Many insects found on individual trees or in community forests cause mostly cosmetic damage. Though some can be indicators of a stressed tree and declining health. Understanding these insects and their life cycles along with the damage they can cause is important in maintaining tree health.
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Lovebugs, also known as honeymoon flies, are named for their habit of mating while in flight.
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Walkingsticks are unusual and striking insects that mimic sticks and twigs to camouflage themselves from predators.
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Katydids are members of the order Orthoptera, which includes the grasshoppers, crickets, and other species of katydids.
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If you have noticed small, neatly cut, circular pieces of flower or leaf tissue missing from your ornamental plants, they have been visited by a leaf-cutting bee.
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The fall webworm is a common pest of shade and ornamental trees in Texas. They cover leaves, branches, and trees in a silken web.
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Each fall these beetles neatly girdle tree branches about the diameter of a pencil.
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Galls are growths that occur on leaves, twigs, and roots of trees. They can vary in shape, size, and texture.
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Elm leaf beetles defoliate all species of elm and are found wherever elms grow in Texas.
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Bark lice are small, soft-bodied insects with long antennae. They make silken webs on the bark of tree trunks and limbs.
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The largest caterpillar in East Texas is the hickory horned devil, named after it’s looks; like a small dragon.
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Luna moth is one of the most beautiful silk moths found in North America.
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Not a significant forest pest in Texas, although it appears annually and occasionally in large numbers.
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Forest tent caterpillars are common springtime pests that feed on the leaves of many hardwood tree species across Texas.
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While most of these beetles are native and target dead or dying trees, some invasive species, can cause severe damage to trees.
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Pine tortoise scale is a distinctive scale insect commonly found on the branches and stems of pine trees.
