A closer look at Beneficial and Harmful Insects - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 25
About This Presentation
Title:

A closer look at Beneficial and Harmful Insects

Description:

A closer look at Beneficial and Harmful Insects Presented By: Lauren Murphy Edward O Connell Jordan Roach Not all insects are pests; in fact, a great many of them ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:1765
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 26
Provided by: gseam
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: A closer look at Beneficial and Harmful Insects


1
A closer look at Beneficial and Harmful Insects
Good Bugs
Bad Bugs
  • Presented By
  • Lauren Murphy
  • Edward OConnell
  • Jordan Roach

2
  • Not all insects are pests in fact, a great many
    of them are beneficial to man.
  • Entomologists recognize the good done by
    beneficial insects as well as the injury done by
    harmful ones.

3
?
Good Bug
Bad Bug
or
Good!
Ladybug or Ladybeetle
4
?
Good Bug
Bad Bug
or
Bad!
Aphids
5
?
Good Bug
Bad Bug
or
Mealybugs
Bad!
6
?
Good Bug
Bad Bug
or
Good!
Lacewing
7
?
Good Bug
Bad Bug
or
Bad!
Japanese Beetle
8
?
Good Bug
Bad Bug
or
Good!
Praying Mantis
9
?
Good Bug
Bad Bug
or
Bee
Good!
10
?
Good Bug
Bad Bug
or
Bad!
Spider Mites
11
Beneficial Insects
  • Predators, parasites, and pollinators are the
    most important beneficial insects.
  • Good bugs aid the gardener in many ways. They
    aid in production of flowers by pollination,
    destroy various weeds, improve soil conditions,
    and pray on harmful insects in the garden. Some
    good bugs are Ladybugs or Ladybeetles, Lacewings,
    Praying Mantis, Bees and many Wasps, Assasin Bug
    and all of their larvae are beneficial feeding on
    many bugs.

12
Pollinating Insects
  • There are many important pollinating insect
    species in the orders
  • Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants)
  • Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)
  • Diptera (flies)
  • Coleoptera (beetles)
  • As adults these insects feed on pollen and/or
    nectar from flowers. They forage from plant to
    plant and may initiate pollination by
    transferring pollen from an anther to a stigma.
    Female bees (Apoidea) and pollen wasps
    (Masarinae) provision their nests with pollen
    and/or nectar that they actively collect onto
    their bodies. Their larvae then feed on the
    collected pollen and nectar. Yucca moth
    (Prodoxidae) larvae do not feed on pollen or
    nectar but on the seeds of yucca plants. The
    adults pollinate the yucca plant by actively
    collecting pollen onto their palps and then
    placing the collected pollen on a receptive
    stigma to ensure proper seed set for their
    offspring.

13
  • Pollinators are usually multi-habitat insects,
    requiring resources found in different habitats
    at different times. For instance most pollinating
    insects require
  • Nest sites (many bees and wasps)
  • Larval feeding sites (beetles, butterflies,
    moths, flies, and some wasps)
  • Hunting sites (some wasps and flies)
  • Over-wintering sites
  • Furthermore, all of these sites must occur in
    areas with optimal (or at least tolerable) light,
    temperature, and humidity levels, and perhaps
    have relatively low densities of natural enemies.
    The dependence of native pollinators on the
    appropriate habitats must be recognized .
    Populations will not persist in a habitat if all
    life stage requirements are not met. A bumble bee
    species might require abandoned rodent burrows
    for nest sites and a particular range of flower
    types as pollen and nectar sources. Many solitary
    bees and wasps require specific nesting
    substrates (e.g., soil banks, decaying wood), as
    well as a variety of materials for nest
    construction such as mud, resin, leaves, plant
    hairs, or pebbles. These resources support the
    pollinator populations, and in return, the
    pollinators aid in the reproduction and
    maintenance of genetic diversity of the plant
    community and interact with other organisms as
    prey or host items.

14
Bees
15
   The Orchard Mason Bee is the common name of
a nonsocial native bee (Osmia lignaria ssp.) that
pollinates our spring fruit trees, flowers and
vegetables. This gentle, blue-black metallic bee
does not live in hives. In nature it nests within
hollow stems, woodpecker drillings and insect
holes found in trees or wood. Sometimes there may
be dense collections of individual nest holes,
but these bees neither connect or share nests,
nor help provision or protect each others' young.
Also, they are active for only a short period of
the year. They are not aggressive and one may
observe them at very close range without fear of
being stung, which makes them excellent for
enhancing our yards and gardens. They add beauty,
activity and pollination to our plantings.
However, they do not produce honey.
16
  • About Orchard Mason Bees
  • The female Orchard Mason Bee visits flowers to
    collect pollen for its young. She forms a small
    ball of pollen and nectar in the back of the
    nesting tube and lays an egg on the ball. She
    then collects mud to form a cell partition and
    repeats the pollen ball-egg laying process until
    she reaches the mouth of the tube where she caps
    the end with mud. Starting the life cycle in the
    spring, adult males emerge from tubes first, but
    must wait for the later appearance of the females
    in order to mate. This event often coincides with
    the redbud (Cercis) bloom. Females alone, begin
    founding new nests in holes to make a row of 5-10
    cells in each nest. Females collect the pollen
    and nectar and lay eggs. Their short foraging
    range is about 100 yards from the nest. Activity
    continues 4-6 weeks and then adults die. During
    the summer, larvae develop inside the nests, make
    cocoons, and become new adults resting in the
    cells. With the onset of fall, the adults become
    dormant as they go into hibernation. These bees
    require some cold temperatures before spring in
    order to break their dormancy.

