UNIVERSITY PARK - Over 400
species of plant bugs occur in
Pennsylvania, according to en
tomologists at Penn State. These
plant bugs are the only group of
insects that both scientist and
laymen can properly call “bugs,”
says Alfred G. Wheeler, adjunct
entomologist with the College of
Agriculture.
Plant bugs suck sap by means of
a beak or proboscis, Wheeler
explained. They’re relatively tiny
insects, 1/8 to 5/8 inches long.
Some species damage crops, but
not all are plant feeders. In fact, a
surprisingly large number feed on
other insects. The 400 are
technically known as the insect
family Miridae.
Wheeler has studied the biology
of the more common species of
plant bugs in his dual role as en
tomologist with the Bureau of
Plant Industry, Pa. Department of
Agriculture. Cooperating on the
research was Thomas J. Henry,
now with the Systematic En
tomology Laboratory of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture in
Washington, D.C.
When Dutch elm disease began
eliminating many American elms,
a search began for other kinds of
shade trees. In the 1950’s and
1960’5, a number of thornless and
seedless varieties or cultivars of
honeylocust were developed.
For several years, ornamental
honeylocusts were considered
nearly pest free. However, one
yellow or golden-leaved cultivar,
Sunburst, proved attractive to the
honeylocust plant bug when the
tree was grown along city streets
and in home plantings. Plant bugs
feeding on new growth discolor and
distort the leaflets. Large numbers
of bugs can cause prematue
defoliation of entire trees.
“This is an example of an insect
that rarely damages its host plant
in its normal habitat but has
become a pest under urban con
ditions,” Wheeler said. “It is well
know that ash plant bugs prefer
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9AM -3 PM
400 plant bug species exist in
native trees growing in open areas.
They have now become common
pests of ornamental ash in street
plantings.”
The sycamore plant bug, Henry
indicated, is another example of an
msect that only recently has
become a pest. This insect nor
mally does not injure native
sycamoie (American plane tree),
but often becomes a problem when
this plant and the related London
plane tree are grown in nurseries
or along city streets.
Sycamore plant bugs suck juices
from tender, expanding foliage
and apparently inject a poisonous
substance into the leaves. Plant
tissue that has been “fed on” turns
brown and drops out, leaving many
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MADISON, Wise. Dairymen
participating in the World’s First
Forage Analysis Superbowl will
aim for prizes valued in the
thousands of dollars. Agricultural
firms whose products are used in
alfalfa production have con
tributed many valuable mer
chandise prizes.
The World’s First Forage
Analysis Superbowl is co
sponsored by the World Dairy
Expo, Holstein World, Wisconsin
DHIA, and the University of
Wisconsin-Extension. Two
divisions, field-dried hay and
haylage, will be judged by the
University of Wisconsin-Extension
with their near-infrared spec
troscopy process.
Winner of the hay division will
receive a season’s use of a Sperry
New Holland Model 499 Haybine
Mower-Conditioner. The haylage
division winner will be awarded a
Clay Ring Drive Silo Unloader.
Second-place winners in both
divisions will receive a Brillion
Sure-Stand Seeder to use for one
season. In addition, all entrants
will have their sample analyzed
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HONDA. ,717)^096-01.0
"HONDA AT ITS BEST"
time, the “shot-hole” appearance
of the foliage was blamed
mistakenly on frost, chewing in
sects or a disease.
Most plant bugs insert their eggs
deep into plant stems, making
detection nearly impossible, it was
pointed out. In this way, bugs move
long distances with plants. A
number of Europe species have
entered the U.S. with nursery stock
and have become established.
While most “imports” have
remained harmless or
economically unimportant, a
serious pest could enter, Wheeler
cautioned.
Not so long ago, a pest of or
namental ash in the western states
Was brought into a Pannwhrania
Forage ‘Superbowl’ offers super prizes
and a balanced ration formulated.
Winning forage samples will be
displayed during the World Dairy
Expo, October 3-7, at the Dane
County Coliseum in Madison, WI.
Dairymen from across the United
States are eligible to participate
and winners will be honored at a
special luncheon Oct. 8. Besides
displaying the winning forage
samples, a special forage program
will be held each morning in the
Expo’s new educational display
area.
Other companies supporting the
promotion include;
Gehl Company, forage box (one
year’s use); Dairyland Seed Co.,
six bags of alfalfa seed; Funks
Seed Co., six bags of alfalfa seed;
Jacques Seed Co., six bags of
alfalfa seed; Kaltenberg Seed Co.,
four bags of alfalfa seed; North
American Plant Breeders, four
bags of alfalfa seed; O’s Gold Seed
Co., six bags of alfalfa seed; and
Pioneer Hi-Bred International, six
bags of alfalfa seed.
Also Pride Seed Co., six bags of
alfalfa seed; FMC Corp., 10 units
of Furadan; Stauffer Chemical
ALSO ATC JOOS
WAS $1398.00
»ow *1298.00
Of FEB GOOD ONLY TIL JUNE 30,1994
plant nursery with dormant, bare
rooted young trees or “whips”
grown in Oregon. Only prompt
detection prevented this potential
pest from becoming established in
the Commonwealth, it was noted.
“Our studies have shown that
several species may be important
biological or natural predators of
ornamental pests,” Wheeler said.
“We have studied one plant bug
that is common on white oak where
it destroys populations of aphids,
lace bugs and spider mites. Two
other species, referred to as
jumping tree bugs, feed on obscure
scale.”
He added that Christmas tree
growers are aided by several kinds
of plant bugs that feed on aphids on
Co., five units of Eptam; Domain
Inc., “Alive” silo additive and
applicator; Miles Laboratories,
“Ag-Master” forage inoculant and
applicator; Madison Farm
Structures, forage Tester; Nor
thwest Ag Consultants, 10 hay
coring tools; Garst Seed Company,
six bags of alfalfa seed; and
Retail market tour June 29
SCRANTON - The Northeast
Retail Marketing Tour of farmers
markets, roadside stands and pick
your-own markets in Berks,
Lancaster and Dauphin Counties
has been set for Friday, June 29.
Arranged by the Lackawanna
County Cooperative Extension
Service, the bus will leave the
Clarks Summit area at 6 a.m. and
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a .
Scotch pine and on gall aphids on
spruces and Douglas fir. Spider
mites on spruce trees are eaten by
another plant bug. This mite
predator, Wheeler reported, was
accidentally brought in from
Europe a rare example of a
beneficial insect entering the
country unbeknown to scientists.
Further work is needed to
determine the “friend or foe”
status of plant bugs in the Com
monwealth, Wheeler said. With
species already known to be in
jurious, control has been made
easier, he said, by correlating egg
hatch of the bug with stage of
growth of the host plant. In this
way, insecticide sprays can be
timed with best accuracy.
Oakfield Apparatus, Inc., four hay
coring units.
Dairymen wishing to enter the
contest should write to World
Dairy Expo, P.O. box 9113, 919
Applegate Road, Madison, W 1
53713, for an entry blank. Local
county extension agents can also
be contacted for more information.
return there about 9 p.m. or 10 p.m.
with a stop on the way back for a
family style dinner. Donation for
the bus is $3 per person.
Reservations must be received
by June 25 and can be made by
sending in your check to the
Lackawanna County Cooperative
Extension, 200 Adams Avenue,
Scranton 18503 or calling 961-4761.
Ph: 717-394-30*7 or 717-626-1164