Purdue Extension is currently undergoing a broader transformation process that includes adjustments to priorities and resource allocation. As a result of these changes, I was recently informed that summer salary support for my Extension activities will not be available this year. Given this shift, there will be some temporary changes to the services I can…Read more about Updates to Entomology Extension Services[Read More]
Laura Ingwell
We want to know! Help determine the content at this year’s Indiana Horticulture and Small Farm Conference. Use this link to submit suggestions for content and speakers. IHSFC Survey The survey will be open until July 1, 2026. Thank you! Laura Ingwell and Amy Thompson (conference co-chairs)
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]
Submit your content ideas for the 2026 Indiana Horticulture and Small Farm Conference. Do you want to hear from someone in particular or about a specific topic at this year’s newly combined conference? If so, please scan the QR code or follow the link below to submit your suggestions. Feel free to submit yourself as…Read more about Shape the Conversation: Submit Your Topic for Indiana’s 2026 Horticulture & Small Farms Conferences[Read More]
Submit your content ideas for the 2026 Indiana Horticulture and Small Farm Conference. Do you want to hear from someone in particular or about a specific topic at this year’s newly combined conference? If so, please scan the QR code or follow the link below to submit your suggestions. The survey will be open until…Read more about We want your ideas! 2026 Indiana Horticulture and Small Farm Conference[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]
Spring is in full swing in our research high tunnels at Purdue. Overwintering strawberries that we planted in September are now in full bloom and fruits are being harvested. But as temperatures increase and crops become more productive, we also see the emergence of various insect pests. Aphids, amongst other soft-bodied insect pests (e.g., whiteflies,…Read more about Observations on the Companion Plant: Sweet Alyssum[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]
As we head into the strawberry season, I anticipate more questions from growers when it comes to pests that directly damage the fruit. One that was reported recently was the Strawberry sap beetle. This beetle belongs to the family Nitidulidae, which are broadly referred to as sap or picnic beetles. The Strawberry sap beetle overwinters…Read more about Strawberry sap beetles (Stelidota geminata)[Read More]
Lacewings are a group of insects commonly found in Indiana and throughout the world. There are several species, but the most common that you will see in Indiana include the green lacewing and the brown lacewing. They belong to a unique order of insects, Neuroptera, and are commonly referred to as aphid lions. The life…Read more about Insect Spotlight: Lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea)[Read More]