads of parsnip and celery are webbed together and eaten by these small caterpillars.

Spotted Beet Webworm (Hymenia perspectalis):  Adult moths are cinnamon-brown with narrow white bands in the fore wings.  Larvae are green with purple dots on their heads.

Bean Weevil (Acanthosceli desobtectus):  This weevil is small, around 1/8 inch long, olive-brown mottled with darker brown and gray, and has reddish legs and antennae; it lays eggs in holes chewed along the suture of a bean pod.  Larvae are small, white, hairy, grub-like, and feed inside of young seed.

 

Boll Weevil (Anthonomus grandis):  This weevil is small, hard-shelled, yellowish, grayish, or brownish, becoming nearly black with age, around 1/4 inch long, and covered with grayish fuzz.  Larvae are white, legless, wrinkled, grub-like, and have brown heads.  Eggs are laid in the bolls by adult weevils; later eggs hatch and larvae feed inside bolls.

Broad Bean Weevil (Bruchus rufimanus):  Similar to the pea weevil except the adult beetles is smaller and without black spots on the part of the abdomen exposed beyond the wing covers.  Also, several grubs can be found per pod.

Cabbage Seedpod Weevil (Ceutorhynchus assimilis):  Adult weevils are black to gray and around 1/8 inch long; they lay eggs in seed pods.  Larvae are small, white, legless, and feed inside seeds for almost 1 month.

Carrot Weevil (Listronotus oregonensis):  Adult weevils are dark brown and around 1/4 inch long.  Larvae are white, legless, grub-like, brown-headed, and around 1/3 inch long; larvae burrow through the roots of carrots and tunnel in the stalk and heart of celery and parsley.
 

Citrus Root Weevil (Pachnaeus litus):  Adult weevils lay eggs in leaves; later, larvae fall to the ground and feed on roots.

Corn Stem Weevil (Hyperodes humilis):  Adult weevils are dark brown with white scales.  Larvae are grub-like and mine the lower stems.

Cowpea Weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus):  This weevil is bronze-black, hump-backed, around 1/5 inch long, and lays eggs in holes eaten into pods.  Larvae are yellowish, grub-like, around 1/4 inch long, and feed inside seeds growing in pods.

Imported Longhorned Weevil (Calomycterus setarius):  Adult weevils are wingless, black but appearing gray from their gray scales, around 3/8 inch long, and have long antennae.  They eat irregular areas in from the margins of leaves.

Japanese Weevil (Pseudocneorhinus bifasciatus):  Adult weevils are dark with a broad abdomen, have a short snout, and fused wing covers, which causes them not to be able to fly.  They cut broad, rounded sections from the margins of leaves, which results in tiny notches appearing in the leaves.

Pea Weevil (Bruchus pisorum):  Adult weevils are short, chunky, around 1/5 inch long, and brown, flecked with white, black, and grayish patches.  Larvae are white with brown heads.  Eggs are laid on the outside of the pod; later, larvae bore through the wall of the pod, enter young seeds, and feed within them.  Adult weevils can remain in stored seed for one or two years before emerging.

Pea Leaf Weevil (Sitona lineata):  Adult weevils are grayish-brown with alternating light and dark lines, slender, and eat U-shaped notches in from the margins of leaves.  Larvae feed on the root nodules of legumes.

Pepper Weevil (Anthonomus eugenii):  Adult weevils are shiny, brownish-black to gray, around 1/8 inch long, have a single stout spine at the middle of the front femur, and lay eggs in buds or fruits.  Larvae are white, brown-headed, legless, grub-like, around 1/4 inch long, and feed inside buds or fruit; later affected buds and/or fruit may fall to the ground.

Strawberry Root Weevil (Otiorhyncus ovatus):  Adult weevils are mostly black, around 1/4 inch long, and have short blunt snouts protruding from the front of their heads.  Larvae are white, legless, grub-like, around 3/8 inch long, and have brown heads.  Both adults and larvae feed on the foliage and fruit.

Sweetpotato Weevil (Cylas formicarius elegantulus):  Adult weevils are shiny, slender, about 1/4 inch long, with blue heads, wing covers, and abdomens; the prothorax and legs are bright red.  They also have long, straight black beaks.  Larvae are white with pale brown heads, fat, legless, and grow up to 1/3 inch long.  Adult weevils feed on stems, leaves, and tubers.  Eggs are laid in small cavities eaten out of the stem or tuber; eggs hatch and larvae eat down through the stem and into the tuber or eat directly into the tuber if eggs are laid in the tuber.  Larvae eventually form tunnels in tubers, which are filled with excrement.

Vegetable Weevil (Listroderes costirostris obliquus):  Adult weevils are grayish with a V-shaped marking across the wing covers and about 1/3 inch long.  Larvae are cream colored.  Both adults and larvae can feed on the foliage.

