Flies, gnats, mosquitos… ORDER DIPTERA Flies, gnats, mosquitos…

DIPTERA Di: two Ptera: wings Complete development Chewing (larva) Sponging or piercing sucking (adult)

DIPTERA WINGS: 1 pair Front: membranous Back: stubs

LEAFMINER HOSTS Oak, holly, boxwood, juniper, pine…

LEAFMINER (Page 166) HOSTS Oak, holly, boxwood, juniper, pine…

LEAFMINER DAMAGE Blotch or tunnel in foliage Leaf drop in late summer Mainly visual

LEAFMINER Several hundred species of foliage miners that can be moths, beetles, flies or sawflies Larva: 1/8" maggot Adult: 1/8" mosquito-like

LEAFMINER CONTROL Healthy plants tolerate Resistant cultivars

FUNGAL GNAT One generation per month Attracted to moist shade and organic matter

FUNGAL GNAT HOST General feeder More severe in greenhouse potting soil Many feed on organic matter More severe in greenhouse potting soil Potting soil sterile

FUNGAL GNAT DAMAGE Larva strips roots Loss vigor, wilting

FUNGAL GNAT Severe on propagated cuttings Limited roots

FUNGAL GNAT CONTROL Clean up debris Yellow sticky cards for adults Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis, (Gnatrol) Drench soil with insecticide Predatory nematodes

Grasshoppers, crickets, mantids… ORDER ORTHOPTERA Grasshoppers, crickets, mantids…

ORTHOPTERA Orthos: straight Ptera: wings Incomplete Chewing mouthparts

MOLE CRICKET Southern: carnivore (4 dots) Tawny: herbivore (plant pest) Introduced species are problem Native species not so much

MOLE CRICKET HOSTS: Turfgrass Bermudagrass Centipdedgrass

MOLE CRICKET DAMAGE Eat roots and shoots at night Disruptive tunnels Predatory damage

MOLE CRICKET SAMPLING Disclosing solution

MOLE CRICKET CONTROL Mostly insecticidal Biocontrol Nematodes Parasitic wasp

Order THYSANOPTERA Thrips

THYSANOPTERA Thysanos: tassel Ptera: wings Incomplete Rasping-sucking mouthparts Narrow, fringed wings (nymph wingless) Can transmit diseases Several generations / year

THRIPS (156) HOSTS Flower thrips: flowers and buds Greenhouse thrips: feed openly on foliage

PREDATORY THRIP

THRIPS (139) DAMAGE Mostly harmless to woody plants Stippling and bleaching foliage Dead spots on leaves Tar spots underside of leaves

THRIPS (139)

THRIPS (139)

THRIPS (139) MONITOR Branch beating (paper) Sticky traps: blue for western flower thrip, yellow for other species

THRIPS (139) CONTROL Maintain plant health to tolerate Soap and Oil Predatory wasp release in greenhouse

Chilli Thrips-Adult In this slide you can see the dark transverse bands across the abdomen of an adult. This is a more typical photo of an adult because you can also see the dark wings that make it appear as if the adult has a dark stripe down its back.

1st Instar Larva

Chilli Thrips 2nd Instar Larva Reference

Scouting

Chilli Thrips - rose

Ligustrum

Pittosporum

Ligustrum

Chilli Thrips-Schefflera

Why Biological Control? Thrips control impacted implementation of IPM programs in many ornamental crop systems. Chemical control in the landscape is NOT SUSTAINABLE

Franklinothrips vespiformis Adult

Franklinothrips vespiformis Nymph

CLASS ARACHNIDA Spider mite

SPIDER MITES Incomplete Piercing-sucking No wings

SPIDER MITES Microscopic Red southern (red), two-spotted (clear with 2 black spots) Can complete generation in 2 weeks

SPIDER MITES HOSTS Herbaceous plants, fatsia, butterfly bush, conifers… Foliage, fruit, and flowers Feed on lower surface

SPIDER MITES DAMAGE Stippling and bleaching Webbing when populations high No tar spots

SPIDER MITES MONITORING Look on underside of leaf Branch beat over paper

SPIDER MITES CONTROL Miticide Oil and soaps Predaceous spider mites release

Koppert Biocontrol Sachet of predatory mites Slow release