July 2023
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Bumble bees (Fig. 1) are prone to catch your attention by their sonicating buzz or conspicuous and colorful appearance. They are robust, fuzzy-looking insects with varying bands of coloration and a hairy abdomen- a characteristic that differentiates them from the look-alike carpenter bees. Carpenter bees have bald abdomens. Similar to honey bees, bumblebees are in…
Posted in: Beneficials -
In North America, the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus) (Fig. 1), is special as it is a classic example of a great migration. They travel on air currents and cross > 3000 miles in winter to reach the overwintering sites. Broadly, there are two populations of monarch butterflies based on their migration patterns, and they…
Posted in: Beneficials -
The billbug pest complex (Sphenophorus spp.) has increased in importance in turfgrass systems throughout the U.S. in recent years, causing significant losses to sod farms, golf courses, and the landscape care industry, maintaining residential, commercial, and public lawns. The hunting billbug, Sphenophorus venatus vestitus Chittenden, is the most destructive species in warm-season grasses. Adult female…
Posted in: Turfgrass insect pest