Tennessee Category 3 Pesticide Certification Practice Exam 2026 – The All-in-One Guide to Certification Success!

Streaked, silvered foliage is a distinctive condition that is typically caused by thrips. These tiny, slender pests feed by rasping the surface of the leaves and sucking out the plant's cell contents. This feeding method often leads to a silvery appearance on the leaves, as the damage affects the chlorophyll and disrupts the plant's overall health.

When thrips infest a plant, they leave behind streaks and stippling on the leaves, which is most noticeable on young growth. This feeding not only affects the aesthetics of the plant but can impair photosynthesis and lead to further decline if the pest population is not managed. In contrast, while leafminers, spider mites, and aphids can also cause damage to plants, their effects are different. Leafminers create tunnels within the leaf tissue, spider mites often lead to stippled foliage or fine webs, and aphids produce a sticky residue along with potential leaf curling. Thus, the specific symptom of streaked, silvered foliage is most accurately attributed to thrips.