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ENTOMOLOGY: INSECT PESTS [continued]

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  MG Manual Reference
Ch. 3, pp. 49 - 51
[ Insect Pests: ipm | landscape; foliage, sap, trunk, root | turf grass; root, leaf, sap, nuisance | household; structures, living quarters, products | outdoor | citrus | fruits | gardens ]


Darkling Beetle
Darkling Beetle

OUTDOOR-YARD PESTSTop

Coleoptera

Darkling Beetles
Adults are 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, dull bluish-black or brown beetles that are slow moving and clumsy. Immatures feed on weed and rotting plant matter, particularly in fields and abandoned lots. Numbers of beetles build up in the spring of wet years, when there is an abundance of weeds. When the weeds dry out and die during the summer months, the beetles move into yards. The beetles are most active at night, and hide during the day. If given the opportunity, they may seek shelter in houses.
Cleaning up all weeds early in the spring is the best way to prevent this problem.
Green Fruit Beetle
Green Fruit Beetle
Green Fruit Beetle (or Green June Beetle or Fig Beetle)
The larvae (grubs) are found in rotting organic matter, such as compost. They are up to two inches long when mature. You can tell them from white grubs because they move on their back by undulating their body, and are curled into the typical C-shape. Adults have emerald green wings with brown at the margins. They congregate in large numbers to feed on various types of fruit. Their normal food is prickly pear fruit.
Palm Flower Moth
Palm Flower Moth
Lepidoptera

Palm Flower Moth
The adult is a light tan or cream-colored moth with two dark circles on the edges of its rear wings. The larvae are up to one inch long and vary in color from pink or pinkish-brown to dark cream with a greenish tinge. The caterpillars feed on the blossoms of fan palms, where they do little damage. However, when they reach maturity they crawl into the "bark" of the palm tree to pupate. If they are knocked out of the palm tree by wind or pruning at this time, they may look for a place to pupate within your home. They may chew carpets, upholstery or even books to create a pupal chamber.
Palm flower moths may be prevented by delaying palm pruning until fall and by sealing any cracks or covering vents where the caterpillars may enter homes.
Palo Verde Buck Moth Larva
Palo Verde Buck Moth Larva
Palo Verde Buck Moth
The adult moth is about two inches across with dark gray forewings with two white bands across them. The band closest to the body resembles an inverted V. The hind wings are white, and the back part of the body is dark red. They may be found flying to lights in late January and early February. The caterpillar is nearly two inches long when full grown. It is a pale yellow green with branching black spines and a brown head. The hairs on the first segment directly behind the head are especially long and give a crown-like appearance. The spines contain a poison which causes irritation and burning to the skin on contact.
Palo Verde Buck Moth
Palo Verde Buck Moth
The adult moths lay eggs on palo verde trees. The larvae feed on palo verde foliage, but cause little damage. These insects become a problem in the fall when they leave the trees in search of a site for pupation. They may be found on walls, patios, and other areas around the yard where humans may accidently come in contact.
White Lined Sphinx Larva and Adult
White-Lined Sphinx Larva and Adult
White-Lined Sphinx Moth
The adults are robust moths with a wing span of three inches. The forewings are dark with broad white lines, and the hind wings have a peach-colored band. They are sometimes called the hummingbird moth. The caterpillar is up to three inches long and is mostly green, but may vary from pale green to black, usually with some black stripes or patches on the back.
They feed on a variety of plants, including beets, fuchsia, grapes, melons, elms, apples, peaches, etc. Despite their large size, they are not a very destructive pest. However they do tend to migrate into urban areas, and end up in pools or homes.
Honey Bee
Honey Bee

Paper Wasp
Paper Wasp

Carpenter Bee
Carpenter Bee
Hymenoptera

Wasps and Bees
Adults range in size from 1/4 inch to over two inches long, but all have two pairs of clear, membranous wings and have a constriction between the thorax and abdomen.
Bees are robust, hairy insects. They are usually dark in color with minimal contrasting color patterns (bumble bees are an exception because they may have broad bands of yellow, black or red on their abdomen). They feed on nectar and pollen from flowers, and their hind legs are flattened into a surface for carrying pollen.
Wasps are more slender than bees and have a severe constriction between the thorax and abdomen. They are often brightly colored, with contrasting black and yellow patterns. Their legs are narrow and cylindrical. Wasps are parasites or predators, and feed on other insects and spiders.
Bees and wasps are known for their tendency to nest in and around human dwellings. They may nest in the ground, in old bird nests, in cavities, or in paper nests constructed under the eaves of the house or in pyracantha or palm trees. Some species are social and live in large groups. Female bees and wasps are also known for their ability to sting. Honey bees leave their stinger behind when they sting, which kills the bee. This means they may only sting once. Individual wasps, on the other hand, may sting a number of times. If you are stung by a honey bee, remove the stinger by scraping it out with a straight-edge such as a knife or credit card. Do not squeeze it with your fingers or tweezers because this releases more venom into the wound.
False Chinch Bug
False Chinch Bug
Hemiptera

False Chinch Bugs
Adults are true bugs less than 1/4 inch long with light grayish wings covering a dark brown to black body. Nymphs and adults feed on weeds such as wild mustard, and may build up to high numbers in wet years in the spring. When the wild vegetation dies in the summer, the false chinch bugs may move into yards in "swarms."
To prevent false chinch bugs from becoming pests, control all annual weeds around the home and in vacant lots.
Cicada
Cicada
Homoptera

Cicadas
The adults are approximately two inches long, with large wings that fold over their backs. Cicadas have chunky bodies and bulging eyes. The adult cicadas emerge in the summer from odd-looking nymphs that are feeding on roots of trees and shrubs. Homeowners may find the cast skins of the nymphs clinging to the base of walls or tree trunks and may spot the 1/2 inch diameter holes in the ground where they emerged.
The males produce a loud, shrill rasping noise to attract females. Cicadas are not thought to be serious pests, only a nuisance. Control measures are not considered to be effective or necessary.
Springtail
Springtail
Collembola

Springtails
Adults and immatures are generally less than 1/4 inch long and are gray or brown in color. They may be distinguished from other tiny insects because they have a projection or "tail" which they lock under their abdomen and release to "spring." Springtails need high moisture in order to survive. Occasionally they build up in high numbers during wet years in irrigated areas. When this area dries up, they are attracted to the lights and moisture in yards, and may become severe nuisances. They may enter homes under doors, through cracks, or through vents. Once inside, springtails are often found in the kitchen and bathroom, trapped in sinks and tubs. Sometimes they form swirling "rafts" in swimming pools, when they fall in looking for moisture.
Springtail numbers will decrease through natural mortality. Common household insecticides will also kill springtails. Do not mistake these for fleas, which are flattened from side to side and not related to springtails.

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