Prep Course

Front 1

Invertibrates

Back 1

• do not have backbones, have soft-body & external skeleton for muscle attachment & protection
• Include:

1. insects (arthropods - "jointed foot")
2. spiders & mites (arachnids)
3. nematodes (small non-segmented worms)
4. snails & slugs (mollusks - related to oysters, clams & octopus)

Front 2

Anthropod Body Structure

Back 2

• Insects - 3 body parts: head, thorax & abdomen & 3 pairs of legs
• Spiders & Mites - 2 body parts: head & cephalothorax

Front 3

Insect Life Cycles

Back 3

• Metamorphosis - process by which insects develop from eggs to adult life stage
• 3 Basic Life Cycles - no metamorphosis, incomplete/3 stage metamorphosis, complete/4 stage metamorphosis

Front 4

No Metamorphosis

Back 4

• simple insect species
• hatch from eggs
• young appear very similar to adults
• Ex: Silverfish & springtails

Front 5

Incomplete or 3 Stage Metamorphosis

Back 5

• cycles: egg, nymph & adult
• Nymphs - go through several stages (instars), shedding skin each time it develops into next instar stage
• Ex: aphids, cockroaches, earwigs & grasshoppers

Front 6

Complete or 4 Stage Metamorphosis

Back 6

• cycles: egg, larva, pupa (cocoon) & adult
• larval stage usually most destructive
• don't eat during pupal stage, insect undergoing dramatic changes in structure
• difficult to control during pupal state because cocoon protects from insecticides, pupa may be under bark or soil

Front 7

Pest Control Strategies

(often requires integrated approach)

Back 7

• Monitoring
• Pest Identification
• Sanitation
• Exclusion
• Biological Control
• Trapping
• Cultivation
• Chemical Control

Front 8

Spiders

Back 8

• arachnids
• considered beneficial to landscape settings
• poisonous may require control
• simple life cycle (young hatch from eggs & pass through several instar stages before reaching adult life stage
• control strategies - contact insecticides

Front 9

Mites

Back 9

• arachnids
• similar life cycle to spiders
• very small & cannot be seen unless magnified
• not all are plant pests
• plant-feeding damage plants by puncturing plant cells with piercing-sucking mouthparts
• plants may appear bleached, stippled, deformed or defoliated
• can transmit plant viral diseases

Front 10

Nematodes

Back 10

• small unsegmented worms, usually pointed at both ends
• most require microscope to be identified
• many species, most not plant pests
• as plant pests are parasitic & feed on plant roots, can transmit plant viral diseases
• rarely kill plants directly, weaken plant's ability to absorb water & nutrients from soil, infected plants are often stunted/yellow
• symptoms of infestation - very had to distinguish from other plant diseases, improper irrigation or fertilization
• control strategies - identification (requires plant/soil samples analyzed by trained specialist), chemical fumigation/soil treatment (impractical for most landscape settings), sanitation essential to stop spreading (tools & footwear need to be disinfected)

Front 11

Slugs & Snails

Back 11

• mollusks (related to clams/oysters/octopus)
• prefer damp, cool environments
• generally active in evening, hide in shady places during the day
• damage plant tissue through feeding activity
• infest young or low-growing plants
• few are beneficial, as they feed on other snails (decollate snail)
• control strategies - small infestations controlled by hand-picking, larger controlled by baits, eliminate daytime hiding places (stones, boards, similar materials)

Front 12

Insect Groups

(orders)

Back 12

• Beetles & Weevils (Coleoptera)
• Earwigs (Dermaptera)
• True bugs (Hemiptera)
• Aphids/white flies (Homoptera)
• ants, bees & wasps (Hymenoptera)
• caterpillars, moths & butterflies (Lepidoptera)
• crickets & grasshoppers (Orthoptera)
• thrips (Thysanoptera)

Front 13

Beetles, Weevils & Wood Borers

Back 13

• adults have wing covers (elytra) & chewing mouthparts
• undergo complete metamorphosis (4 stage)
• adults & larvae can damage plants (foliar & stem damage, some bore under bark)
• control strategies - good plant health w/ proper irrigation, fertilization, pruning adequate, when required both contact & systemic insecticides are effective

Front 14

Earwigs

Back 14

• primary pest in order
• undergo incomplete metamorphosis (3 stage)
• have chewing mouthparts
• damage landscape plants, especially flowers
• control strategies - sanitation, remove hiding places (plant debris, stones, boards), both contact & systemic insecticides can be effective

Front 15

True Bugs - Plant & Lygus Bugs

Back 15

• have long, needle-like beaks that fold under their bodies, piercing-socking mouthparts
• undergo incomplete metamorphosis (3 stage)
• typical plant damage include deformed foliage & flowers
• rarely serious pests to landscape plants
• control strategies - most landscapes can tolerate species, deterred by good plant health (proper irrigation, fertilization & pruning), contact & systemic insecticides effective

Front 16

Ants, Bees & Wasps

Back 16

• adults have two pairs of transparent wings, narrow waists, some have painful stings
• undergo complete metamorphosis (4 stage)
• most not plant pests
• bees important pollinators of ag crops
• some wasps are important parasites/predators or crop pests
• control strategies - fast-acting insecticide, long-term by removing hives, incomplete removal (dead bees, larvae & honey from within buildings can cause serious odor & contamination problems
• ants attracted to honeydew produced by aphids/white flies (control of these contributes to controlling ants), insecticides can be used, baits provide long-term control (foraging ants take baits back to hives)

Front 17

Caterpillars, Moths & Butterflies

Back 17

• larvae are worm-like, adults have large, scale-covered wings, have chewing mouthparts
• undergo complete metamorphosis (4 stage)
• can be serious plant pests
• control strategies - physical removal & biological control (natural predators: birds, small mammals, some wasp species, assassin bugs, lacewing larvae), insecticides can be used but important to use narrow spectrum (Bacillus thuringiensis - Bt) in order to not effect biological control.

Front 18

Crickets, Locusts & Grasshoppers

Back 18

• except for wings, immature look like adults
• undergo incomplete metamorphosis (3 stage)
• have chewing mouthparts
• not usually landscape pests, but serious crop pest
• control strategies - rarely require control, insecticide spray can be used for high populations

Front 19

Thrips

Back 19

• tiny insects, elongated in shape, have two pairs of fringed wings, have piercing-sucking & modified piercing-sucking mouthparts
• undergo incomplete metamorphosis (3 stage)
• plant damage includes deformed foliage & flowers
• control strategies - good plant health (proper irrigation, fertilization & pruning) adequate to prevent cosmetic damage, natural predators keep populations low, insecticide sprays often unsuccessful at controlling & reduce predator populations, systemic insecticides are usually more effective than contact