INSECT OF THE WEEK

Common Name: Angoumois grain moth

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Gelechiidae

Pest Status: This moth is a major pest of stored grain, occasionally a pantry pest.

Appearance: Adult moths are a beige, yellow-brown color and about 1⁄3-inch in length. The wings have rear fringes with the front wing a slightly lighter color than the hind wing.

Life Cycle: Female adults deposit approximately 40 white eggs on grain kernels (barley, rye, corn, oats and rice). When the larvae emerge, they eat into the grain and feed on the germ of the seed.

Where to Collect: Angoumois grain moths can be found in infested grain bins and sometimes in the pantry or kitchen areas of homes where stored grains are kept. The adults are most often collected as they fly and land on nearby walls.

American cockroach

Common Name: American cockroach

Order: Dictyoptera

Family: Blattidae

Pest Status: The American cockroach is a major pest inside buildings.

Appearance: The American cockroach is a distinctive insect with an elliptical-shaped body and thick spines on the tibia. Adults are usually between 1- and 1½-inches long and have long, filamentous antennae. They are generally a red-brown color and have a yellow stripe that extends across the back of the head.

Life cycle: Female cockroaches carry their eggs in cases (oothecae). White-brown nymphs hatch from the cases and develop a red-brown color, similar to the adults, over time. An immature cockroach can molt as many as 13 times in one year.

 Where to Collect: American cockroaches prefer warm, dark, moist areas such as home basements and sewers. They usually hide during the day and feed on decaying organic matter at night

Annual cicada

Common Name: Annual cicada
Order: Homoptera
Family: Cicadidae

Pest Status: A cicada feeding on tree roots seldom does serious injury, but when a female cuts tender twigs to insert her eggs, she can cause damage to young or tender trees.

Appearance: Adult cicadas can be over 2 inches long with very unique green or brown bodies and large eyes. The wings of the adults are clear and are held roof-like over their abdomens.

Life Cycle: After the eggs hatch, the nymphs drop to the ground to feed on tree roots. The following summer they climb up on trunks, molt, and then emerge as adults.

Where to Collect: During mid- to late-summer when the weather is cold, cicadas can be found in trees or on the ground nearby. They are most often heard rather than seen and are known for their very loud, shrill song.

Alfalfa weevil

Common Name: Alfalfa weevil

Order: Coleoptera

Family: Curculionidae

Pest Status: The alfalfa weevil is a major pest of alfalfa and often

requires chemical treatments to manage.

               BLACK FLIES: BIOLOGY AND PUBLIC                                                            HEALTH RISK

Black flies, known also as “buffalo gnats” and “turkey gnats,” are very small, robust flies that are annoying biting pests of wildlife, livestock, poultry, and humans. Their blood-sucking habits also raise concerns about possible transmission of disease agents. You are encouraged to learn more about the biology of black flies so that you can be better informed about avoiding being bitten and about their public health risk.