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Tomatoes 2008
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Butterflies and Moths. Wings mostly or entirely covered with scales. Metamorphosis complete. Mouthparts sucking, nonfunctional or absent in some species. *Swallowtail. Large butterflies with wing span to 100 mm. With clubbed antennae; antennae lack terminal hooks. Hind wing tailed. Wings usually striped, spotted or at least partly blue or green. Larvae defoliate various plants; adults sip nectar. Black swallowtail larvae common as pests on carrots, parsley and related plants. Usually collected as adults on various flowering plants. Can be raised from larvae if fed on proper host plants. Sulfur Butterfly (including Whites and Orange‑tips). Small to medium sized (to 50mm wing span) butterflies with clubbed(, antennae lacking hooks. Color usually yellow, orange or white, marked with black and/or orange. Common in alfalfa fields, gardens and weedy lots. Larvae of several species economically important, feeding on alfalfa or mustards, including cabbage and related plants. *Gossamer‑winged Butterfly. Small (wingspan less than 25 mm), delicate butterflies. Antennae clubbed and without hooks. Some species with hairlike tails. Colors variable; many species metallic blue or purple, grey with red eye spots or orange and black. These .include the smallest butterflies. Often found around flowers or weeds, such as Russian thistle. Few (e.g. cotton square borer) are economically important. Brush‑footed Butterfly. Highly variable in size and color; primarily distinguished by their reduced front legs, making them appear four legged. Antennae clubbed and without hooks. Includes some of our commonest butterflies, such as the mourning cloak, red admiral, viceroy and painted lady. Many species have red or orange patches, often on black or dark brown background. Few economically important species. Adults congregate around wet spots on the ground or on flowers. Body length up to 25 mm; wingspan to 50 mm, Common Skipper. Antennae clubbed and with a hook. Head as wide or wider than thorax. Hind leg with 2 pairs of spurs. Usually 10‑20 mm long. Color black, brown, spotted or orange. Common at flowers. Larvae roll leaves. Not economically important usually; few species may be pests of legumes. *Sphinx Moth. Medium‑sized to large moths (up to 100 mm wing span), Antennae thickened, but not clubbed or hooked. Body typically bullet shaped and heavy. Larvae called hornworms; several species attack vegetables and ornamentals. Common flyers just at sunset and occasionally around lights at night. Adults can hover; their size hovering ability and whirring sound, plus activities around flowers closely mimic those of hummingbirds. Giant Silkworm Moth. Medium‑sized to large moths (wingspan sometimes over 100 mm). Antennae threadlike in females, feathery in males. Wings broad. Body heavy. Includes some of our largest moths, such as the Io and Polyphemus moths. Most serious pest in the family in New Mexico is range. caterpillar, a grassland pest. Most species difficult to collect, adults usually available in only limited geographic areas and populations usually are small. Larvae of some can be reared from cottonwood, mesquite, range. grasses or certain trees, depending on host preferences. Adults do not feed and are short‑lived. Geometer Moth. Small to medium‑sized moths, often with angulate, fringed wings. Body slender. Many species with light pastel wings: yellow, tawny or green. Larvae called "inchworms." Adults of some species common at lights. Antennae filamentous, without clubs or hooks. Wingspan usually 30 nun or less. Tiger Moth. Small to medium‑sized moths. Often brightly colored or white with black spots. Occasionally pure white (for example, the fall webworm). Antennae filamentous, without hooks or clubs. Larvae called webworms or wooly bears, Some pests; fall webworm defoliates broadleaf trees. Can be found as adults at lights or reared from larvae. Wing span usually 25 mm or less. *Noctuid Moth. Most species small to medium sized; underwings with wing span of up to 60 mm. Blackwitch (occasionally collected in New Mexico) among our largest moths 'wit' a Wingspan of up to 100 mm. Antennae filamentous, never feathery. Includes many of the rather non‑descript millers that come to lights in the summer. Coloration varies, but most species grey or brown and mottled with various patterns. Underwing moths have black with red or orange hindwings. Blackwitch with intricate patterns on dark brown wings. Includes some of our most important plant pests, such as the corn earworm, various cutworms and armyworms. Pyralid Moth. Mostly small moths (wingspan 25 mm or less). Antennae filamentous. Palpi very long in most species; palpi usually (but not always) resemble a snout. Adults usually light tan to white. European and Southwestern corn borers, sod webworms and alfalfa webworms economically important. Some species commonly found at lights. Order Diptera: Flies. Adults with one pair of membranous wings; some species, wingless. Second pair of wings reduced to knoblike organs called halteres. Metamorphosis complete. Mouthparts sucking or with various modifications. *Mosquito. Legs thread‑like; wings long and narrow, with scales along veins and