Garden Symphylans

Contents

Identification

Life Cycle

Management

Fact Sheet (requires Acrobat Reader 3.x or above to read and print. Click below to download the free "Reader".)

Registered Insecticides

References

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Symphylans are not insects. They are 3 to 6 mm long, white, with prominent antennae and numerous legs.  Newly hatched nymphs have six pairs of legs, but at each molt an additional pair of legs is added, until the adult stage, which has 12 pairs of legs. Eggs, nymphs, and adults can be found in any month of the year, but the majority of eggs are found during the spring and fall. Eggs are laid in clusters of 4 to 25 at various depths in the soil depending on soil temperature, moisture, and structure. Eggs hatch in about 40 days and nymphs begin feeding on small roots.  Nymphs and adults become active in the spring and can be found in increasing numbers in the upper 12 to 15 cm of soil during the spring and early summer. The total development time from egg to adult takes about five months at 10 C. There are one to two generations each year. Symphylans are often found damaging plants in spots in the field. Identification of these areas greatly simplifies control.

Garden Symphylan Adult

View the Fact Sheet for More Information

This section contains information on identification of symphylans in peppermint.  The Fact Sheet contains specific information on identifcation and biology of this pest (requires Acrobat Reader).  Symphylan damage is most common in fields West of the Cascade Mountains.