ALABAMA OTPC PESTS & WEEDS STUDY GUIDE
Piercing-sucking insects - Answers - Scales, mealybugs, aphids, whiteflies & lacebugs;
Leave Sooty Mold or Honeydew
Scales - Answers - Most damaging pests of ornamental plants; feed on underside of
leaves, appear as bumps, prune out infested parts, use less susceptible plants when
possible
Mealybugs - Answers - Scale insects, Covered with white, waxy material, usually a
houseplant problem; replace badly infested plants
Aphids - Answers - winged or wingless; tail pipes or bumps on rearend, reproduce
rapidly; wash off with water or soaps/oils
Lace bugs - Answers - azalaes and other shrubs; feed on underside of leaves; look for
black grainy speck of excrement
Thrips - Answers - Feed on blossoms causing petals to become blotched, most
abundant pest of ornamental plants
Whiteflies - Answers - Close relative of scales, feed under leaf surfaces
Chewing insects - Answers - Bagworms, cutworms, grasshoppers & beetles
Leafminers - Answers - Larvae of several kinds of insects; feed inside the leaves
creating tunnels causing discoloration
Borers - Answers - Cause injury by burrowing into ornamentals and trees. Stressed
plants more susceptible
Brown Patch - Answers - Most damaging disease of St. Augustinegrass in AL.
Spring Dead Spot - Answers - Disease of Bermuda and intensively managed Zoysia
and St. Augustine
Dollar Spot - Answers - Caused by fungus; most common disease of AL turfgrasses in
summer and early fall
Leaf Scorch - Answers - marginal scalding or scorching of leaves
Fungi - Answers - Cause 80% of plant disease
Gall - Answers - disease that attacks azaleas
Piercing-sucking insects - Answers - Scales, mealybugs, aphids, whiteflies & lacebugs;
Leave Sooty Mold or Honeydew
Scales - Answers - Most damaging pests of ornamental plants; feed on underside of
leaves, appear as bumps, prune out infested parts, use less susceptible plants when
possible
Mealybugs - Answers - Scale insects, Covered with white, waxy material, usually a
houseplant problem; replace badly infested plants
Aphids - Answers - winged or wingless; tail pipes or bumps on rearend, reproduce
rapidly; wash off with water or soaps/oils
Lace bugs - Answers - azalaes and other shrubs; feed on underside of leaves; look for
black grainy speck of excrement
Thrips - Answers - Feed on blossoms causing petals to become blotched, most
abundant pest of ornamental plants
Whiteflies - Answers - Close relative of scales, feed under leaf surfaces
Chewing insects - Answers - Bagworms, cutworms, grasshoppers & beetles
Leafminers - Answers - Larvae of several kinds of insects; feed inside the leaves
creating tunnels causing discoloration
Borers - Answers - Cause injury by burrowing into ornamentals and trees. Stressed
plants more susceptible
Brown Patch - Answers - Most damaging disease of St. Augustinegrass in AL.
Spring Dead Spot - Answers - Disease of Bermuda and intensively managed Zoysia
and St. Augustine
Dollar Spot - Answers - Caused by fungus; most common disease of AL turfgrasses in
summer and early fall
Leaf Scorch - Answers - marginal scalding or scorching of leaves
Fungi - Answers - Cause 80% of plant disease
Gall - Answers - disease that attacks azaleas
