Entomology Commons^™

Beneficial True Bugs: Big-Eyed Bugs, Ricardo Ramirez, Ron Patterson

All Current Publications

Predatory insects can provide natural pest control by eating unwanted pests. Insect predators are one factor that help maintain pest populations at non-damaging levels, an action known as biological control. By conserving predatory insect populations, plants can be protected from pest attack and excessive damage.

Controlling Slugs And Snails In Utah, Larry A. Sagers, Kerry A. Rood

All Current Publications

Slugs and snails are rated by many gardeners as the worst garden pests. Considering their competition, this is a dubious honor. These pests are not insects but are mollusks that are more closely related to shellfish, such as mussels and clams.

Preventing Poisoning Of Pets When Using Slug And Snail Baits, Kerry A. Rood, Larry A. Sagers

All Current Publications

Slugs and snails are one of the most common garden pests in the State of Utah. Because they are so widespread and destructive, many different methods are used to keep the pests under control. Baits are frequently applied as a treatment, but using pesticides can create hazard for non-target wildlife and pets.

Elm Bark Beetles And Dutch Elm Disease, Ryan S. Davis

All Current Publications

Bark beetles (Family Curculionidae, Subfamily Scolytinae) are some of the most devastating insect pests in the world. Closely related to weevils, there are almost 500 species of bark beetles in North America alone, each with unique host plants, habits, and life cycles. It is crucial to accurately identify a suspect bark beetle before you consider treatment options.

Eriophyid Mites, Bud, Blister, Gall, And Rust Mites, Ryan S. Davis, Taun Beddes

All Current Publications

Eriophyid mites are translucent, cigar-shaped microscopic mites that cause deformities on many plants species. These mites are noticed when their feeding causes abnormalities of plant tissues such as erineum, galls, brooms, leaf curling, blisters, rusts, silvering, fruit rusetting, and deformed buds, catkins, fruits, etc. Fortunately, these mites rarely cause serious harm to plants, and control is seldom needed. In fact, eriophyid mites can serve as an alternative food source for predatory mites when their primary food source is absent.

Fall Webworm, Ryan S. Davis, Vincent P. Jones

All Current Publications

The fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea, is a common defoliator of ornamental and fruit trees in Utah. Starting around late July, the caterpillars, webbing, and damage become noticeable, particularly in some of the canyons adjacent to populated areas (Little Cottonwood canyon, Logan canyon, Provo canyon, etc.).

Pear Sawfly, Vincent P. Jones, Ryan S. Davis

All Current Publications

The pear sawfly, which is actually a wasp, is a common pest on pear, cherry, and hawthorn in Utah. The slug-like appearance of the larval stage has prompted this insect to also be referred to as the pear or cherry slug in various parts of the country.

Beneficial True Bugs: Damsel Bugs, Ricardo Ramirez, Ron Patterson

All Current Publications

Predatory insects can provide natural pest control by eating unwanted pests. This beneficial service is known as biological control. Predatory insects are one factor that maintains pest populations at non-damaging levels. By conserving and encouraging predatory insect populations, plants can be protected from pest attack and excessive damage.

European Earwig (Forficula Auricularia), Diane G. Alston, Andrew Tebeau

All Current Publications

The European earwig (Order Dermaptera, which means “skin wings” to describe their leathery wings) (Fig. 1) is native to Europe, western Asia, and parts of Africa. The common name “earwig” comes from a myth that the insect would climb into the ears of humans and chew into the brain, but this is false. The European earwig was first introduced into Utah in the early 1900s. Establishment and population growth have been remarkably successful in northern Utah.

General Concepts Of Biological Control, Diane G. Alston

All Current Publications

“Balance of Nature.” Virtually all pest populations are affected by natural enemies to some extent. In many cases, natural enemies are the primary regulating force of the pest populations. Natural controls include effects of natural enemies (predators, parasites, pathogens), other biotic (living) factors such as food availability and competition, and abiotic (non-living) factors such as weather and soil

Important Components Of A Successful Pest Management Program, Diane G. Alston

All Current Publications

Before deciding to take any pest control action, be sure you have correctly identified the pest (insect, mite, disease, weed, vertebrate, etc.). Proper pest identification is essential for determining if control is necessary and for selection of the best suited control options.

