The list includes all the arthropods and mollusks contained in the knowledge expectations for the Category A California PCA licensing exam.
Remember, in addition to knowing these organisms, there are many other knowledge expectations for this exam. Get the complete list of knowledge expectations from DPR.
Each organism is linked to pages within the UC IPM Web site that contain information and photos to help you identify the organism and understand the basic biological and management information specified in the knowledge expectations. For some organisms, a number of links are available. If they are pests in several crops, we list links to the UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines for crops where the pest is most important. Some pests which are also pests in homes, gardens, and landscapes are linked to Pest Notes.
| Phylum/Class |
Order |
Family |
Species |
Photos, description, and management information
|
| PHYLUM MOLLUSCA |
| CLASS GASTROPODA: Slugs and snails |
| |
brown garden snail |
in citrus
in avocado
in artichoke
pest note |
| |
gray garden slug |
pest note |
| |
decollate snail |
|
| PHYLUM ARTHROPODA |
| CLASS MALACOSTRACA |
| |
ORDER ISOPODA: Sowbugs and pillbugs |
in alfalfa |
| CLASS CHILOPODA: Centipedes |
pest note |
| CLASS DIPLOPODA: Millipedes |
pest note |
| CLASS SYMPHYLA |
| |
ORDER SYMPHYLA: Symphylans |
| |
garden symphylan |
in tomato
in strawberry Ξ
in lettuce Ξ
in cole crops Ξ
in asparagus Ξ |
| CLASS PARAINSECTA |
| |
ORDER COLLEMBOLA: Springtails |
in lettuce
pest note |
| CLASS ARACHNIDA |
| |
ORDER ARANEAE: Spiders |
pest note |
| |
ORDER ACARI: Mites |
|
| |
Family Eriophyiidae: Eriophyiid mites |
|
| |
pear rust mite |
in pear |
| |
tomato russet mite |
in tomato |
| |
citrus bud mite |
in citrus |
| |
peach silver mite |
in peach
in nectarine |
| |
Family Phytoseiidae: Phytoseiid predatory mites |
|
| |
western predatory mite |
|
| |
Phytoseiulus persimilis |
|
| |
Family Tetranychidae: Spider mites |
pest note |
| |
citrus red mite |
in citrus |
| |
European red mite |
in deciduous fruit and nut trees |
| |
Pacific spider mite |
in dry beans
in walnut
in cotton
|
| |
twospotted spider mite • |
in plum +
in corn
|
| CLASS INSECTA |
| |
ORDER THYSANURA: Bristletails/silverfish and firebrats |
pest note |
| |
ORDER ORTHOPTERA: Grasshoppers, katydids, crickets |
|
| |
Family Acrididae: Grasshoppers |
in sugarbeets
in cotton
in grains
in corn
in cucurbits
pest note |
| |
Family Gryllidae: Crickets |
in lettuce
in cucurbits
in cotton |
| |
Family Tettigoniidae: Katydids |
in citrus
in nectarine & peach |
| |
ORDER DERMAPTERA: Earwigs |
in strawberry
in cherry
in apricot
in cucurbits
pest note |
| |
ORDER MANTODEA: Mantids |
|
| |
Family Mantidae: Mantids |
|
| |
ORDER BLATTODEA: Cockroaches |
|
| |
Family Blattidae: Oriental and American cockroaches |
pest note |
| |
ORDER ISOPTERA: Termites |
pest note |
| |
ORDER HEMIPTERA: True-bugs, aphids, scale insects, leafhoppers, treehoppers, and others |
|
| |
Family Aleyrodidae: Whiteflies |
pest note |
| |
greenhouse whitefly |
in floriculture & nurseries Ξ
in tomato
in strawberry •
|
| |
citrus whitefly |
in citrus •
|
| |
silverleaf whitefly |
in floriculture & nurseries
in potato
in cotton
|
| |
giant whitefly |
pest note |
| |
Family Anthocoridae |
|
| |
minute pirate bugs |
|
| |
Family Aphididae: Aphids |
pest note |
| |
cabbage aphid |
in cole crops |
| |
green peach aphid |
in various crops |
| |
pea aphid |
in alfalfa
in dry beans
in artichoke |
| |
cotton/melon aphid |
in various crops |
| |
rosy apple aphid |
in apple |
| |
potato aphid |
in various crops |
| |
lettuce root aphid |
in lettuce |
| |
woolly apple aphid |
in apple |
| |
spotted alfalfa aphid |
in alfalfa |
| |
Family Cercopidae: Spittlebugs or froghoppers |
general information |
| |
Family Cicadellidae: Leafhoppers |
|
| |
glassy-winged sharpshooter |
in grape
pest note |
| |
potato leafhopper |
in potato
in citrus
in cotton
in dry beans |
| |
beet leafhopper |
in tomato
in sugarbeet |
| |
