State Plant Pest List

This page shall serve as the official listing of plant pests in accordance with South Carolina Code of Regulations Chapter 27 Article 10:

27-135. Designation of Plant Pests.

1. The Commission hereby delegates to the Director the authority to determine and implement appropriate measures to eradicate, control, or slow the spread of plant pests in South Carolina. This authority extends to a decision that a plant pest has become so widespread that the initiation or continuation of control measures would be ineffective.

2. An advisory committee made up of at least 5 members will meet at least annually to review and make recommendations on the official listing of plant pests in SC. The committee members will be: the State Plant Regulatory Official for South Carolina (or designee), the USDA State Plant Health Director for South Carolina (or designee), a Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service Representative, and at least 2 at large representatives from other stakeholder agencies, such as the SC Department of Natural Resources, the SC Forestry Commission, or the SC Department of Agriculture. At large members shall be nominated and voted on by the advisory committee at its annual meeting. Additional at large members may be nominated and voted in at the annual advisory committee meeting. At large members from stakeholder agencies shall each serve a three-year term.

3. The official listing of plant pests in SC shall be maintained and made publicly available on Clemson’s website located at: www.clemson.edu/invasives.

Please click on the following links to better navigate through the page. Alternatively, you can press ctrl+f on Windows or +f on Macs, to search this page for a specific pest.

Plants Insects Diseases Mollusks / Nematodes Seed Irish Potato Pests

Plants

Scientific Name Common Name
Aeginetia spp. in broom rape family
Ageratina adenophora Sprengel Croftonweed, Croftonweek, eupatomy, sticky snake root, and throughwort
Agrostemma githago Corn Cockle
Alectra spp.
Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griscb. Alligatorweed, Pigweed
Alternanthera sessilis Sessile joyweed
Asphodelus fistulosus Onionweed, pink asphodel, hollow-stemmed asphodel
Avena sterilis, A. ludoviciana Avena sterile oats, sterile oat, animated oat, wild oat, red oat, and winter wild oat
Azolla pinnata R. Brown Pinnate mosquite fern, Mosquito fern, feathered mosquito fern, and water velvet
Calonyction muricatum Purple Moonflower, lilacbell
Cardiospermum halicacabum Balloonvine, balloon plant, and love in a puff
Carthamus oxyacantha
Carthamus cauox, Wild safflower, jeweled distaff thistle
Caulerpa taxifolia Mediterranean clone, Green alga, and Killer alga
Centaurea repens Russian Knapweed
Chrysopogon aciculatus
Pilipiliula, lesser speargrass, and Mackie's pest
Citrus reticulata var. unshu Unshu Oranges and Satsuma orange
Cnicus benedictus Blessed Thistle, St. Benedict's Thistle, holy thistle, and spotted thistle
Commelina benghalensis Benghal dayflower, tropical spiderwort
Crupina vulgaris
Common crupina, bearded creeper, and starry scabious
Cuscuta spp. Dodders, with some exceptions
Digitaria abyssinica
African couchgrass, Fingergrass
Digitaria velutina
Velvet fingergrass
Drymaria arenarioides H.B.K. Alfombrilla
Egeria densa
Brazilian Elodea
Eichhornia azurea Anchored waterhyacinth, Rooted waterhyacinth
Eichhornia crassipes
Water hyacinth
Elaeagnus angustifolia*(Enforcement will begin October 1, 2024)   Russian olive
Elaeagnus pungens*(Enforcement will begin October 1, 2024) Thorny olive
Elaeagnus umbellata*(Enforcement will begin October 1, 2024) Autumn olive
Emex australis