La Producción De La Calabaza De Verano Dentro Del Túnel Alto, Dan Drost

All Current Publications

Se puede cultivar con éxito la calabaza de verano en el túnel alto y puede ser un cultivo vegetativo valioso que diversifica las operaciones agrícolas de tamaño pequeño y de tiempo parcial. El cultivo de la calabaza de verano en el túnel alto hace posible la producción del cultivo unas 4 a 6 semanas antes de y 6 semanas después de las calabazas cultivadas al aire libre. Al añadir su producción a la de otras verduras en el túnel alto, la calabaza de verano aumentará las oportunidades del marketing, mejorará el flujo de fondos y complementará otros cultivos del túnel …

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Erin Petrizzo, Diane G. Alston

All Current Publications

Brown marmorated stink bug (Order Hemiptera: Family Pentatomidae) (BMSB) was accidentally introduced into the eastern U.S. from Asia in the late 1990s. In 2001 it was officially identified in Pennsylvania, and has since spread along the eastern seaboard and westward into the Great Lakes region.

Campylomma Bug Sampling Form, Usu Extension

All Current Publications

Campylomma Bug Sampling Instructions.

Historical Biogeography Of Velvet Ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) In The North American Deserts And Arid Lands, Joseph S. Wilson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For centuries, scientists have been intrigued by the high amount of biodiversity that is found in the deserts of North America. Recently, several studies have investigated the causes of the high diversity found in desert-dwelling mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. These studies have found that many of these organisms seem to have diversified in response to the same historical events. Little work has been done, however, on diverse desert-dwelling insect groups. In this dissertation, I investigate the patterns of genetic diversity in four groups of nocturnal wasps called velvet ants. I compare the patterns of genetic diversity to the historical events …

Africanized Honey Bee, Erin W. Hodgson, Cory A. Stanley, Alan H. Roe, Danielle Downey

All Current Publications

African honey bees (Apis mellifera scutellata) are native to sub-Saharan Africa and were introduced in the Americas to improve honey production in the tropics. These African honey bees were accidentally released and began to interbreed with European honey bees (Apis mellifera ligustica), the most common subspecies used for pollination and honey production in the United States (Fig. 1). As a result, the hybrid offspring are called “Africanized” because of their shared characteristics. Africanized honey bees are about the same size, shape and color as European honey bees (Fig. 2), and a genetic analysis must be used to distinguish one from …

Cat-Facing Insects, Diane Alston, Michael Reding, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

There are a number of insects with the piercing-sucking feeding habit that can cause deformity and catfacing type injury to pome and stone fruits, including lygus bug, stink bug, and boxelder bug. Cat-facing injury is caused by puncture feeding in flower buds and fruit. The result is unsightly dimpling, deformity, and scarring of fruit. The name “cat facing” comes from the distorted fruit shape that resembles the puckered cheeks of a cat. In addition to the insects discussed in this section, some aphids and the campylomma bug can inflict similar injury.

Chinch Bugs, Kelly Kopp, Ryan S. Davis, Ricardo A. Ramirez

All Current Publications

Chinch bugs are “true bugs”. In Utah, the common chinch bug [Blissus leucopterus leucopterus (Say)], and western chinch bug (Blissus occiduus) may feed on turfgrass, especially under conditions of severe heat and drought. Coupled with under-irrigation, direct sunlight, and thick thatch, chinch bug numbers can soar from mid-summer to early fall.

Japanese Beetle, Erin Hodgson, Diane Alston, Cory A. Stanley

All Current Publications

The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman, can be a highly destructive pest to ornamentals, trees, shrubs, turfgrass, and vegetables. First discovered in the eastern United States in 1916, the Japanese beetle has threatened agriculture and horticulture by slowly moving south and west. In 2006, a small population of adult Japanese beetles was detected in Orem, Utah.

