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.

Home
Current Issue
Previous Issues

Donations

Videos new!

Bookstore  
Magazines 
Gardening Catalogs 

Site Search
Contact Us
Submit A Tip

Feature Articles

Rose Tips
What's Hot... 
Nuisance of the Week
Winter Wisdom 
Turf Tips... 
Gardener's Glossary 

Books We Love
Great Products
Web Resources
Event Calendar

Unsubscribe 
Address Change 
Tell A Friend 

Privacy Pledge

Week of 2/26/01

In our last article, When Is a Bug Not a Bug?, we commented that less than 100 species of insects of the 20,000 commonly found in the Midwest are actually harmful to plants and crops.  Many insects are beneficial because they consume or parisitize those that are harmful.

Today, we want to highlight five species that are particularly beneficial.  At least some knowledge of them is important because we may inadvertently harm the environment if we adopt a "shotgun" approach to control of garden insects. 
Lady Beetles of the Family Coccinellidae, are the most numerous and probably the best known of the beneficial insects.  Their larvae are particularly active predators that devour aphids, scales and other insects.  The colorful little orange beetles are 4 to 6mm long, and have two to six black spots on their wing covers.  The Seven-spotted Lady Beetle is the largest of the family, and was introduced into the United States in the early 1980's to control alfalfa aphids.  It is now a common visitor to field crops and gardens.  Some Lady Beetles can now be purchased at garden stores for release into the garden.

Adult and larvae Green Lacewings of the Family Chrysopidae, feed on aphids and other injurious insects, and are considered highly beneficial.  There are 13 species found in Kansas and the surrounding area.  They are easily recognized by their light green color, transparent wings and bulging gold-colored eyes.  Most Lacewings measure up to 13mm in length.  The Common Green Lacewing is the most frequently encountered locally.

Among the most spectacular of the beneficial garden insects is the Praying Mantis, of the Family Mantidae.  Mantises are green to grayish-brown.  Some adults measure 47 mm in length!  The front legs are modified for catching and holding their prey.  The freely moveable head with its prominent compound eyes surmounts a long neck, and adds to the insect's striking appearance.  The common name derives from its habit of resting upon its rear legs while walking or attacking.  The Carolina Mantis, Stagmomantis carolina, is the one most commonly seen in this area.  Mature adults are sometimes kept as pets, but they require live insects for nourishment.

The last grouping of beneficial insects contains some members of the large order, Hymenoptera, an order that includes ants, bees, wasps, ichneumans and braconids.  The last are small parasitical wasps that parasitize harmful insects like leafrollers, and tent caterpillars.  Other braconids attack garden webworms, fall armyworms, cutworms, and tomato hornworms.  Most are tiny, measuring approximately 3 mm in length.

The Bumble Bees and Honey Bees comprise the subfamily Apinae.  They are extremely important as cross-pollinators, and should be protected wherever possible.  Both the Bumble Bee, Bombus pennsylvanicus, and the Honey Bee, Apis mellifera, produce edible honey and are common garden visitors.

By carefully targeting use of pesticides in your garden, you will protect these beneficial insects and take advantage of the natural help they may provide. 

Information for this article is based on Insects in Kansas, a 2000 publication of the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

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 

© 1999 - 2008 Savvygardener.com, Inc. All rights reserved.  If you wish to copy, transmit, or otherwise duplicate any of the material from our website please ask us first.  Thank you.