Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit a local grower who installed an insectary strip adjacent to their high tunnel last year. They will be hosting a field day in June (Register HERE), so I wanted to take a sneak peek and see how the plants (and insects) were doing. The plants are…Read more about Introducing the Fourlined plant bug (Poecilocapus lineatus)[Read More]
Insect and Mite Management
Thrips are soft-bodied insects belonging to the order Thysanoptera. They are tiny, slender, and characterized by their fringed wings (Figure 1). While many thrips species are considered agricultural pests, some are beneficial predators. One important pest species is the western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis; Figure 2), which can cause significant damage to crops. In contrast,…Read more about Insect Spotlight: Thrips[Read More]
I monitor three different insect pests with pheromone traps to help make informed decisions about when to spray insecticides or take other actions for management. Trap data can be found on the Extension Entomology Vegetables Website. The longest running is the corn earworm (Figure 1) trapping network. Participation in this network entails installing a cone-shaped…Read more about Annual Call for Insect Trappers[Read More]
Lygus is a genus of insects within the family Miridae (Order: Hemiptera, piercing-sucking true bugs) that often feed on common horticultural crops. These small insects have rather large eyes, heavily patterned, neutrally colored wings, and long, spindly antennae. The diet of Lygus bugs, as they are colloquially called, is incredibly diverse, ranging from cotton and…Read more about Insect Spotlight: Lygus Bugs[Read More]
Dennis Parr is a seasoned market grower with a wealth of knowledge in plant cultivation. He utilizes various resources to enhance his skills and techniques, including Purdue Extension’s Vegetable Crops Hotline (VCH). Earlier this spring, a VCH article highlighted the cucumber beetle, a pest of cucurbits (link). A few days later, another article alerted growers…Read more about Dennis Parr’s Beetle Battles and Lifelong Learning Journey[Read More]
For those of you with late plantings of sweet corn or field corn that is still in the late stages of silking, do not let your guard down! We are still recording high trap catches throughout the state. Almost every reporting location (except for the Purdue Student Farm) is catching a nightly average of moths…Read more about Corn Earworm (CEW) Trapping Updates[Read More]
Lasioglossum sweat bees are common pollinators in agricultural landscapes. These bees are small black, brown, or iridescent green/blue bees that belong to the family Halictidae. They can often be mistaken for flies due to their small size and nondescript appearance compared to other bees. These bees are historically overlooked as important pollinators for crops compared…Read more about Insect Spotlight: Lasioglossum Sweat Bees[Read More]
Squash Vine Borer While we have disseminated several Delta traps throughout the state, we are getting few reports back from collaborators. Those who have reported recently (Allen, Marion, and Knox Counties) are all still reporting adult moths being active and caught in traps. Corn Earworm Be sure that you are monitoring your dent corn in…Read more about Insect Trapping Updates Jul-23, 2024[Read More]
Orius insidiosus, also known as the minute pirate bug, is native to North America and a beneficial insect (Figure 1). They are generalist omnivores, feeding on other insects and pollen. Minute pirate bugs belong to the Order of true bugs — Hemiptera — in the family Anthocoridae. Orius insidiosus can be found in a wide range…Read more about Insect Spotlight: The Minute Pirate Bug – A Key Predator[Read More]
Thrips, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, and whiteflies are common pests of specialty crops that are often misidentified. Whether it’s tomatoes or squash, it’s important to know the differences between these insects and what it means to see them on or around your crops. Below, we provide some information and diagnostic tips to identify each of these…Read more about Some Commonly Mistaken Insect Pests[Read More]