Boxelder Bug, Erin W. Hodgson, Alan H. Roe

All Current Publications

Boxelder bugs are a common nuisance insect to many homeowners. Although boxelder bugs are active throughout the summer, many people don’t notice them until they start “sunning” themselves on structures, particularly the southern-facing walls. As temperatures start to decrease in the late summer and fall, large numbers of adults will move from plants and congregate on heated buildings.

Codling Moth (Cydia Pomonella) Sampling Form, Usu Extension

All Current Publications

Place traps in orchards when 100 degree days have accumulated or by first bloom. Check traps at least every other day (preferably daily) until biofix, and weekly until mid-September

Control Of Iron Chlorosis, Rich Koenig, Michael R. Kuhns

All Current Publications

Iron deficiency (iron chlorosis) affects many desirable landscape and crop plants grown in Utah. The primary symptom of iron deficiency is interveinal chlorosis, the development of a bright yellow leaf with a network of dark green veins. In severe cases, the entire leaf turns yellow or white and the outer edges may scorch and turn brown as the plant cells die.

Peach Twig Borer (Anarsia Lineatella) Sampling Form, Usu Extension

All Current Publications

Place traps in orchards after approximately 330 degree days have accumulated. Check traps at least every other day (preferably daily) until biofix, and weekly throughout the season afterward.

Pear Psylla (Cacopsylla Pyricola) Sampling Form, Usu Extension

All Current Publications

Begin sampling for adults in the dormant phase when daytime temperatures reach at least 45 F, beginning around early March, and continue weekly through April.

Spider And Predatory Mites Sampling Form, Usu Extension

All Current Publications

This sampling method uses the presence-absence method. Rather than counting the number of mites, scouts simply need to determine whether mites occur or do not occur on the collected leaves.

Western Tentiform Leafminer Sampling Form – Apple And Cherry, Usu Extension

All Current Publications

Western Tentiform Leafminer Sampling Form

White Apple Leafhopper Sampling Form, Usu Extension

All Current Publications

White Apple Leafhopper Sampling Form

Evaluation Of Semiochemical Strategies For The Protection Of Whitebark Pine Stands Against Mountain Pine Beetle Attack Within The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Greta Katherine Schen-Langenheim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

High-dose verbenone, verbenone plus nonhost volatiles (NHVs), and both semiochemicals in combination with aggregant-baited funnel traps were tested for stand- level protection against mountain pine beetle attack for two consecutive years (2004-2005) at three seral high elevation whitebark pine sites in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In 2004, two 0.25-hectare treatments comprised of 25 high-dose verbenone pouches or verbenone pouches combined with single baited funnel traps were tested in a push-pull strategy. In 2005, 25 high-dose verbenone and 25 NHV pouches, or verbenone and NHV in combination with baited funnel trap clusters were tested. In both years, treatments were compared to …

Development Of A Laboratory Based System For Selecting Insect Pathogenic Fungi With Greatest Potential For Success In The Field, Chad Alton Keyser

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many insects are important agricultural pests, and active control is necessary to keep them at abeyance. The naturally occurring entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium is a promising tool to control pest insects, and its use avoids the well-known harmful side effects of chemical pesticides. Thousands of unique isolates of Metarhizium exist throughout the world. These isolates vary widely in their ability to cause infection and to tolerate stressful habitats. The research reported here tests the THESIS: A laboratory-based system can be devised that identifies, from among many Metarhizium isolates, those isolates with the greatest potential for successful biological control of pest insects …

Reproductive Ecology Of Astragalus Filipes, A Great Basin Restoration Legume, Kristal M. Watrous

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Astragalus filipes Torrey ex. A. Gray (Fabaceae) is being studied and propagated for use in rangeland restoration projects throughout the Great Basin. Restoration forbs often require sufficient pollination services for seed production and persistence in restoration sites. Knowledge of a plant's breeding biology is important in providing pollination for maximal seed set.

Reproductive output from four manual pollination treatments (autogamy, geitonogamy, xenogamy, and distant xenogamy) was examined in a common garden. Pod set, seed set, and seed germination were quantified for each of the treatments. Seed set from four wild populations was compared to that of an openly visited common …