Fact Sheets - Vegetable Insects
For more vegetable insect information reference the Vegetable Pests of Utah Guide and Utah Vegetable Production and Pest Management Guide
Aphid Pests on Vegetables
Aphid feeding distorts and stunts plants, produces honeydew that supports sooty mold fungi, and can vector plant viruses. The most common aphid species found in Utah vegetables are green peach aphid, potato aphid, melon (cotton) aphid, and cabbage aphid.
Asparagus Beetle and Spotted Asparagus Beetle
Asparagus beetle and spotted asparagus beetle are found wherever asparagus is grown in North America. Adult and larval feeding can reduce photosynthetic capacity by feeding on young spears and ferns, and negatively affect crop yield.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Management in Fruits and Vegetables
It is important to accurately identify and monitor brown marmorated stink bug and feeding damage before making any treatment. This fact sheet emphasizes identification, monitoring, and management of this pest.
Caterpillar Pests of Brassica Vegetables
In Utah, there are three main caterpillar pests of cabbage and mustard family plants: imported cabbageworm, cabbage looper, and diamondback moth. The injury they cause is similar.
Common Stink Bugs of Utah
This fact sheet provides descriptions and images of stink bugs, including the adult and immature stages, that are commonly encountered in gardens and farms in Utah.
Community-Wide Grasshopper Control
During the springtime, while grasshoppers are still nymphs, is the best time for communities or neighborhoods to work together to suppress grasshopper populations. Treating as wide an area as possible is the key to success.
Corn Earworm
Corn earworm is the most destructive insect pest of sweet corn in Utah. It will also attack field corn, and pepper and tomato fruits. The adult is a tan-brown moth that can travel up to 300 miles in one night.
Cucumber Beetles
Cucumber beetles are pests of cucurbits throughout the U.S. Western species of cucumber beetles will also feed on leaves
of other vegetables (especially corn, tomato, potato, and bean) and soft fruits (especially apricot and peach). In Utah, watermelon and cantaloupe have been the main commercial crops attacked.
European Earwig
The European earwig is an omnivore; it feeds on detritus, fungi, plants, and insects. Earwigs can injure the buds, leaves, flowers, and fruits of a broad range of plants, including fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals; they can be a nuisance pest by entering buildings.
Flea Beetles on Vegetables
There are many species of flea beetles; most adults are small, darkly colored, sometimes shiny or metallic, and jump quickly when disturbed. Flea beetles attack foliage of brassica and solanaceous crops, and some root crops including potato tubers.
Grasshopper
Grasshoppers are among the most conspicuous insects in Utah, and are viewed by many as also among the most injurious to our crops and rangelands. In any given year, thousands of acres may be sprayed throughout the state to reduce potential damage.
Invasive Insect Look-Alikes
Pest identification is the cornerstone of integrated pest management, but is a skill that can be difficult to master. Mistakes in identification are common, as many insects look and act alike, and/or can cause similar injury.
Leafminers of Vegetable Crops
Leafminers are pests of vegetable and ornamental crops throughout the world. In Utah, three species of leafminer flies attack vegetable crops, including the American serpentine leafminer, pea leafminer, and vegetable leafminer.
Onion Thrips
Onion thrips are the most injurious insect pest to onions in Utah. Immature and adult thrips prefer to feed on young leaves in the inner neck of plants. Moderate to severe thrips feeding causes reduced bulb size.
Sap Beetles
Sap beetles are typically considered asecondary pest of corn and overripe fruits and
vegetables. Sap beetles are broadly identified by their small
and ovular bodies and club-shaped antennae.
Slugs and Snails
Slugs and snails are rated by many gardeners as the worst garden pests. Considering their competition, this is a dubious honor. These pests are not insects but are mollusks that are more closely related to shellfish, such as mussels and clams.
Spider Mites in Corn
Banks grass mites and two-spotted spider mites are common pests of field and sweet corn and a wide variety of other plants. Prolonged hot and dry conditions promote spider mite development.
Squash Bugs
Squash bugs are primarily a pest of squash and pumpkin. Plant injury includes leaf necrosis, scarred fruits, and rapid plant wilt. Squash bugs are prone to develop resistance to insecticides and adults are difficult to kill.
The Backyard Garden: Bean Pests
A short summary of the top insect and disease pests of beans and how they are managed by the backyard gardeners.
The Backyard Garden: Cole Crops Pests
A short summary of the main insect and disease pests of cole crops and how they are managed by the backyard gardeners.
The Backyard Garden: Garlic Pests
A short summary of the top insect and disease pests of garlic and how they are managed by the backyard gardeners.
The Backyard Garden: Leafy Greens Pests
A short summary of the main insect and disease pests of leafy greens and how they are managed by the backyard gardeners.
The Backyard Garden: Pea Pests
A short summary of the main insect and disease pests of peas and how they are managed by the backyard gardeners.
The Backyard Garden: Tomato Pests
A short summary of the main insect and disease pests of tomato and how they are managed by the backyard gardeners.
Tomato and Tobacco Hornworms
Tomato and tobacco hornworms are closely related species that cause similar damage to the same host plants. Both are equivalent in size and appearance.
Three-lined Potato Beetle
Three-lined potato beetles are pests to various crops and weeds within the nightshade family, most notably tomatillos (Physalis spp.).
Web Spinning Spider Mites
Mites are small arthropods that are more closely related to spiders and ticks than to insects. Mites in this group are web spinners, hence the name “spider” mites.
Western Corn Rootworm
Western corn rootworm can be a serious economic pest in corn because larvae feed on corn roots, making plants unstable or severely reducing water uptake.
Western Flower Thrips
Western flower thrips (WTF)
are native to western North America and are widespread throughout this region. This species feeds on hundreds of different weed and crop hosts.
Wireworms
Wireworms are the immature form (larvae) of click beetles. Severe damage from wireworms in Utah is rare. Wireworms live in the soil and feed on seeds, roots, crowns, and stalks of various plants.