Winter Wisdom

Brought to you in cooperation with the Kansas State University Johnson County Research and Extension Master Gardeners.   Each week we feature interesting topics for winter reading.

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Week of 2/19/01

There are a number of memorable field guides that have become classics because of the wealth of information they contain, and their usefulness.  One of these of special interest to gardeners, is Insects in Kansas, based on a report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, originally published in June 1943.

It proved so helpful to gardeners and commercial growers that it was revised and reissued in 1962 by the Kansas Extension Service.  Nearly 60 years after its initial publication, the Kansas Department of Agriculture has released the completely revised and expanded 2000 edition of Insects in Kansas.  The new edition contains over 500 pages of photographs and text.  There are color photographs of 850 frequently encountered insect species, which makes the guide of great interest to collectors as well as gardeners and growers.  Quoting the preface to the 1943 edition, the publication," is a textbook-a family textbook for daily reference in identifying insects in the garden, the fields, the orchard and the household."

In these days of increased concern over our environment, it behooves us all to know as much as possible about nature's most successful animals and man's greatest competitor.  The practical uses of this guide, therefore, are many for all gardeners and growers because this knowledge informs our choices of pesticides and other control methods.  The color plates simplify insect identification and contain valuable information on life cycles.  This knowledge alone is often the key to effective control of insect pests, and lack of it is probably a significant cause for failure of control efforts.  It is also necessary to understand that of the approximately 20,000 insect species found in Kansas and the surrounding states, species harmful to our plants number less than 100, and that many insects are indeed beneficial by feeding upon or parasitizing and destroying harmful insects.

Among the many bits of fascinating incidental information imparted, is the following item.  Although we often refer to all insects as "bugs", the term is unscientific since not all insects are true bugs.  Only insect members of the order Hemiptera may be properly called bugs.  Real bugs include chinch bugs, bed bugs and assassin bugs. Beetles, lightning bugs, flies and grasshoppers are not true bugs.  In the case of true bugs, the word, "bug" is separated from the first name, hence stink bug, rather then stinkbug.  We just thought you'd like to know. (Ironically, the spell-checker does not recognize this fine point!)

To order a copy of Insects in Kansas, call (785) 532-5830; email orderpub@lists.oznet.ksu.edu  
or write:
Insects in Kansas
Kansas State University
Department of Communications
24 Umberger Hall
Manhattan, Kansas 
66506-3402

Articles submitted by Bill Latimer, Johnson County Extension Horticulture Assistant and Dennis Patton, Johnson County Extension Horticulture Agent.

Previous Weeks' Winter Wisdom

* Winter Wisdom is an information service of the Kansas State Johnson County Research and Extension Master Gardeners.  Research-based responses are provided by Extension Master Gardener volunteers weekdays from March 1 through October 31, from 9:00 am to 4:30pm .  To telephone, call (913) 764-6306 or visit the Extension Office at 13480 South Arapaho Drive, Olathe, Kansas.  Visit their website at www.oznet.ksu.edu/Johnson 

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