Three-cornered jack, double gee, and devils' thorn
Emex spinosa
Spiny emex and Devil's thorn
Euphorbia prunifolia
Painted euphorbia, Leafy spurge
Ficaria verna Fig Buttercup, Lesser celandine and pilewort
Galega officinalis Goat's rue, Galega, French lilac, and professor's weed
Helianthus ciliaris
Texas Blueweed, yerba parda
Heracleum mantegazzianum
Giant hogweed
Hydrilla verticillata
Hydrilla and water thyme
Hygrophila polysperma
Indian hygrophila, Miramar weed, and dwarf hygro
Imperata brasiliensis Trin. Brazilian satintail
Imperata cylindrica Cogongrass and Kunai grass
Indula brittanica British yellowhead and meadow fleabane
Ipomoea aquatica Water spinach, Swamp morning glory, and river spinach
Ipomoea triloba Threelobe morning glory, Little bell, and Aiea morningglory
Ischaemum rugosum
Soramollagrass
Lagarosiphon major
Oxygen weed, African elodea and curly waterweed
Leptochloa chinensis
Chinese sprangletop and red sprankle top
Limnophila sessiliflora
Limnophila, Ambulia, and Asian marshweed
Lolium temulentum Darnel and cockle
Ludwigia hexapetala Water primrose
Ludwigia uruguayensis
Uraguay Primrose
Lycium ferocissimum
African boxthorn
Lythrum salicaria Purple loosestrife
Melaleuca quinquenervia
Paperbark tree and punk tree
Melastoma malabathricum Banks melastoma, Melastoma, and Indian rhododendron
Mikania cordata
African mile-a-minute
Mikania micrantha Mile-a-minute
Mimosa invisa Giant sensitiveplant
Mimosa pigra Catclaw mimosa and giant sensitve tree
Monochoria hastata
Arrowleaved Monochoria and hastate-leaved pondweed
Monochoria vaginalis Pickerel Weed and heartshaped false pickerel weed
Myriophyllum spicatum Eurasian watermilfoil and spiked watermilfoil
Najas minor
Brittleleaf naid and brittle water nymph
Nassella trichotoma
Serrated tussock
Nymphoides cristata Crested Floating Heart and floating snowflake
Nymphoides peltata Yellow Floating heart and water-fringe
Opuntia aurantiaca
Jointed prickly pear, tiger-pear, and jointed cactus
Orobanche spp. Except the following broomrape species: O. bulbosa, O. californica, O. cooperi, O. corymbosa, O. dugesii, O. fasciculate, O. ludoviciana, O. multicaulis, O. parishii, O. pinorum, O. uniflorum, O. valida, O. vallicola
Oryza longistaminata
Wild red rice and longstamen rice
Oryza punctata
Wild red rice
Oryza rufipogon Brownbeard rice and red rice
Oryza sativa Red Rice and Asian rice
Ottelia alismoides
Duck-lettuce
Paspalum scrobiculatum Koda millet
Pennisetum clandestinum
Kikuyugrass
Pennisetum macrourum
African feathergrass
Pennisetum pedicellatum
Kyasumagrass and desho grass
Pennisetum polystachion
Missiongrass, Thinnapiergrass
Phragmites australis Common Reed
Pistia stratiotes Water lettuce, water cabbage, Nile cabbage, and shell flower
Polygonum perfoliatum Mile-a-minute weed, devil's tail, Asiatic tearthrumb, and giant climbing tearthumb
Prosopis alpataco
Alpataco
Prosopis argentina Algarobilla, algarrobo blanco, and white carob
Pyrus calleryana* (Enforcement will begin October 1, 2024) Bradford Pear, Callery Pear
Rottboellia cochinchinensis
itchgrass, Raoulgrass, corngrass, Kokoma grass, Gruiena-fowl grass, jointed grass, Shamwa grass, and kelly grass
Rubus fruticosus
Wild blackberry and shrubby blackberry
Rubus moluccanus Molucca raspberry, Molucca bramble, and broad-leafed bramble
Saccharum spontaneum Wild sugarcane and Kans grass
Sagittaria sagittifolia Arrowhead
Salsola vermiculata Wormleaf salsola, Mediterranean saltwort
Salvinia auriculata
Giant salvinia, eared watermoss, African payal, and butterfly fern
Salvinia biloba
Giant salvinia
Salvinia herzogii
Giant salvinia and Herzog salvinia
Salvinia molesta
Floating Fern
Setaria pallide-fusca
Cattail grass and yellow foxtail
Solanum tampicense
Wetland nightshade, wetland nightshade, scrambling nightshade, and aquatic soda apple
Solanum torvum
Turkeyberry, devil's fig, pea eggplant, palate brush, and susumber
Solanum viarum
Tropical Soda Apple
Sparganium erectum Branched burreed
Spermacoce alata
winged false buttonweed
Striga spp. Witchweed
Trapa natans Water Chestnut, Waternut
Tridax procumbens Coat buttons, Tridax daisy
Urochloa panicoides
Liverseed grass

