Agricultural Pests

Wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton  Order: HymenopteraFamily: Cephidae Description The wheat stem sawfly is a prolific pest to wheat in Colorado, causing extensive damage in the eastern ...

Wheat curl mite, Aceria tosichella Order: AcariFamily: Eriophyidae Description Wheat curl mites are white, cigar-shaped arthropods whose bodies taper near the head and rear. All eriophyid mites ...

Sunflower headclipping weevil, Haplorhynchites aeneus Order: ColeopteraFamily: Attelabidae Description Adults of sunflower headclipping weevil measure about 8.5 mm (1/3 inch) in length and are ...

Stalk borers in corn Order: LepidopteraFamily: Crambidae Description European corn borer European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) eggs are scaly and glossy white in appearance and are laid in ...

Spider mites in wheat and corn Order: AcariFamily: Tetranychidae Description There are two agriculturally important spider mite species in Colorado: Brown wheat mite, Petrobia latens Banks ...

Pale western cutworm, Agrotis orthogonia Order: LepidopteraFamily: Noctuidae Description Pale western cutworm is a subterranean cutworm, feeding on stems at the crown. They can be a significant ...

Grasshoppers in gardens and small acreage    Order: OrthopteraFamily: Acrididae Description Grasshoppers are closely related to crickets and katydids. Over 100 species of grasshoppers occur in ...

False chinch bug, Nysius raphanus Order: HemipteraFamily: Lygaeidae Description False chinch bug adults are about 3-4 mm (1/8-1/6 inches) long and grayish brown with slender bodies and long ...

Black grass bug Order: HemipteraFamily: Miridae Description Black grass bugs are small, black true bugs that are native to the western rangeland and can cause considerable damage to certain ...

Armyworm, Mythimna unipuncta  Order: LepidopteraFamily: Noctuidae Description Armyworm adults are approximately 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) long and a dirty white color with black dots on their ...

Army cutworm, Euxoa auxiliaris  Order: LepidopteraFamily: Noctuidae Description Army cutworm adults are commonly known as miller moths and become a household nuisance following outbreaks. ...

Aphids in alfalfa Order: HemipteraFamily: Aphididae Description Aphids have piercing-sucking mouthparts that extract plant sap (phloem). They are soft-bodied insects with long antennae and have ...

Amauromyza karli Order: DipteraFamily: Agromyzidae Description Adults of A. karli are approximately 3 mm in length, have a dark brown thorax and abdomen and distinct yellow heads. The flies ...

Alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica  Order: ColeopteraFamily: Curculionidae Description  Alfalfa weevils are small, 6.5 mm (1/4 inch), brown-grey beetles, with a dark brown band down the back. ...