Thursday, February 9, 2012

New Environment Publications, January 2012

This email lists new and revised EDIS publications that have been released to the public in January 2012. They are now available on the World Wide Web at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. This mailing only includes publications in the Environment program area. Please see separate mailings for publications in other program areas.

 

Environment

Ecosystems & Species

The Bumble Bees of Florida, Bombus spp. (EENY050/IN207)
Bumble bees are easily recognized by the corbicula (pollen basket) on the hind tibiae in the females. They are beneficial insects that pollinate many native and ornamental plants. They can sting severely, so problem nests near human dwellings should be removed by experienced pest control operators. This 5-page fact sheet includes a key to the bumble bees in Florida. Written by Lionel A. Stange, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in207

A Wireworm Conoderus rudis (Brown) (EENY507/IN909)

Wireworms are the larvae of click beetles. These larvae are smooth, slender and round in cross-section. Wireworms are important pests of various crops and occur in all seasons at variable densities. Feeding damage is restricted to the seeds, seedlings and underground parts of the plants. Unlike foliage feeders, they are very difficult to detect due to their soil-dwelling habitat. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Dakshina R. Seal, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in909

European Pepper Moth or Southern European Marsh Pyralid Duponchelia fovealis (Zeller) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Crambidae) (EENY508/IN910)
Researchers are monitoring this notable greenhouse pest in northern Europe and Canada for the cut flower, vegetable and aquatic plant industries. Its native range is southern Europe, the eastern Mediterranean region, the Canary Islands, Syria and Algeria, but it has expanded its range to include other parts of Africa and the Middle East, northwest India, Europe, Canada and the United States. Recent survey detected adults in pheremone traps in 20 of the 26 Florida counties surveyed. This 11-page fact sheet was written by Stephanie D. Stocks and Amanda Hodges, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in910

Florida Wax Scale, Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock (EENY510/IN913)
The Florida wax scale, Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock, is one of the most commonly encountered soft scales throughout the the southern United States, where it is a serious pest of citrus and several ornamental and landscape plants, like holly. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Shweta Sharma and Eileen Buss, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in913

Heliconia Bug Leptoscelis tricolor Westwood (EENY511/IN914)
Though not found in Florida, this insect has been used to examine insect behavior, sexual selection, plant-insect interactions, and color variation. Learn more in this 4-page fact sheet was written by Christine W. Miller, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in914

Miner Bee, Chimney Bee Anthophora abrupta Say (EENY512/IN912)
These gregarious, yet solitary, ground-nesting bees are “…conspicuous as they noisily swing their ponderous bodies to and fro on the wing, arrive home and scramble into their burrows or come tumbling out headlong and dash off into the sunny fields, with all the exuberance of boys just out of school.” This 5-page fact sheet was written by Jason R. Graham, Jamie Ellis, Glenn Hall, and Catherine Zettel Nalen, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in912

Cape Honey Bee Apis mellifera capensis Escholtz (EENY513/IN916)
Cape honey bees can produce both male and female offspring parthenogenetically. Unlike other African bee races, they are docile, but unlike all other races of honey bees, they are social parasites. Find out why South African beekeepers consider Cape bees a more serious threat than the varroa mite in this 4-page fact sheet was written by James D. Ellis, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in916

Florida Woods Cockroach Eurycotis floridana (Walker) (EENY514/IN915)
This “peridomestic” organism can be found in structures near the home, such as storage areas, greenhouses, or shelter boxes for other structures such as water pumps. It is one of the species commonly referred to as palmetto bugs, and is also called a “stinkroach” or “skunk cockroach” due to its aromatic defensive secretions. This 6-page fact sheet was written by Christopher S. Bibbs and Rebecca W. Baldwin, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in915

Phragmites in Florida (ENY860/IN898)
Phragmites are a tall, perennial, wetland grasses, occurring in both fresh and brackish waters. This 3-page fact sheet discusses the three genetic lineages, native, Gulf Coast, and Eurasian; and the threat posed to Florida ecosystems by an invasion of the exotic Eurasian type. Written by W. A. Overholt, R. Diaz, M. Hanson and D. Williams, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in898

Wildflowers Susceptible to Deer Damage in North Florida (WEC315/UW360)
One sure way to prevent deer damage to your landscape is to choose plants that deer do not like to eat. Unfortunately deer foraging preferences vary geographically and studies conducted with captive deer aren’t always accurate. So UF/IFAS wildlife researchers investigated the foraging preference of wild white-tailed deer at two sites in Gadsden County with high deer densities for two years. Of 11 wildflowers tested, four were very susceptible to browsing: fringeleaf tickseed, Florida tickseed, coastalplain tickseed, and orange coneflower. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Holly K. Ober, Lucas W. DeGroote, James H. Aldrich, Jefferey G. Norcini, and Gary W. Knox, and published by the UF Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw360

 

Water

Applying Pesticides in Compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) (PI239)
On October 31, 2011, EPA issued a final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Pesticide Generic Permit for point source discharges from the application of pesticides to waters of the United States. This 10-page fact sheet explains what is now required for pesticide applications in Florida. Written by F.M. Fishel, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pi239

 

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