margins. Proboscis long; piercing‑sucking. Females of most species 'stick blood; may I transmit diseases such I as malaria, yellow fever or encephalitis in, man and heartworm in dogs. Adults usually less than' 7 mm. Ma les do not bite. Larvae are common wigglers in stagnant water. Common around any standing water during the summer. Black Fly. Small, usually less than 4 mm; stocky and hump‑backed. Antennae short. Wings broad at base. Females suck blood. Larvae live in streams, usually attached. to rocks. Color usually black, grey, or yellow; antennae very short. Often viciously attack both animals and man. `Horse Fly (including Deer Flies). Stout‑bodied, often large (to 25 min long) flies with helmet‑shaped heads. Eyes almost completely cover males; eyes often iridescent and striped in life. Third antennal segment elongate. Proboscis elongate, blunt tipped, usually visible. Females Suck blood. Larvae of most species aquatic. *Robber Fly. Head hollowed out on top between eyes. Third antennal segment elongate. Face usually with fuzzy beard. Size variable, up to 25 mm; with pointed proboscis. Predaceous on other insects;. many look and behave like bees, wasps or dragonflies. Larvae live in soil or decaying wood. Very common flies that often perch on twigs while eating or waiting for prey or mates. Bee Fly. Head rounded. Stout‑bodied and hairy. Antennae short, Wings often mottled or with anterior band. Tend to hover over plants or patches of bare ground. Small to medium. Larvae parasitic on insects. Body usually 15 mm or less. Syrphid Fly. Small to medium‑sized flies; to 12 mm long. Many have yellow markings on abdomen; some bee‑like. Spurious (false) vein usually present on. wings. Often seen hovering over flowers. Larvae predaceous or scavengers. Many species beneficial; larvae of some feed on aphids.'' Picture‑winged Fly (including Fruit Flies and Platystomatid Flies). Small to medium sized flies with wings banded or spotted (picturewings common in sweep net samples from flowering plants. Plant feeders or scavengers as larvae. Some serious pests of fruit. Body like that of house fly with sparse bristles, not hairy. Body length usually 10 mm or less. Louse Fly. Winged or wingless. Body dorsoventrally flattened. Common wingless species is the sheep ked, an ectoparasite of sheep. Winged species usually found on birds. Winged species have strong anterior veins and weak posterior veins in the wings. Collect from live birds and mammals. Body length about 6 mm. Muscid Fly. Small to medium‑sized flies often with dark bands on thorax. Color usually grey. These include house flies, face flies and stable flies. Larvae are scavengers, often in filth or decaying organic matter. Adults may transmit diseases; stable fly are blood feeders. Common wherever garbage, animal wastes or dead animals exist. Body length 10 mm or less. Tachinid Fly. Small to large flies with stout bristles on the abdomen and enlarged or fleshy postscutellum. Many are bee‑like; some look like house flies or flesh flies. Presence of bristles on the abdomen usually separates tachinids from other flies. Larvae are parasites on other insects; many are beneficial. Can be collected with an aerial net on flowers. Body length usually 7 mm or less; occasionally longer. Blow Fly. Similar to tachinids, but usually metallic‑usually blue or green. Adults may be numerous on flowering plants In the spring. Larvae are usually scavengers, feeding on carrion and dung, but one species, the screw‑worm, attacks living tissue and is a serious pest of livestock. Body length usually 7 mm or less. *Flesh Fly. Similar to muscid flies and some tachinid flies, but generally larger than the former and without the bristles of the latter. Many species with a checkerboard pattern on the abdomen; many also have a red tip on the abdomen. Larvae of most species scavengers; a few parasitic on such insects as grasshoppers. Often common on flowers and around houses. Body length usually 7‑9 mm. *Order Siphonaptera: Flea. Wingless insects with brown or black, laterally flattened bodies and strong jumping legs. Generally less than 5 mm long. Antennae short and 3‑segmented. Metamorphosis complete. Mouthparts sucking. Ectoparasites of birds and mammals. Larvae maggot‑like scavengers of dried blood and animal dander, develop away from their host, usually in nests, bedding or carpeting. Can be serious blood‑sucking pests in homes and yards, even those without pets. Some species transmit serious diseases including plague. Order Hymenoptera: Parasitoids, Ants, Wasps, and Bees. Two pairs of membranous wings or sometimes wingless. Ovipositors usually long; females of some species sting. Mouthparts chewing or modified chewing. Metamorphosis complete. *Braconid Wasp. Mostly small, slender parasitoids with one recurrent vein in each forewing. Antennae filamentous, with'16 or more segments. Some as large as 15 mm. Many species brown or black, a few red. Larvae are parasitoids of other insects and are among the most important of biological control agents. Adults often collected by sweep net or on flowers. Ichneumon Wasp. Small to very large (to 40 mm), slender parasitoids with two recurrent veins in each forewing. Antennae filamentous with 16 or more segments and usually half as long as body. A very large family with over. 