17
  • Nest Block Construction
  • The native eastern species of Orchard Mason Bee
    will nest in holes drilled in a wooden block.
    Untreated 4" x 6" lumber works great. Holes can
    be drilled in the wood on 3/4 inch centers. They
    should be 4-8" deep (depending upon the size
    lumber used), smooth, and a 5/16" diameter hole
    is important. A smaller hole encourages higher
    production of male bees which reduces the
    reproductive potential of the population. Blocks
    may be drilled from either face giving shallower
    or deeper holes. Shallower holes may produce more
    male bees. Do not drill completely through the
    lumber. Drill the hole to a depth about 1/2 inch
    from the back of the block. Attach a roof to
    provide protection from the midday sun and rain.
    Outside surfaces may be painted or stained, but
    do not use wood preservatives. One hole may be
    drilled in the back to provide a means of hanging
    the block. Face nesting blocks as close to the
    southeast direction as possible to catch morning
    sun and affix it firmly so that it does not sway
    in the wind. It should be located at least three
    feet above the ground.

18
  • These bees need mud to construct cell
    partitions, so adding a mud supply may be helpful
    if needed. This can be a trench or tub located
    nearby where muddy soil is maintained during the
    nesting period. The mud should not be highly
    organic or sandy. Clay soils work well.
  • Do not move the blocks during the weeks of
    active nesting. Once all nesting activity has
    stopped, the nesting block may be moved to a
    shelter such as a shed or unheated garage. Be
    gentle when moving occupied blocks at this time
    of year. This will give the bees added protection
    from predators and parasites, yet will allow them
    exposure to the cold temperatures that they need
    to break hibernation. If desired, bee emergence
    can be delayed for a short period by
    refrigerating the block in the spring until you
    are ready for the bees to emerge. Bees will need
    three days to warm up following refrigeration.

19
Butterflies
20
Numerous butterflies feed on nectar from flowers
as adults, but some may use sap, fruit, aphid
honeydew, mud, dung, carrion, or blood. Most
adults are spurious pollinators, because food
intake is not always necessary and are
opportunistic, with each individual visiting
perhaps dozens of plant species. The larvae
typically feed on the flowers, fruits, stems, or
roots of their host plants and in some species,
the adult will feed on the nectar of the host
plant and may aid in the pollination of that
plant.                                        
                                     
21
Choosing the Right Flowers
  • To help pollinator insects, you should provide a
    range of plants that offers a succession of
    flowers through the whole growing season.
    Patches of foraging habitat can be created in
    many different locations. Even a small area with
    the right flowers will be beneficial.
  • Tips
  • Use local native plants
  • Choose several colors of flowers
  • Plant flowers in clumps
  • Have a diversity of plants flowering all season

22
Harmful Insects
  • Aphids
  • Japanese Beetles both larvae and adults
  • Lacebugs
  • Mites
  • Caterpillars Worms
  • Adelgids
  • Mealybugs

23
Insects that Feed on Juices Aphids Spider Mites
Scale Insects Mealy Bugs, Whiteflies, and
Psyllids True Bugs and Leafhoppers Insects that
Feed on Leaves Caterpillars Sawflies Leafminers
Leaf Beetles Insects that Bore into Wood Borers
Barkbeetles Tip Moths Other Wood Chewing
Insects Insects that Produce Gals Galls
24
Aphids
Wingless
Winged
Nymph
25
Resources
  • WWW.ISU.EDU
  •  National
  • Selecting Plants for PollinatorsPollinating
    Insect-Biology, Management, Systematics -
    USDA ARS Pollinator Conservation Program - The
    Xerces SocietyStatus of Pollinators in North
    AmericaNBII Pollinators ProjectAlternative
    Pollinators - NSAISMontana Native Plants for
    Pollinator-Friendly Plantings Protection of
    Pollinators (Cropland) - High Plains IPM Guide
  • International
  • The Pollinator PartnershipNorth American
    Pollinator Protection CampaignUniversity of
    Basel Botanical Image Database
  • WWW.EXT.VT.EDU
  • Insects of Trees, Shrubs, Annuals, and Perennials
  • http//pubs.ext.vt.edu/456/456-018/Section_4_Home_
    Ornamentals-3.pdf
  • Protecting Honey Bees
  • http//pubs.ext.vt.edu/456/456-016/Section-1_Prote
    cting_Honeybees.pdf
  • Garden Insects/Pests
  • http//pubs.ext.vt.edu/category/garden-insects-pes
    ts.html
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com