BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug?

auntij 6/18/2010, 9:46 pm

I found this little guy on my pole beans today and tried finding it online but had no luck. As some of you know I am waging war on bugs because they are waging war on my garden. I am on the verge of taking drastic steps but IF I may have finally found at least one of the culprits and it isn't the earwigs (which supposedly may be beneficial bugs even though I still can't stand them) I would love to know a none chemical route that won't annihilate every bug around (don't put it past me at this point in time though I am at my breaking point!!! BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug? Icon_twisted

). So any advice if greatly appreciated!!

these are all the same bug just different angles

BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug? Bug_on10

BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug? Bug_on11

BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug? Bug_on12

Megan 6/18/2010, 9:52 pm

That looks pretty similar to the bug that was on my potatoes the other day. Is it a stink bug??? (?)

Garden_State 6/18/2010, 10:01 pm

Doesn't look like a stink bug. They look like a shield.

BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug? Brown_10

auntij 6/18/2010, 10:02 pm

I don't know. All the pictures I have found of stink bugs show them more flat. I haven't found anything that looks like this. It is a pretty strong bug it hung on tight. There were a couple damaged leaves near where it was perched as well as throughout my beans (and many other veggies). I saw small ants crawling up the plants. Earwigs were on the ground nearby.

pattipan 6/18/2010, 10:28 pm

It looks like some kind of weevil. Might be a Two Banded Japanese Weevil (Callirhopalus bifasciatus). They prefer Holly trees and Rhododendron. Do a Google image search and maybe you can find out more info.

Patti

auntij 6/18/2010, 10:45 pm

Patti you are the winner of the gold star! I can't say that I am happy but I am glad to know what they are and now I just have to figure out how I can effectively deal with them.

pattipan 6/18/2010, 11:09 pm

auntij wrote:Patti you are the winner of the gold star!

How about the gold bug award??

BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug? 17_112-vw-beetle

Or maybe this 14K beetle...

BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug? Goldchrysina3

:-)

Patti

**camprn** 6/18/2010, 11:30 pm

I like the white walls!

auntij 6/18/2010, 11:56 pm

For saving part of my sanity you may have both!

Chopper 6/18/2010, 11:58 pm

Looks like a tick to me.

kingdaddy 6/19/2010, 12:00 am

I have been doing alot of reading about using beneficals in the garden. I have already added about 2500 ladybugs and will release a second batch of the same size soon ( i do have some aphids and would like to limit them naturally). praying mantis are next on my list. you may do well to get some eggs and add some mantis to your garden becasue they should help cut down on the number of bugs that you are seeing.

auntij 6/19/2010, 12:53 am

I'm going to take the risk of sounding like a total moron (especially since I buy crickets regularly) but where does one go to purchase ladybugs and mantis'? I don't know of a local Bugs R Us.

**herbarium** 6/19/2010, 1:04 am

Spined soldier beetles are good guys
Stink bugs are bad guys
It is good to know the difference.
Also, most insects are either beneficial or neutral. Very few are bad guys.
Stink bug: http://www.organicgardeninfo.com/images/brown-stink-bug.jpg
Spined Soldier Beetle: http://insects.tamu.edu/images/insects/common/images/cd-45-a/Img0080.jpg
Notice the Spined Soldier Beetle has sharp shoulders
The stink bug does not.

pattipan 6/19/2010, 2:30 am

Okay, I think I am beginning to see bugs everywhere now? They are following me around on my computer screen too!!

I think I knew what this bug is too, it's a boffer-beetle!

BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug? Boffer10

I understand it's a very SFG friendly beetle. :-)

In it's adult?? phase it looks like this:

BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug? Boffer10

Patti

Mirjam 6/19/2010, 3:48 am

I don't think they'll harm the veggies, they lay their eggs in pine, and theri larvae eat the wood. Do u use pine barch as a mulch somewhere in your garden? They may be attracted to or coming from that.

BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug? Xn_hyl10

BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug? Xn_hyl10

boffer 6/19/2010, 11:05 am

GOT HIM!:

pattipan 6/19/2010, 11:31 am

boffer wrote:
GOT HIM!:

BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug? 641297

That fly swatter picture took some thought!

Patti

auntij 6/19/2010, 11:38 am

It is definitely a two banded weevil I compared the 2 very closely. It will do harm if left to its own devices. It has done some harm already but not enough to wipe anything out. I am still pretty sure my main culprit is those darned earwigs. I don't care if they don't "normally eat much" they are eating TONS!! I live in the city dang it I shouldn't have this many bugs! I should have flies, ants and mosquitoes! But NOOOOOOOOOOO I have to have more nature than the back woods of Maine. I am waiting for a bear to camp out on my back steps asking for a hand out. BUG ID has this been a good bug or a bad bad bug? Icon_mad

kingdaddy 6/19/2010, 9:05 pm

@ auntij - i got the lady bugs off of ebay - i found a great seller and would be glad to pm anyone his screen name if you are interested in buying some. i found many sellers of the praying mantis online. they mostly ship eggs, which hatch and can provide you with hundreds and hundreds of mantis. but i have not bought these yet - so i cannont speak to how successful this approach is. i can say that the lady bugs that i released did a WONDERFUL job eating the aphids. they did not completely eradicate them, but the numbers are down considerably. i expect that my second release will help even more.

i have not yet been able to find anyone selling brachnoid wasps that are natural predators of the tomato horn worm. even if i did find them i am not sure that i could bring my self to add wasps to my garden.

Megan 6/20/2010, 2:06 am

@ Kingdaddy: I have something I am pretty sure are wasps in my garden. They are teeny tiny golden things, not sure if "braconid", but beautiful. I am terrified of bees/wasps, but they have not bothered me at all.

pattipan 6/20/2010, 5:57 pm

I found another great bug identification site. This one is more agriculture specific. It has the bugs in a spreadsheet type table and you can click the header to sort as you like.

http://www.ipmimages.org/

Click on the Vegetables link for crop specific pests...or down the page a bit under Damage Types, click on a pest/insect category.

Patti

**herbarium** 6/21/2010, 8:51 am

Thanks for the IPM Images link!

junequilt 6/21/2010, 1:24 pm

If there are any brachonid wasps in your area, just plant some creeping thyme or mother-of-thyme and they will find it! They love the tiny flowers.

Megan 6/21/2010, 6:44 pm

By that website's photos, whatever I've got is probably not braconid wasps. Wonder what they are... :?:

pattipan 6/21/2010, 8:00 pm

Megan wrote: I have something I am pretty sure are wasps in my garden. They are teeny tiny golden things, not sure if "braconid", but beautiful. I am terrified of bees/wasps, but they have not bothered me at all.

I saw a tiny metallic looking bee/wasp on my squash leaves this morning. The dew was still on and it looked like the bee was just taking a drink. I thought maybe it was some sort of sweat bee???

Patti

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looks like a pine weevil

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