Garden Symphylan as a Pest of Field Crops

Scutigerella immaculata (Newport)
The garden symphylan is an occasional but very destructive pest of most field crops. Symphylans are not insects. They are more closely related to centipedes and millipedes. Garden centipede is another name commonly used for the garden symphylan.

Garden symphylan infestations are widely scattered throughout the Commonwealth. Most problems occur in the eastern half of the state. Very few infestations have been found in the northern tier and northwestern counties. Infestations seldom encompass an entire field, but rather comprise one or more small areas of 1/4 acre to several acres.

Usually, the first indication of a symphylan infestation is a relatively small area of stunted, unhealthy plants. In some areas, the plant stand may be only a fraction of what it should be. In the infested areas, crops may be completely destroyed or severely damaged. Crop losses continue in the same general areas of the field year after year, with the affected area increasing in size by about 10 to 20 feet each year.

The total number of infested acres in the Commonwealth probably does not exceed 5,000 acres. However, total production loss can be expected on the infested areas unless the symphylans are treated properly.

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