The Cicada Corner
The Cicada Corner
Curious about all the periodical cicada talk happening this spring? Check out Dr. Athey’s interviews about this year’s double cicada brood emergence!
Still hungry for more? Read Illinois Extension’s article- Cicadas and check out the downloadable publication below.
Plum Curculio
Attention Commercial Peach and Apple Growers:
Edited Excerpt from Illinois Fruit & Vegetable News Vol. 29, No. 3
Last year [2022 and 2023], a number of peach growers in Illinois had some pretty substantial issues with plum curculio. We are undertaking monitoring and insecticide testing for control of plum curculio this year.
Now is the time to start scouting and monitoring for them. There are commercial traps available (small circle trunk traps) and lures specifically for plum curculio (benzaldehyde lures). We recommend that NOW is the time to pay attention to these little weevils. Sprays are only effective on the adults, because the eggs and larvae are inside the fruit and so they are protected.
Plum curculio are pests of peaches and apples. The adults are ¼ inch long. If you find a “worm” in your peach, it is either plum curculio or oriental fruit moth. These two are very commonly confused for each other. The main thing to pay attention with these two is the existence of legs. Plum curculio larvae do not have legs whereas oriental fruit worm caterpillars do have legs.
Click the button above to read the latest update from our plum curculio research.
Kacie Athey: 217-244-9926
Life Cycle and Biology of Plum Curculio
Spotted Lanternfly in Illinois
The showy invasive Spotted Lanternfly has been found in Illinois. Read the publications below for more information.
Identification and Biology of Spotted Lanternfly
Oriental Fruit Moth
The Oriental Fruit Moth is a pest of both peaches and apples in Illinois. Read the publications below for more information.
Identification and Biology of Oriental Fruit Moth
Apple Pests
Apple production is threatened by pests, with some of the primary pests in Illinois being apple maggot and codling moth. Read the publication below for more information.