3000 species in North America. Color patterns ,vary widely. Larvae parasitize almost every type of insect and many other arthropods. Beneficial. Commonly collected in sweep net samples. Chalcidid Wasp. Mostly small to medium‑sized (to 7 mm), relatively robust parasitoids with very few wing veins. Antennae short and with 13 or fewer segments. Hind femora greatly swollen and toothed below. Hind coxae much longer than front coxae. Larvae are parasitoids on a variety of insects. Adults occasionally collected while sweeping or at flowers. Tiphiid Wasp. Usually 10 mm or larger; elongated. Mesosternum, with two posterior lobes or anterior abdominal segments highly constricted. Antennae 12‑13 segmented. Body often banded black and yellow. Larvae parasitoids of various insects, especially white grubs. Occasionally large numbers of adults congregate around flowers or in mating swarms flying over lawns. Scoliid Wasp. Large, hairy, robust wasps (commonly 20‑30 mm long). Mesosternum and metasternum form a ventral plate divided by transverse suture. Antennae 12‑13 segmented. Wing membrane beyond cells wrinkled (differs from male velvet ant which has basically smooth wing tips). Color often black and red or yellow. Larvae mostly parasitoids of white grubs. Adults often collected around flowers, such as tamarisk. *Velvet Ant. Small to large (20 mm), very hairy wasps. Often brightly colored with red, yellow, or orange on black. Antennae 12‑13 segmented. Females wingless (some tiphiid wasps have wingless females). Females with very painful sting. Larvae mostly parasitize ground‑nesting bees and wasps. Females commonly collected while they run on the ground. Males often collected while they fly over dirt roads or bare ground in search of females. *Ant. Most flightless, small to medium‑sized insects, with one or two knots at waist. Antennae 6‑13 segmented and strongly elbowed, with 1st segment very long. Queens and males usually winged, at least during dispersal phase, workers always wingless. Usually found in small to gigantic colonies of from a few to many thousands of individuals. Eat almost anything. Most will bite and some will sting. Immature stages are tended underground by the workers. Many species are pests, including fire ants, harvester ants and carpenter ants. Easy to collect; 'found almost everywhere, including indoors. Body size variable, depending on species and developmental conditions. Workers usually 2‑4 mm, occasionally reaching 8‑9 mm. Reproductives often slightly larger than workers. Spider Wasp. Medium to large wasps (some to 40 mm) with very long legs. Mesopleura with transverse sutures. Wings not folded when resting. Most dark blue or black; some with bright red or orange wings. Females often have curled antennae. Females have a potent sting. Common around flowers during the summer, especially mesquite, tamarisk and various weeds. Females capture spiders and lay their eggs on them in underground nests. Larger species (called tarantula hawks) attack tarantulas. *Vespid Wasp. Common social or solitary wasps with long first discoidal cell in front wing. Pronotum, not collar‑like. Size usually around 10‑20 mm. Often with pattern of brown and yellow or black and yellow or orange. Usually found in colonies made of paper (chewed wood or cellulose), or on flowers, occasionally seen floating on water. Young cared for by workers and queen in social species. Many solitary species make pot‑like nests. All feed their young on other insects or small spiders. Sphecid Wasp, Common on solitary wasps (often nest in groups, however) with short discoidal cell in forewings. Usually pronotum distinctly collar‑like. Often, but not always, thread‑waisted. Usually 10‑30 mm long. Color pattern varies; many species with patterns of black and yellow, grey and red, or brown and yellow or orange. Many species ground‑nesters; some build mud nests. Sand wasps resemble stout vespids. All feed their young on other insects. Often collected around flowers. Halictid Bee. Mostly small bees, often metallic green or partly so. Most are dark colored. Some (sweat bees) attracted to perspiration; will sting. Often collected around flowers. Pollen feeders. Many species dig communal nests in the ground. Body length varies within various species; smallest species are 4‑5 mm, largest are about 15 min. Leafcutting Bee. Stout‑bodied, medium‑sized bees (10‑20, mm usually) with. two submarginal cells in forewings. Pollen carried on underside. of abdomen. Abdominal segments usually distinctly outlined. Adults cut out rounded pieces from leaves of various plants to line brood cells. Excellent pollinators of many plants not preferred by honey bees. Body length usually about 10 mm. Honey Bee (including Carpenter Bees and Bumble Bees). Stout bodied, medium to large bees with three submarginal cells in forewings. Pollen carried on hind legs. Honey bees and bumble bees social; carpenter bees solitary. Carpenter bees occasionally damage wood. Most species goods pollinators; honey bees also produce honey and beeswax. Carpenter bees are large black or yellow‑brown bees. Honey bees are brown and black. Bumblebees are very hairy; usually yellow and black, sometimes with red spots on the abdomen. Honey bees usually are about 8‑10 mm long; carpenter and bumble bees reach 25‑28 mm. |