October 27, 2017
The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is native to warm regions of the Western hemisphere.
In the United States, ideal climates in the southern regions of Florida and Texas provide overwintering
habitat, allowing [...]
September 7, 2017
The USDA APHIS ITP team is pleased to announce the latest addition to our mobile app collection: Antkey Mobile. Developed in cooperation with the tool's author, Eli Sarnat, and Australia's Identic team, this app is based on ITP's web-based tool, Antkey [...]
August 30, 2017
As summer starts to fade and autumn approaches, there is much variability in the weather. Some days
are rainy and humid, others are hot and dry, and the nights are noticeably cooler—ideal conditions to
see symptoms of powdery mildew on plants, trees, fruits, or [...]
July 10, 2017
The Acarology Summer Program has been held at Ohio
State University (OSU) for the last 66 years, making it the longest running program for training in identification of
mites and ticks in the world. The 2017 session was held from June 19 through July 7, and it included three workshops.
Introductory Acarology served either as a stand-alone course or [...]
June 27, 2017
The polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB), an ambrosia beetle known as Euwallacea sp., has become a serious pest
in southern California, threatening urban, forest, and agricultural hardwood trees and [...]
May 25, 2017
USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) collaborates with many partners, cooperators, and stakeholders to stay on the forefront of plant health. PPQ develops new scientific plant protection methods and enhancements that help safeguard our nation’s agricultural and natural resources and facilitate safe trade of agricultural goods. PPQ [...]
March 10, 2017
Chondrilla juncea (rush skeletonweed or hogbite) is an invasive, perennial flowering plant introduced in
parts of Australia, South America, and North America. In the U.S., the weed is classified as noxious,
prohibited, or banned in nine western states and present in sixteen states. It can displace native
plants, like the threatened [...]
February 23, 2017
ITP’s identification tools are a significant undertaking for the taxonomic expert tool authors. Tool development often takes multiple years, and tools have many pieces to them. To help facilitate timely delivery and useful products for PPQ, ITP offers each tool author team [...]