western grape leafhopper |
in grape |
| |
variegated leafhopper |
in grape |
| |
Family Cicadidae: Cicadas |
|
| |
Family Coccidae: Soft scales |
pest note |
| |
brown soft scale |
in citrus
in floriculture & nurseries Ξ
in pistachio
in avocado |
| |
black scale |
in olive
in citrus
in floriculture & nurseries Ξ
in pistachios
pest note |
| |
citricola scale |
in citrus |
| |
Family Coreidae: Leaffooted bugs |
pest note |
| |
squash bug |
in cucurbits Ξ |
| |
Family Diaspididae: Armored scales |
pest note |
| |
oystershell scale |
in floriculture & nurseries Ξ |
| |
California red scale |
in citrus ♦
in olive
in avocado
in floriculture & nurseries Ξ |
| |
San Jose scale ♦ |
in peach & nectarine
in plum & prune
in pear
in almond
other deciduous fruit and nut trees |
| |
walnut scale |
in walnut |
| |
Family Lygaeidae: Chinch bugs |
|
| |
bigeyed bug |
|
| |
false chinch bug |
in pistachio
in grape
in cucurbits Ξ
in cotton
in avocado
pest note |
| |
Family Margarodidae |
|
| |
cottony cushion scale |
pest note
in citrus |
| |
Family Membracidae: Treehoppers |
general information |
| |
Family Miridae: Plant bugs |
|
| |
western tarnished plant bug (lygus bug) |
in strawberry
in cotton
in apple
in celery
|
| |
Family Nabidae: Damsel bugs |
|
| |
Family Pentatomidae: Stink bugs |
|
| |
consperse stink bug |
in tomato
in peach & nectarine
in apple & pear
in cotton
|
| |
redshouldered stink bug |
in tomato
in pear
in pistachio
in almond
in peach
in nectarine
in apple |
| |
green stink bug |
in cucurbits
in peach
in nectarine
in almond |
| |
Family Phylloxeridae: Phylloxera |
|
| |
grape phylloxera |
in grape |
| |
Family Pseudococcidae: Mealybugs |
|
| |
grape mealybug |
in grape +
in pear |
| |
citrus mealybug |
in citrus |
| |
obscure mealybug |
in grape
in pear |
|
vine mealybug # |
in grape |
| |
Family Psyllidae: Jumping plantlice (psyllids) |
pest note |
| |
Asian citrus psyllid # |
in citrus
pest note |
| |
pear psylla |
in pear |
| |
potato psyllid |
in potato |
| |
blue gum psyllid |
|
| |
Family Reduviidae: Assassin bugs |
|
| |
Family Tingidae: Lace bugs |
pest note |
| |
ORDER THYSANOPTERA: Thrips |
pest note |
| |
Family Thripidae: Common thrips |
|
| |
citrus thrips |
in citrus |
| |
western flower thrips |
in nectarine
in strawberry
in olive
|
| |
greenhouse thrips |
in citrus
in avocado
in floriculture & nurseries Ξ |
| |
sixspotted thrips |
|
| |
ORDER NEUROPTERA: Lacewings |
|
| |
Family Chrysopidae:
Green lacewings |
|
| |
Family Hemerobiidae: Brown lacewings |
|
| |
ORDER COLEOPTERA: Beetles and weevils |
|
| |
Family Buprestidae: Metallic wood borers |
|
| |
Pacific flatheaded borer |
in walnut
in plum & prune
in peach & nectarine
this information applies to other fruit tree crops |
| |
Family Cerambycidae: Longhorned beetles |
|
| |
eucalyptus longhorned borer |
pest note |
| |
Family Chrysomelidae: Leaf beetles |
|
| |
elm leaf beetle |
pest note |
| |
asparagus beetle |
in asparagus |
| |
western spotted cucumber beetles |
in cucurbits
in corn
in dry beans |
| |
tobacco flea beetle |
in tomato
in cucurbits
in eggplant Ξ |
| |
Family Coccinellidae: Lady beetles |
|
| |
twicestabbed lady beetle |
|
| |
mealybug destroyer |
|
| |
convergent lady beetle |
|
| |
vedalia beetle |
|
| |
Family Curculionidae: Weevils and snout beetles |
|
| |
Diaprepes root weevil # |
in citrus |
| |
Egyptian alfalfa weevil |
in alfalfa |
| |
rice water weevil |
in rice |
| |
Family Elateridae: Click beetles (wireworms) |
in cole crops Ξ
in corn
in cotton Ξ
in grape
in potato
in spinach
|
| |
Family Scarabaeidae: Scarab beetles (May or June beetles) |
|
| |
white grubs (masked chafters) |
in turfgrass |
| |
Japanese beetle # |
exotic pest |
| |
Family Scolytidae: Bark beetles |
pest note |
| |
western pine beetle |
pest note |
| |
fir engravers |
pest note |
| |
elm bark beetle |
pest note |
| |
shothole borer |
in plum & prune
in apricot
in cherry
pest note |
| |
Family Tenebrionidae: Darkling beetles |
in dry beans
in lettuce
|
| |
confused flour beetle |
pest note |