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Insects

Scientific Name Common Name
Acarapis woodi Tracheal Mite, Isle of Wight Disease
Adelges piceae Balsam woolly adelgid
Adelges tsugae Hemlock woolly adelgid
Aethina tumida Small hive beetle
Agrilus planipennis Emerald ash borer
Anastrepha ludens Mexican Fruit Fly
Anoplophora chinensis Citrus longhorned beetle
Anoplophora glabripennis Asian longhorned beetle
Anoplophora malasiaca white-spotted lonicorn beetle
Anthonomus grandis Boll weevil and cotton
Aphis glycines Soybean aphid
Apis mellifera scutellata Africanized honeybee
Autographa gamma Silver Y Moth
Cactoblastis cactorum Cactus moth and Nopol moth
Callidiellum rufipenne Smaller Japanese cedar longhorned beetle
Ceratitis capitata Mediterranean Fruit Fly and medfly
Cryptophlebia leucotreta False Codling Moth
Curculio elephas European Chestnut Weevil
Cydia funebrana Plum Fruit Moth
Cylas formicarius elegantulus Sweet potato weevil
Dacus cucurbitae Melon Fly
Dacus dorsalis Oriental Fruit Fly
Dacus zonatus Peach Fruit Fly
Diaphorina citri Kuwayama Asian citrus Psyllid
Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth
Helicoverpa armigera Old World Bollworm
Lachnellula willkommii European Larch Canker
Lobesia botrana European Grape Vine Moth and European grape worm
Lycorma delicatula Spotted Lanternfly
Lymantria dispar Spongy Moth
Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) Pink hibiscus mealybug
Myllocerus undecimpustulatus Exotic weevil, Sri Lanka weevil, and yellow-headed weevil
Parlatoria ziziphi Black Parlatoria Scale
Pectinophora gossypiella Pink Bollworm
Popillia japonica Japanese Beetle
Solenopsis invicta Red Imported Fire Ant
Solenopsis richteri Forel Black imported fire ant
Spodoptera littoralis Egyptian Cottonworm, African cotton leafworm, and Mediterranean brocade
Spodoptera litura Cotton Leafworm and tobacco cutworm
Tomicus piniperda Pine Shoot Beetle
Trogoderma granarium Khapra beetle and cabinet beetle
Unaspis yanonensis Arrowhead Scale
Varroa jacobsoni Varroa Mite

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Diseases

Scientific Name Common Name
Candidatus phytoplasma mali Apple proliferation phytoplasma
Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus Citrus Greening, Huanglongbing (HLB)
Cronartium ribicola White Pine Blister Rust
Elsinoe australis Sweet Orange Scab and Citrus Scab
Guignardia citricarpa Citrus Black Spot
Melissococcus plutonius European Foulbrood
Paenibacillus larvae American Foulbrood
Peronosclerospora philippinensis Philippine downy mildew
Phakopsora pachyrhizi Soybean Rust
Phytophthora infestans Late Blight
Phytophthora ramorum Sudden Oak Death, Ramorum canker
Plum pox potyvirus (PPV) Plum pox virus
Puccinia graminis Black Stem Rust, creal rust, black rust, red rust, and red dust
Puccinia horiana Chrysanthemum white rust
Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 Brown Rot, bacterial wilt
Soybean dwarf luteovirus (SbDV) Strawberry mild yellow edge-associated virus and soybean dwarf virus
Synchytrium endobioticum Potato wart and Black scab
Tilletia indica Karnal bunt
Tomato black ring nepovirus Tomato Balck Ring Virus, family: secoviridae
Tomato yellow leaf curl bigeminivirus Tomato leaf curl virus (TYLCV)
Xanthomonas spp. Sugarcane Diseases
Xanthomonas campestris pv.citri Citrus Canker
Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzicola Bacterial leaf streak
Xylella fastidiosa Phony Peach Disease and Pierce's disease

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Mollusks/Nematodes

Scientific Name Common Name
Achatina fulica Giant African snail
Globodera rostochiensis Golden Nematode, Golden eelworm, and yellow potato cyst nematode
Helix aspersa Muller Brown garden snail
Heterodera zeae Corn Cyst Nematode
Megalobulimus oblongus (Muller) Giant South American snail
Meloidogyne enterolobii Guava Root Knot Nematode
Pomacea canaliculata Channeled Apple Snail and golden apple snail
Theba pisana Muller White garden snail

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Seed Irish Potato Pests

Scientific Name Common Name
Various genera Nematodes
Polerovirus Leaf roll
Nucleorhabdovirus Yellow dwarf
Phytophthora infestans Late blight, Giant hill, Curly dwarf, Stem end discoloration, Spinach leaf
Ralstonia solanacearum Bacterial wilt / Soft rot
Potato virus Y Mosaic (rugrose)
Microplasma Haywire, Rosette
Potato spindle tuber viroid Spindle tuber
Potato leaf roll virus Net necrosis
Potato witches’ broom phytoplasma Witches' broom
Streptomyces scabies Scab
Synchytrium endobioticum Potato wart
Potato virus A Mild mosaic
Rhizoctonia solani Rhizoctonia
Phthorimaea operculella Tuber moth, Hair sprout
Sclerotium rolfsii Southern blight

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