Making a Difference for California (2024)

If you've been in suspense all week, wait no longer. Here are the answers to this year's Easter egg hunt!

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1.Brown Garden Snail

Snail eggs(Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)Snail eggs and adult snail (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)

The brown garden snail, Cornu aspersum, is the most common garden snail in California. Snails and slugs feed on a wide variety of plants, creating irregular holes by scraping with their tongues. A combination strategies including hand-picking, trapping, barriers, and baiting is recommended for best management. Learn more from our Pest Notes: Snails and Slugs.

2.BoxelderBug

Boxelder bug eggs (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)Boxelder bug adult and nymphs (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)

The western boxelder bug can be a nuisance in and around homes. While they typically feed on box elder trees, they may also feed on fruit trees including apple, cherry, peach, pear, and plum. Boxelder bugs can be confused with squash bugs, milkweed bugs, or leaffooted bugs. Their eggs are yellow when first laid, but turn red as the immature bugs develop. Learn more about boxelderbugs and their management from ourPest Notes: Boxelder Bug.

3. Citrus Cutworm

Citrus Cutworm Eggs (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)Citrus Cutworm Caterpillar (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)

Citrus cutworms have a distinct white stripe on each side of the body and damage citrus trees by feeding on leaves, blossoms, or fruit. The gray adult moth can lay up to 200 eggs per cluster. Learn more about citrus cutworm on our website.

4.ConsperseStink Bug

Consperse stink bug eggs (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)Consperse stink bug adult (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)

The consperse stink bug is one of the most common garden pests in California, found most often in fruit and nut trees. They feed on a variety of fruits like peaches and pears, leaving blemishes or depressions in the developing fruit. Stink bugs have drum-shaped eggs with tops that look like circular “lids” that are typically laid in clusters on leaves. Learn more about the conspersestink bug and other stink bugs on our website.

5.Green Stink Bug

Green stink bug eggs (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)Green stink bug adult (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)

The green stink bug is another common stink bug species found in gardens. Named for its bright green color, it is typically large than other stink bugs at about 1/2-inch in length. Their damage is similar to other stink bugs, like the consperse stink bug. Likewise, their eggs have similar shapes, with up to 100 eggs per cluster.Learn more about thegreenstink bug and other stink bugs onour website.

6.Imported Cabbageworm

Imported cabbageworm egg (Credit: Jack Kelly ClarkImported cabbageworm caterpillar (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)

Imported cabbageworm larvae (caterpillars) are voracious eaters. They leave large, irregular holes in cabbage leaves and bore into cabbage heads. The adult cabbage butterflies are white with one to four black spots on their wings and lay single eggs on leaves, rather than in clusters. Learn more about imported cabbagewormsand their management on our website.

Imported cabbageworm butterfly (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)

7.Omnivorous Leafroller

Omnivorous leafroll eggmass (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)Omnivorous leafroller adult and pupa (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)

The omnivorous leafroller is a caterpillar of a certain kind of moth. Adult moths have a bell shape when at rest while larvae (caterpillars) will roll or curl leaves with silk webs. In addition to rolling leaves, larvae will feed on foliage, blossoms, fruits or nuts. Learn more about the omnivorous leafrolleron our website.

8.Squash Bug

Squash bug eggs (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)Adult squash bug (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)

Squash bugs are a pest of cucurbit crops such as pumpkin, squash, and melon. Their population can reach large numbers quickly as eggs are laid in groups of 15 to 40 on leaves and stems of cucurbit plants. The adults are about 5/8-inch long and grayish brown in color. The immature squash bugs (nymphs) can vary in color when they first hatch, but eventually turn dark brown and look very similar to adults. Learn more from our Pest Notes: Squash Bugs.

Squash bug nymphs (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)

9.TomatoFruitworm

Tomato fruitworm egg (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)Tomato fruitworm caterpillar (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)

Tomato fruitworm, also called corn earworm, is a caterpillar pest of many vegetables. As they feed on leaves, buds, and flowers of vegetable crops, tomato fruitworms damage seedlings and fruit, and leave frass on the plant. The tomato fruitworm caterpillar can be distinguished from other common garden caterpillars by its distinct stripes and short hairs on its body. Adult females lay singular eggs on terminal leaflets of tomato plants. Learn more about tomato fruitwormand its management on our website.

Making a Difference for California (2024)
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