Know your enemy

There are old enemies which have been around for many years, and there are newer enemies: a whole range of other pests, some relatively new in Britain, gradually spreading out across the country, and encountering gardeners for the first time.

Vine Weevil: one of the most troublesome pests, it causes damage to a wide range of plants in gardens, greenhouses or the house.  The adult weevils are active at night from spring to autumn.  They spoil the appearance of foliage by eating notches in the leaf margins. The grub stage is even more destructive as they eat roots and can kill plants, especially those in pots or other containers.
Leek Moth and Allium Leaf-mining Fly: both of these pests have larvae that mine the foliage of leeks, onions and related vegetables, later boring to the stems and bulbs.  Damaged plants are often killed by secondary rots that infect the damaged tissues.  Leek mother used to be confined to south east England but is spreading west and northwards.  
Viburnum Beetle: the adult beetles feed on the foliage in late summer but most of the damage is done by the larvae in April to May.
Cushion Scale: there are several special of scale insects that damage garden plants. Cushion scale is one of the more troublesome. It attacks evergreen

to be continued ....