Two species of fire ants are found in Florida. Most notorious is Solenopsis invicta Buren, the red imported fire ant (RIFA), followed by the much less common Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius), the tropical or native fire ant.
Leaf curl is a plant disease characterized by curling of leaves, and caused by a fungus, genus Taphrina, or virus, especially genus Begomovirus of the family Geminiviridae.
As the disease progresses, upward leaf-curling can occur. Infected plants reveal a grayish down on the undersides of leaves. The best way to protect against the disease is to plant resistant cucumber varieties.ore deadly than its whimsical name implies, a virus known as curly top may cause the leaves of a cucumber plant to roll upward. Affected leaves will also have a crinkled appearance. Very old and very young infected plants often die. The beet leafhopper retains the virus and spreads it throughout its lifetime.