Whiteflies are insects that belong in the order Homoptera, family Aleyrodidae. Adults have two pairs of wings that are covered with a white dust or powder; they look like tiny white moths. Nymphs are pale yellow and six legged; after the first instar, nymphs lose their legs and antennae and become flattened, sessile, and scale-like. Whiteflies can often be seen in great numbers on the underside of leaves. Both adults and nymphs feed on the foliage of plants.

Cloudywinged Whitefly (Dialeurodes citrifolii):  Adults are small four-winged insects with a dusky area in each wing, around 1/2 inch long, and have a white appearance, which is due to the fine white powder that completely covers the wings and body. Nymphs are pale yellow, flattened, and six legged; later, nymphs lose their legs and become oval-bodied with a marginal fringe of short, white, waxy filaments. Honeydew is given off by nymphs; a sooty mold can grow on the honeydew and can cover the surface of affected foliage. Both adults and nymphs suck plant sap from the undersides of leaves.

Glacial Whitefly (Trialeurodes glacialis): Adults are pure white, which is due to the white powder that covers the wings and body. Nymphs are yellow with a crystalline fringe. Both adults and nymphs feed on the undersides of leaves.

Greenhouse Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum): Adults are small, about 1/16 inch long, four winged with a yellow body, and covered with very fine white powder. Nymphs are very small, oval, pale green, flat, less than 1/30 inch in length, and have white waxy threads radiating from their bodies; nymphs secrete honeydew on which a sooty colored fungus often grows. Both adults and nymphs feed on the undersides of leaves.

Sweetpotato Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci): Adults are small, four-winged, white, and resemble tiny moths. Nymphs are greenish with white waxy spines radiating from their bodies, flat, thin, and around 1/16 inch long. A black mold can often be seen on the foliage; this mold grows on honeydew which is produced by nymphs. Adults and nymphs both feed on the undersides of leaves.

WIREWORMS
    Wireworms are the larvae of click beetles, so they are insects in the order Coleoptera, family Elateridae. Adults are hard-shelled beetles, about 1/2 inch long, and usually yellowish in color with brown or nearly black markings; the body is somewhat elongated, tapering more or less toward each end. The adult wireworm is commonly called a 'click' beetle. Larvae are slender-bodied, segmented, hard, shiny, about 1/2 to 2/3 inch long, have three pairs of legs on the segments just behind the head, and vary in color from yellowish to brown; larvae feed on underground stems, roots, and newly planted seed.

Columbia Basin Wireworm (Limonius subauratus): Adult beetles are slate gray to almost black. Larvae are pale yellow, segmented, and somewhat flattened; larvae feed on the roots of several vegetables.

Corn Wireworm (Melanotus cribulosus): Adult beetles are brownish, grayish, or nearly black in color, hard-shelled, and about 1/2 inch long. Larvae are wire-like, smooth, around 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches long, and vary in color from white or yellowish to dark brown.
 

Eastern Field Wireworm (Limonius agonus): This wireworm is probably the most common wireworm in the eastern U.S.; it has the common characteristics of a wireworm as stated above.

False Wireworm (Eleodes opacus): Adult beetles are black, around 3/4 inch long, and when disturbed, they elevate the hind portion of their bodies, while keeping their heads on the ground. Larvae are brown or yellow, segmented, and closely resemble wireworms in appearance, but have longer legs and antennae; larvae feed on seed, roots, and underground parts of plant stems.

Gulf Wireworm (Conoderus amplicollis): This wireworm is an important pest of sweetpotatoes in the southeastern U.S.; it is also thought to be able to carry diseases into sweet potato roots and potato tubers. This wireworm has the common characteristics of a wireworm as stated above.

Pacific Coast Wireworm (Limonius canus): This wireworm is an important pest of bulbs as well as root crops; it has the common wireworm characteristics as stated above.

Southern Potato Wireworm (Conoderus falli): This wireworm is a pest of white potatoes and sweetpotatoes in the southeastern U.S.; it has the common wireworm characteristics as stated above.

Potato damage from wireworm

Sugarbeet Wireworm (Limonius californicus): Adult beetles are small, about 3/8 inch long, elongated, light or dark brown with punctures on the back. Larvae are yellow-brown, shiny, hard, segmented, and feed on the roots of a few vegetables.

Tobacco Wireworm (Conoderus vespertinus): Also known as the spotted click beetle. Larvae are yellowish, hard, thick, and about 1/2 inch long; larvae feed on the roots of some vegetables as well as tobacco.

Wheat Wireworm (Agriotes mancus): The adult beetles have the same appearance as most other click beetles. Larvae are yellowish, segmented, elongated, around 1/2 inch long, and feed on the roots of a wide variety of plants.