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Hello greeneyes, and everyone!

We finished the class series a few days ago. Darlin and I pulled an all-nighter to prep for the test, which turned out well, but knocked us on our keesters for the next few days!

Here is the second installment on BUGS! Enjoy.... or not! LOL!

START Part Two
BUGS
TYPES OF FEEDING DAMAGE
A. SUCKING DAMAGE – Lace bugs will damage foliage by sucking
Spider mites: these are very tiny. The feeding pattern of their sucking activity shows a characteristic “STIPPLED” look. For those familiar with art history, the Pointilist school, using tiny dots of paint to get their effects, is the kind of effect seen by spider mites. Also look for webbing with spider mites. To prove their presence, take a white sheet of paper, knock the foliage above it, and you will see their dark bodies on the paper. Again, very tiny.
Aphids’ damage is also caused by sucking.
Other suckers are:
Scales, Thrips, Mealybugs, Plant bugs, and Mealybugs

You will see mealybugs most often in green houses and on house plants

It should be noted that a Wheel bug (Assassin Bug) is also a sucking type of insect. HOWEVER, even though it looks like it SHOULD be squashed, refrain from doing so. IT IS A GOOD GUY, and the sucking damage it does is not to plants, but to your plant damaging insects!
https://www.dogpile.com/info.dogpl/search/images?fcoid=417&fcop=topnav&fpid=27&q=wheelbug&ql=

A parenthetic discussion took place here about nomenclature conventions:
If an insect is a TRUE -—— you will use two words to describe/name them.
If an insect is not a TRUE-—— you will use one word to describe/name them.
EXAMPLES:
“BUMBLE BEE” - a bumble bee is a true bee, so you will use two words to describe/name it.
A “FIREFLY” is NOT a true fly. It is a beetle. Therefore, you will name it in one word, “FIREFLY.”
The same is true for “DRAGONFLY.”
However, a “STABLE FLY” IS a true fly, so it is TWO WORDS.

Lecture from handout he gave us resumes:
B. CHEWING DAMAGE
He showed us a picture of a leaf with the outer margins of the leaf (the edges) cut out with circular/ semi-circular holes. Leaf cutter bees will do this circular type of damage.
Another picture was of what is called “skeletonizing” - Japanese beetles and Elm leaf beetles will do this
https://www.dogpile.com/info.dogpl/search/images?fcoid=417&fcop=topnav&fpid=2&q=skeletonized+leaf+feeding&ql=
“Window paning” is the feeding on one side of a leaf surface

WHO CHEWS?
Caterpillars, Beetles – both larvae and adults, Grasshoppers and Crickets – nymphs and adults, Sawflies
You will often see gypsy moths hanging out in a forest situation with tent caterpillars feeding together

BIG NOTE ABOUT SAWFLIES:
A SAWFLY is NOT a true caterpillar, therefore, if you wish to control it with BT (bacillus thurengiensis) a bacterial means of controlling caterpillars, IT WILL NOT WORK!!! Be sure to identify the critter you are wanting to kill!
What is the difference between a true caterpillar and a sawfly?
A true caterpillar has less than or equal to 5 pairs of prolegs. The feet are round with a hook-like structure. This is what makes it difficult to remove them from their substrate – usually their food source.
The sawfly has more than or equal to 6 pairs of prolegs. The crochets are absent, and the foot pads are oval. There are three pairs of true legs.
http://insects.about.com/od/identifyaninsect/qt/sawfly-larva-or-caterpillar.htm

He showed us a cool video of a monarch caterpillar (fondly known to our presenter as “Fred the Monarch”) making short work in real time of a milkweed leaf. They work fast! He noted that people are now seeking out growing milkweed to conserve them.

The video illustrates why we need to act quickly if we see caterpillars and/or their chewing damage on important plants, because they eat quickly! They damage them right away.

Unfortunately, he did not give us the link for this video. However, I found one that isn’t Fred, but might be his cousin, George!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkoy—m633o

END INSTALLEMENT TWO - BUGS