January 2015

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

New Years Day

10

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27

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M. L. King Jr. Day

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We are family: Nymphs of all stages unite on a host plant black nightshade is a favored host. Adults grow to an inch long. Photo by Lyle J. Buss.

February 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

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Sat

10

11

12

13

14

Groundhog Day

Valentines Day

15

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28

Presidents Day

22

23

Breakout: Nymphs emerge from their barrel-shaped eggs. Attractive but harmful, this pest can destroy an entire crop of cabbage. Photo by Lyle J. Buss.

March 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

10

11

12

13

14

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20

21

27

28

Daylight saving
time begins

St. Patricks Day

22

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24

29

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31

Spring begins

25

26

Hungry little devil: The colorful first-stage caterpillar, shown on a pine needle, typically begins to eat almost as soon as it hatches. Photo by Lyle J. Buss.

April 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu
1

Fri
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Sat
3

April Fools Day

4
Passover begins

10

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25

Easter

Earth Day

26

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28

Arbor Day

29

30

Safe and sound: A mother slug cradles her eggs. This slug species lays its eggs in a spiral pattern in the soil. Photo by Lyle J. Buss.

May 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

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1

10

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Mothers Day

Memorial Day

31

Paper nursery: Adult wasps tend their brood. Tiny eggs are visible in the lower cells, and larvae are in the center and top cells. Photo by Lyle J. Buss.

June 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

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Sat

10

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20

26

27

Flag Day

Ramadan begins

21

22

23

29

30

24

25

Fathers Day;
Summer begins

28

Look but dont touch: These showy caterpillars will become dull brown moths one day. Until then, those spines are treacherous. Photo by Lyle J. Buss.

July 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu
1

Fri
2

Sat
3

4
Independence Day

10

11

12

13

14

15

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18
Eid al-Fitr

19

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Feeding frenzy: Freshly hatched roaches pile onto a morsel of lettuce. A single egg case, or ootheca, bears many nymphs. Photo by Lyle J. Buss.

25

August 2015
Sun

Mon

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All aboard: Newborn scorpions spend a lot of time on moms back. These babies are born live no hatching necessary. Photo by Lyle J. Buss.

September 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

10

11

12

Labor Day

13

Sat

Patriot Day

14

15

16

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18

19

23

24

25

26

Rosh Hashana

20

21

22

Yom Kippur;
autumn begins

27

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29

30

Brand-new hues: Nymphs of this unusual, newly described species rival the autumn-leaf tones of yellow, orange, red and purple. Photo by Lyle J. Buss.

October 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

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Fri

Sat

10

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Columbus Day

18

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31
Halloween

Damage afoot: These ghostly termite eggs and nymphs will become workers and soldiers, devouring much wood along the way. Photo by Lyle J. Buss.

November 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

10

11

12

13

14

Daylight saving
time ends

Veterans Day

15

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28

Thanksgiving Day

29

30

True story: Pillbug mothers have a pouch underneath, or marsupium, in which they carry their eggs and newly hatched young. Photo by Lyle J. Buss.

December 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

10

11

12

15

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22

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24

25

26

Hanukkah begins

13

14
Hanukkah ends

20

21
Winter begins

27

28

Christmas Eve

29

30

Christmas Day

Kwanzaa begins

31
New Years Eve

Deck the halls? Tiny psyllid (sil-id) nymphs produce long, white, waxy strands that indicate their harmful presence in citrus trees. Photos by Lyle J. Buss.

Cant get enough of Bug Babies? Go online to Featured Creatures to find detailed information about many of the
2015 Bug Babies, at entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures. Also online, you can view a slide show of all these bug
babies and more at entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/InsectID/bugbabies.html.

JANUARY: A leaffooted bug, Spartocera fusca.

This large, true bug occurs in the southern United
States and south into Argentina. It prefers weedy and
garden habitats, orange groves, and edges of fields. It
is sometimes called orange leaffooted bug.
FEBRUARY: Harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica.
This gaudy red-and-black stink bug species occupies
most of the southern half of the United States. Left
uncontrolled, this pest can destroy an entire crop of
cabbage or related leaf vegetables. Hoards of
harlequin bugs suck the sap and cause a plant to wilt,
brown and die.
MARCH: Pine devil, Citheronia sepulcralis. This
moth is found in many of the eastern United States,
particularly Florida and Louisiana. Larvae feed on
several species of pine, but adults do not feed. The
caterpillars burrow in loose soil when it is time to
pupate.
APRIL: Florida leatherleaf slug, Leidyula floridana.
This slug, tan with dark spots, has spread from South
Florida into northern Florida, with additional
sightings in Louisiana and Texas. Though it feeds on
ornamental and crop plants, the damage only
occasionally is serious. Fully grown, it can reach
more than 2 inches in length.
MAY: A paper wasp, Polistes sp. Paper wasps
usually chew up plant and wood fibers, then form the
resulting pulp into an aerial nest. Gardeners often
consider them beneficial because they pollinate plants
and feed on known garden pests.
JUNE: Saddleback caterpillar, Acharia stimulea.
This moth species occupies most of the eastern half
of the United States, where it feeds on a wide array of
host plant species. As one of the most dangerous
stinging caterpillars, however, its damage to humans
is more significant than its damage to plants. Steer
clear of this one to avoid getting hurt.

JULY: Australian cockroach, Periplaneta

australasiae. This species, like many cockroaches,
prefers warm, moist environments. It often lives on
the perimeter of buildings and occasionally may
enter, seeking food. It is very common in the
southern United States and tropical climates.
AUGUST: Hentzs striped scorpion, Centruroides
hentzi. This species is commonly found in longleaf
pine and slash pine ecosystems of southern Georgia
and northern Florida. Their preferred location is
under pine bark, but occasionally may be found in
homes and cabins.
SEPTEMBER: A podocarpus aphid, Neophyllaphis
varicolor. This new species was first found in Naples,
Florida, in 2010. It is very similar to another aphid
commonly found on podocarpus that is reddish or
purple not multicolored.
OCTOBER: A native subterranean termite,
Reticulitermes hageni. This termite is one of three
Reticulitermes species native to Florida. This one
flies from December to April, but is much less
common in structures than the other two species.
After indoor flights, most native subterranean
swarmers are found dead near windows or in
bathrooms, usually with their wings still attached.
NOVEMBER: A pillbug, Armidillidium vulgare.
Pillbugs are well known for their ability to roll into a
ball when disturbed. They usually are found in
decomposing leaf matter and soil, where they feed on
moss, algae, bark, and other decomposing organic
matter. The pillbugs pictured all are juveniles.
DECEMBER: Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri.
This small insect is a devastating pest of citrus
around the world, and more recently in Florida. Not
only does it cause feeding damage by sucking sap
from the leaves, but even worse, it transmits bacteria
that cause citrus greening disease, or Huanglongbing.

Concept by John L. Capinera. Photographs by Lyle J. Buss. Written and produced by Jane C. Medley.
UF/IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department. Visit us online at http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu.