The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris, or TPB can create some serious problems for strawberry growers this time of year, as their damage leads to misshapen fruit. This pest is a True Bug, meaning it feeds using piercing-sucking mouthparts and develops through incomplete metamorphosis; eggs hatch into nymphs that look like adults but increase in…Read more about Tarnished plant bugs in strawberry[Read More]
Insect Management
Insect scientists rely on documented observations of certain insects at specific times and places to understand insect biodiversity and specific pest issues. Interestingly, our records of where insects occur in Indiana are thin, with many regions of the state with little to no data on the map (Fig. 1). Even areas that appear to be…Read more about We want to learn about insects in your yard![Read More]
I am hearing from apple growers and my entomology colleagues in neighboring states that the dogwood borer is becoming a more common insect pest to monitor and manage in apple orchards. So, in this issue of Facts for Fancy Fruit, I’ll share some general tips to help you stay ahead of this damaging fruit tree…Read more about Dogwood borer injury to apple trees[Read More]
For those growing apples with organic or “softer” pesticide programs, you might spot signs and symptoms of a hungry caterpillar that prefers to attack apple leaves and fruit: the redbanded leafroller (Figure 1). This particular apple pest is more often a problem in orchards where conventional insecticide sprays are not used. This season, I have…Read more about Signs & symptoms of redbanded leafroller[Read More]
Dear readers, I hope your spring and summer seasons are off to a great start! I haven’t heard much in the last couple of weeks about common fruit insect pests, so I thought I would highlight an interesting, but probably uncommon insect issue for most readers of Facts for Fancy Fruit: the round-headed apple tree…Read more about A handsome, but damaging boring beetle[Read More]
Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to visit a local grower who installed an insectary strip adjacent to their high tunnel last year. They will be hosting a field day in June, so I wanted to take a sneak peek and see how the plants (and insects) were doing. The plants are progressing well,…Read more about Introducing the Fourlined plant bug (Poecilocapus lineatus)[Read More]
Lygus is a genus of insects within the family Miridae (Order: Hemiptera, piercing-sucking true bugs) that often feed on common horticultural crops. These small insects have rather large eyes, heavily patterned, neutrally colored wings, and long spindly antennae. The diet of Lygus bugs, as they are colloquially called, is incredibly diverse ranging from cotton and…Read more about Lygus bugs[Read More]
Dear readers, I have never been so excited to sort through trap catch from spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) monitoring traps (Figure 1A) as I have these last few weeks!! And it’s not just because I’m a bug nerd over here, ha! This season, as I’ve been looking through the contents of SWD jar traps, I’ve seen…Read more about Exciting news from Spotted-wing drosophila monitoring traps[Read More]
I’m hearing that thrips are throwing many of us for a loop this season! Some of you may know that thrips do not overwinter here in Indiana, so each spring season they migrate up our way on winds blowing up from the south. Sometimes these southern winds occur earlier or later each spring, depending on…Read more about Tips for tackling thrips in your fruit[Read More]
Hi fruit growers! Hopefully the season is going well for all of you. I am hearing from several folks that fruit development is ahead of where it was this time last year, and maybe that’s why I’m also getting a lot of questions about ‘unusual’ damage to the leaves and fruits of caneberries, apples, and…Read more about Leafhopper and plant bug damage in orchards this season[Read More]