Tree and Shrub Pests

Tent caterpillars Order: LepidopteraFamilies: Erebidae, Lasiocampidae Description and life history Tent caterpillars, Malacosoma spp. Adults are generally a yellowish-brown color with faint ...

Spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula Order: HemipteraFamily: Fulgoridae Description and life history Spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive polyphagous planthopper native to Asia, ...

Spongy moth, Lymantria dispar Order: Lepidoptera Family: Erebidae Description Male moths have a wingspan of about 3.8 cm (1.5 inches), while females have a wingspan of up to 8.9 cm (3.5 ...

Spider mites in shade trees Order: AcariFamily: Tetranychidae Description and life history Spruce spider mite, Oligonychus ununguis  The spruce spider mite is a native pest of spruce and ...

Shade tree borers Orders: Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera Description and life history Many different insects are classified as wood borers, including certain species of Coleoptera, ...

Scale insects affecting conifers Order: HemipteraFamily: Coccidae, Diaspididae, Matsucoccidae Description, life history, and host range Several scale insects can attack coniferous trees in ...

Red turpentine beetle, Dendroctonus valens Order: Coleoptera Family: Curculionidae Description The red turpentine beetle is a native insect distributed throughout much of North and Central ...

Pine tip moths Order: LepidopteraFamily: Tortricidae, Pyralidae Description and life history Southwestern pine tip moth The southwestern pine tip moth (Rhyacionia neomexicana) is native to the ...

Oystershell scale, Lepidosaphes ulmi Order: HempiteraFamily: Diaspididae Description Unlike most insects, adult oystershell scales do not have legs, eyes, or antennae. Their appearance ...

Mite pests of honeylocust Order: AcariFamily: Tetranychidae, Eriophyidae Description and life history Different groups of mites can produce conspicuous feeding injuries on honeylocust ...

Locust borer, Megacyllene robiniae Order: ColeopteraFamily: Cerambycidae Description Locust borer adults have brightly colored yellow markings and are about 19 mm (0.75 inch) long. The beetles ...

Lilac borer, Podosesia syringae Order: LepidopteraFamily: Sesiidae Description Unlike most moth species, lilac borer adults are most active during the day. They resemble paper wasps (Poilstes ...

Japanese Beetle, Popillia japonica Order: ColeopteraFamily: Scarabidae Description The adult Japanese beetle (order: Coleoptera, family: Scarabaeidae) has an oval body and is about 15 mm (3/5 ...

Ips beetles, Ips spp. Order: ColeopteraFamily: Curculionidae Description There are 11 species of Ips spp. inhabiting Colorado: Ips hunteri, Ips pilifrons, Ips pini, Ips knausi, Ips ...

Insect and mite galls Orders: Acari, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera Families: Adelgidae, Agromyzidae, Aphalaridae, Aphididae, Eriophyidae, Cecidomyiidae, Cinipidae Description and life ...

Horntails, Sirex spp. Order: HymenopteraFamily: Siricidae Description Generally, horntail wasps are moderately large at about 37.5 mm (1.5 inches) and have broad heads with small eyes. Adult ...

Honeylocust pod gall midge, Dasineura gleditchiae Order: DipteraFamily: Cecidomyiidae Description Dasineura gleditchiae, commonly referred to as the “honey locust pod gall midge”, is an ...

Hawthorn mealybug, Phenacoccus dearnessi Order: HemipteraFamily: Pseudococcidae Description The hawthorn mealybug is an introduced species in Colorado. It feeds on twigs and small branches of ...

Giant conifer aphids Order: HemipteraFamily: Aphididae Description Cinara spp. are commonly referred to as giant conifer aphids and collectively feed on pines (Pinus spp.), juniper (Juniperus ...

Gambel oak borer, Agrilus quercicola Order: ColeopteraFamily: Buprestidae Description The Gambel oak borer is a native species of wood boring beetle found in forest stands of Gambel oak ...

European elm scale, Eriococcus spuria Order: Hemiptera Family: Eriococcidae Description All scale insects undergo incomplete metamorphosis and have three life stages: egg, nymph, adult. These ...

Eriophyid mites Order: Acari Family: Eriophyidae Description Adults have cylindrical bodies that taper at both the head and rear. They are translucent white or yellow and have two pairs of legs ...

Emerald ash borer, Agrillus planipennis Order: ColeopteraFamily: Buprestidae Description Emerald ash borer, abbreviated EAB, is an invasive beetle that was first detected in Colorado in 2013. ...

Elm leaf beetle, Xanthogaleruca luteola Order: ColeopteraFamily: Chrysomelidae Description The elm leaf beetle was first detected in the United States in 1830 and is now present throughout ...

Douglas-fir tussock moth, Orgyia pseudotsugata Order: LepidopteraFamily: Erebidae Description Young larvae of the Douglas-fir tussock moth are black with long body hairs. Mature larvae are ...

Douglas-fir beetle, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Order: ColeopteraFamily: Curculionidae Description The Douglas-fir beetle (Dendroctonus pseudotsugae) is native to North America and the most ...

Dendroctonus spp. Order: ColeopteraFamily: Curculionidae Description Two Dendroctonus spp. are of particular significance in Colorado, the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) and ...

Cooley spruce gall adelgid Order: HemipteraFamily: Adelgidae Description Cooley spruce gall adelgids (Adelges cooleyi) are gall forming hemipterans. This species is widely distributed ...

Cicadas Order: HemipteraFamily: Cicadidae, Tibicinidae Description There are about 29 species of cicada in Colorado that range in size and color. They often have black bodies with varying ...

Brownheaded ash sawfly, Tomostethus multicinctus Order: HymenopteraFamily: Tenthredinidae Description Adults of the brownheaded ash sawfly (Tomostethus multicinctus) resemble small dark black ...

Brown soft scale, Coccus hesperidum Order: HemipteraFamily: Coccidae Description The brown soft scale is the most important scale insect that occurs on indoor grown plants in Colorado. When ...

Beetle pests of honeylocust Order: ColeopteraFamily: Meloidae, Buprestidae Description and life history Several beetle species can attack honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos) in Colorado. Two ...

Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis Order: ColeopteraFamily: Cerambycidae Description The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB)  is a species of wood-boring beetle that is native to China ...

Aphids on shade trees and ornamental plants Order: HemipteraFamily: Aphididae Description Aphids are small (0.1 inches and smaller), soft-bodied insects that may be found on leaves, stems, and ...

Agrilus difficilis Order: ColeopteraFamily: Buprestidae Description Agrilus difficilis is a species of wood boring beetle that attacks honey locust (Gleditisa triacanthos) trees. It is native ...