Category Archives: Interesting insects
Most attractive contest
Where are you on the mosquito attractiveness scale? Are you a “1” or a “10”? Me? I know that I’m more attractive to mosquitoes than my wife (she is much more susceptible to poison ivy… I think I’ll be content). I suspect that I’m not a ten, though. Several years ago I was asked to visit a Plano resident who was very upset about the mosquito problem around her home. After searching her yard and poking about the surrounding neighborhood, the city health official and I had not… Read More →
Gall insects most active in the spring
Every year I receive numerous questions about strange, misshapen growths on the leaves or stems of trees. These growths, called galls, are often the result of insect egg-laying or feeding. Galls themselves are tumor-like growths produced by the plant in response to chemicals injected into the plant by the adult or larval gall-making insect. The shape, size and form of the gall is determined by the precise chemicals chemicals used by each species of gall-maker. The mechanisms of gall formation, and how these chemicals result in very distinctive… Read More →
The sky is falling… oh it’s just spiders
“Fairies with gossamer wings, bring forth beauty, grace and joyful things.” Dallas television and radio stations yesterday were obsessed with reports of strange white silk dropping out of the skies over north Texas. Although this is an annual phenomenon, it always seems to catch many unawares. The silken strands falling from the skies are spider silk. The English called it “gossamer”, the Germans call it the “flying summer”. Whatever you call it, this silken shower is evidence of a massive spider dispersal that takes place every year, especially in… Read More →
What is a beneficial parasite?
The words “beneficial” and “parasite” are not normally heard together. But when talking about gardens, and parasitic wasps that attack pests, the word pairing makes good sense. Many insects in both natural settings and the urban landscape have long been recognized by humans as “beneficial”, as in benefiting man. Predators of pest insects, in particular, have attracted admiring fans, especially farmers. As early as ninth century China, farmers were modifying their orchards to aid the transfer of predator ants for control of citrus pests. By the 18th century… Read More →
Carabid beetles common in some areas
The past week has brought in several calls about swarming beetles, which appear to be Carabid beetles of the genus Harpalus. Ground beetles are fast moving, predatory beetles that, as the name implies, forage on the ground. Outdoors they and their likewise predaceous larvae are found on the ground in all habitats, both grassy and forested areas. Ground beetles have little interest in coming indoors, where there is little food. However they may accidentally enter homes when they slip under doors while trying to escape from daylight. Outdoors they… Read More →
Monarch tracking by cell phone
By all accounts, this is not turning out to be a great year for monarch butterflies. The NY Times reports the smallest overwintering populations in Mexico in at least two decades, and the cold spring weather is not helping matters. An interesting animated map is available through the group Journey North showing how this year’s migration compares to the last few years’ migrations. This kind of data is made possible through ordinary people with cell phone apps that allow anyone to report a monarch butterfly sighting. GPS based… Read More →
It must bee spring
Despite a winter that just won’t seem to let go, spring is definitely here. I know this because the honey bees are swarming, and local callers are reaching out to Extension offices for help coping with the sudden bee invasion. According to Shelly Spearman of the Rockwall County Extension office, her office is getting one to two calls a day about bees. “We’re getting a lot of calls about bees hanging out in trees,” she said. So why are bee mobs suddenly invading our trees and landscapes? And… Read More →
An odd “pest”
Even when not an insect, if an object is small and mysterious, it will often be called a “bug” and end up on the desk of an entomologist. Such was the case with a specimens I received last week. They were described by a pest management professional as “tiny bugs” that appeared on the south side of a customer’s house every year. No mulch or trees or shrubs were reported nearby. I thought at first that these tiny (1.3 mm length) objects might be spores from the artillery… Read More →
Good grooming makes good pest control
Thanks to Wizzie Brown for alerting me to the recent, very cool video on cockroaches by NPR’s Science Friday. Like cats that lick their feet and fur, cockroaches continually groom their feet and antennae. I’ve watched cockroaches groom themselves, but never in magnified HD with a lucid narration by North Carolina State University entomologist Coby Schal. Dr. Schal reports on recent research by his laboratory to answer the question about why cockroaches groom, and he’s well worth listening to. One thing the video does not mention is that… Read More →
A better way to enhance natural pest control
Today I received a call from a Master Gardener who wanted to advise a local organic garden on the best beneficial insects to release to control pests. My answer surprised her a little. I generally recommend against gardeners releasing beneficial insects. It’s not that I am opposed to biological control, or don’t believe in the value of predatory and parasitic insects. I know that releasing insects to control other insects is a time-honored, and historically successful, approach to pest control. The annals are full of stories of highly successful programs… Read More →