Transcript Bugs and Stuff! - St. Lucie County Extension Office

Bugs and Stuff!
Presented by:
Doug Heighton
St. Lucie County Master
Gardener
THE INSECTS
•Fossil records indicate insects on land more than 300 million years ago - mid
paleozoic
At least ½ of the animals currently
occupying the earth are insects
(approximately 1.5 million different
species)
Of all insect species in the world
Less than 1%
Considered
to be pests
Beneficial or not
considered to be pests
(> 99%)
Relation of insects to humans:
1. Beneficial: (Pollination, Honey, Beeswax, silk [65-75 million
pounds produced annually], shellac, dyes, break down raw
materials, aerate soil, biocontrol of weeds and bad bugs, human
food, medicine & surgery [cantharidin (Spanish fly-blister beetle),
bee venom for arthritis, blow fly larvae (maggot therapy)], research animal
2. Aesthetic Value: jewelry, pets, nice to look at
3. Injurious: plants, stored foods, woods, fabrics,
animals
humans and
The Insects
1. Three, usually distinct body regions (head, thorax, and abdomen)
2. One pair of segmented antennae
3. Usually have one pair of compound eyes
4. Three pair of segmented legs, one pair on each of the three
thoracic segments
5. Usually with two pair of wings, some have only one pair
(i.e., flies) or no wings at all.
Metamorphosis. The process of change from egg to adult.
Incomplete or gradual metamorphosis. The immatures, or
“nymphs” look similar to the adults (grasshoppers, aphids,
cockroaches).
Complete metamorphosis. The immatures, or larvae look nothing
like the adult. The larvae pass through a pupal stage to change
into the adult form (wasps, beetles, moths, butterflies, flies).
Types of Injury Insects Cause to Plants
1. Stand Reducers (i.e. cutworms): produce an immediate loss
in plant biomass resulting in decreased photosynthesis.
Effects are governed by pest number, and timing of damage
2. Leaf-Mass Consumers (i.e. grasshoppers): Leaf consumption
is generally thought to directly affect absolute photosynthesis of
the canopy.
3. Assimilate Sappers (i.e. Aphids): Insects generally with
piercing/sucking or rasping mouthparts. Tend to remove plant
carbohydrates and nutrients after carbon is taken up but before it
is converted to tissue.
4. Turgor Reducers (i.e. Citrus root weevil larvae): Are
generally root and stem feeders that affect plants water and
nutrient balance. Severe reductions in water uptake results in
decreased turgor which decreases the expansion of new leaves,
stems and fruit. In addition, photosynthesis can be decreased.
5. Fruit Feeders (i.e. Codling moth): feeding on fruits usually
results in direct destruction of harvestable produce which affects
quality, yield or both. Yield losses are not always proportional
to the damage.
6. Architectural Modifiers (i.e. lodging, corn rootworm larvae):
Results in morphological changes in plant architecture. Can
result in reduction of physiological as well as harvestable yield.
Also gall forming insects.
Caterpillars
Bees
and Wasps
Ants
Stinging and Venomous Insects
Io Moth Caterpillar
Stinging
spines
UF - IFAS
Saddleback Caterpillar
Stinging
spines
UF - IFAS
Even More Good Guys
Good Stinkbug
Ecoparasitism
Honeybee
Bumble Bee
Mud Dauber
Paper Wasp
Red Imported Fire Ant
Probably the most
hated insect in the
entire state.
The Queen
Phorid Fly
Imported from
Brazil
Actual size compared to
a penny
Phorid Fly zeroing in on his prey
Phorid Fly
egg hatches
and migrates
to and feeds
on ants head
which leads
to….
The ants have developed a protective mechanism when the fly
comes near – ant butts go up into the air
Phorid
Fly
Velvet Ant
Spiders
Most are beneficial...
a few are poisonous
Southern Black Widow
UF - IFAS
Red Widow Spider
UF - IFAS
Brown Recluse Spider
Brown Widow Spider
UF - IFAS
Helpful, Non-poisonous Spiders
Lady Beetle and eggs
The Good Guys
Lady Beetle larvae
Big-Eyed Bug
Dragonfly
Predatory Mite
Assassin Bug
 UF/IFAS
is continuously
monitoring for new pests,
insects and diseases.
 Solutions;Polycom updates
etc
INTEGRATED
 PEST
 MANAGEMENT


PURPOSE
IDENTIFY AND CONTROL PESTS IN THE LANDSCAPE WITH THE LEAST IMPACT ON THE
ENVIRONMENT

SCOUTING

RECOGNIZE PESTS

TOOLS

TREATMENT
/ SYMPTOMS EARLY
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
CHEMICAL CONTROL
CULTURAL CONTROL
PHYSICAL CONTROL
Thank You – Any Questions?
http://stlucie.ifas.ufl.edu
772-462-1660