Fact Sheets - Forage and Field Insects

The alfalfa weevil is a major pest throughout Utah. It is a beetle with one generation per year. Eggs hatch in the spring, and the grub-like immature weevils (larvae) feed by chewing on the alfalfa foliage.

Black grass bugs will feed on a variety of range grasses (e.g. wheatgrass, brome grass, orchardgrass, bluegrass) and field crops (e.g. barley, wheat, rye, oats). Great Basin wildrye and wheatgrasses are preferred if available, especially blue bunch wh

BMSB was first detected in Utah in 2012; it is now established in four counties (Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah) and has been detected in two other counties (Cache and Box Elder). As an aggressive generalist herbivore, BMSB infests a broad range of pla...

Cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus, is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. These beetles are native to Europe and have been considered pests of small grains since 1737. In 1962, cereal leaf beetle was first detected in the United States in a Mich...

The clover root curculio is an important agricultural pest in forage crops. Adult beetles feed on foliage while the more damaging larval stage feeds on roots. Heavy larval feeding has been associated with reduced stand establishment, disruption of nutrien...

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

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. We must also understand that because outbreaks can occur simultaneously across the landscape, suppression prog...

The red and black imported fire ants (IFA) are an invasive and aggressive pest not known to occur in Utah, but parts of southern Utah may be suitable for colony establishment. IFA can be easily distinguished from other ants in Utah by both the varying siz...

This fact sheet describes the invasive Japanese beetle (JB) and lists vegetative hosts that can be affected by JB, including ornamental plants, trees, shrubs, turfgrass and vegetables. This pest can cause significant damage in high numbers. It was first d...

Lygus bug is the primary pest of alfalfa grown for seed in Utah. When in high numbers, lygus bug can prevent seed production or severely reduce yield potential. Early scouting can help make management decisions.

In a recent appraisal of Mormon crickets (Anabrus simplex Haldeman), Raffelson (1989) reminds us that these insects are a subject of great concern and dislike among Western ranchers and farmers.

Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Hemiptera: Aphididae), was first found in the U.S. in 1986, and is currently found in 16 western states. In Utah, Russian wheat aphid was first detected in wheat and barley in San Juan County in 1987; now it i

Banks grass mites (BGM) and two-spotted spider mites (TSSM) are important agricultural pests of corn and a wide variety of other crops, garden, and landscape plants.

Western corn rootworm is one of the most devastating corn insect pests in the United States. In some years, corn rootworms can cause up to $1 billion in yield loss and control costs.

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.