| |
ORDER HYMENOPTERA: Bees, wasps, ants, sawflies, parasitoids |
|
| |
Family Andrenidae: miner bees - pollinators |
|
| |
Family Aphelinidae: parasitoid wasps |
|
| |
Aphytis melinus |
|
| |
Encarsia formosa |
|
| |
Encarsia inaron |
|
| |
Family Aphidiidae: parasitoid wasps |
| |
Trioxys pallidus |
|
| |
Family Apidae: Honey bees, bumble bees, squash bees, sunflower bees, digger bees, carpenter bees - pollinators |
pest note |
| |
Family Braconidae: Braconid wasps |
|
| |
Family Colletidae: Polyester bees - pollinators |
|
|
Family Formicidae: Ants |
pest note |
| |
Argentine ant |
in citrus |
| |
red imported fire ant # |
in almond
in citrus
in turfgrass
pest note |
| |
southern fire ant |
in almond
in citrus |
| |
carpenter ants |
pest note |
| |
Family Halictidae: Sweat bees and alkali bee - pollinators |
|
| |
Family Ichneumonidae: Ichneumon wasps |
|
| |
Hyposoter spp. |
|
| |
Family Megachilidae: Mason bees, leaf-cutter bees - pollinators |
|
| |
Family Tenthredinidae: Sawflies |
|
| |
California pear sawfly |
in pear |
| |
Family Trichogrammatidae: Trichogrammatid wasps |
|
| |
Family Vespidae: Paper wasps and yellowjackets |
pest note |
| |
ORDER DIPTERA: Flies, mosquitoes, gnats, midges |
|
| |
Family Agromyzidae: Leafminers |
|
| |
serpentine leafminer (Liriomyzasp.) |
in cucurbits Ξ
in celery
in floriculture & nurseries Ξ
in lettuce |
| |
Family Anthomyiidae: Root maggot flies |
|
| |
cabbage maggot |
in cole crops |
| |
seedcorn maggot |
in corn
in colecrops
in dry beans
in cucurbits
|
| |
Family Cecidomyiidae: Gall midges/Predaceous midges |
|
| |
Aphidoletes |
|
| |
Family Culicidae: Mosquitoes |
pest note |
| |
Family Muscidae: House fly |
pest note |
| |
Family Syrphidae: Syrphid or flower flies |
|
| |
Family Tachinidae: Tachinid flies |
|
| |
Family Tephritidae: Fruit flies |
|
| |
apple maggot |
in apple §
|
| |
walnut husk fly |
pest note
in walnut |
| |
Mediterranean fruit fly # |
exotic pest |
| |
olive fruit fly |
in olive
pest note |
| |
ORDER LEPIDOPTERA: Butterflies and moths |
|
| |
Family Gelechiidae: Gelechiid moths |
|
| |
peach twig borer ♦ |
in peach
|
| |
tomato pinworm |
in tomato |
| |
pink bollworm |
in cotton |
| |
potato tuberworm |
in potato
in tomato |
| |
Family Gracillariidae |
|
| |
citrus leafminer |
in citrus
pest note |
| |
citrus peelminer |
in citrus
|
| |
Family Lymantridae: Tussock moths |
|
| |
spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth) # |
exotic pest |
| |
western tussock moth |
in prune & plum
in citrus
in pistachio
in apricot
|
| |
Family Noctuidae: Noctuid moths (cutworms) |
|
| |
cabbage looper |
in cole crops
in floriculture & nurseries Ξ
in strawberry
in cucurbits
|
| |
cutworms |
in tomato
in plum
in sugarbeet
in strawberry
|
| |
tobacco budworm |
in cotton
in lettuce |
| |
alfalfa looper |
in dry beans
in tomato
in lettuce
in cotton
in artichoke |
| |
corn earworm/tomato fruitworm/cotton bollworm |
in corn
in tomato ♦
in cotton
in strawberry ♦
|
| |
beet armyworm |
in sugarbeet
in alfalfa
in cole crops
in corn
|
| |
western yellowstriped armyworm |
in alfalfa
in corn
in peppers
in cotton
|
| |
Family Pieridae: Sulfur butterflies |
|
| |
alfalfa caterpillar |
in alfalfa |
| |
imported cabbageworm |
in cole crops |
| |
Family Pyralidae: Snout moths |
|
| |
navel orangeworm |
in walnut
in almond § ♦
in pistachio ♦
in fig |
| |
Family Sesiidae: Clearwing moths |
pest note |
| |
peachtree borer |
in peach & nectarine
in apricot
|
| |
ash borer |
pest note |
| |
Family Sphingidae: Sphinx moths |
|
| |
tobacco/tomato hornworm |
in tomato + |
| |
Family Tortricidae: Tortricid moths (leafrollers) |
pest note |
| |
codling moth ♦ |
pest note
in apple & pear
in walnut
in plum & prune |
| |
oriental fruit moth ♦ |
in peach & nectarine
in almond |
| |
fruittree leafroller |
pest note
in almond + ♦
in citrus
|
| |
omnivorous leafroller |
in peach & nectarine § ♦
in grape § ♦
in peppers
in pear
|
| |
spruce budworm |
|
| |
orange tortrix |
in plum & prune
in grape § ♦
in apricot
in citrus §
|
