Alabama OTPS Insect ID 2025/2026 (45+ Qs) – Turf Pests, Mouthparts, Life Cycles, Damage Types

This insect-focused exam prep guide contains over 45 fully answered and verified questions from the Alabama OTPS (Ornamental and Turf Pest Supervisor) certification exam for the 2025/2026 cycle. It is tailored to help professionals accurately identify common turf and ornamental pests, their damage types, and control strategies, as required by ADAI standards. It begins with basic entomology, detailing insect anatomy (head, thorax, abdomen, six legs) and metamorphosis types (complete and incomplete). The guide also distinguishes between various insect mouthparts—chewing, piercing-sucking, rasping, and sponging—and explains the relevance of identifying them for effective control. Key damage patterns like stippling and skeletonization are clarified through examples such as Japanese beetles, lace bugs, and thrips. Major turf and ornamental pests are covered in depth, including white grubs, mole crickets, chinch bugs, billbugs, leafminers, and bagworms. Also included are pest-specific details like life cycles, feeding behavior, seasonal treatment timing, and diagnostic techniques such as the soap drench method for soil-dwelling insects. This document is a valuable resource for turfgrass managers, landscapers, pest control technicians, and students in entomology or agricultural programs preparing for OTPS certification or working in pest management roles. Keywords: Alabama OTPS, insect identification, insect life cycle, metamorphosis, turf pests, chinch bugs, mole crickets, white grubs, piercing sucking insects, insect mouthparts, stippling damage, skeletonization, soap drench, Japanese beetle, billbug, bagworms, leafminers, ornamental pests