UConn Extension’s annual Bug Week was fun for the whole family again this year, and wrapped up with the photo contest. We had 27 entries total this year, 10 in the adult division and 17 in the junior (18 and under) category.
In the junior division our winners were:
1st place – Tianhao Jiang – “Great Gymnast”
2nd place – Alice Han – “Pretty Ladybug”
3rd place – Eric Han – “Butterfly Nectar”
In the adult division, our winners are:
1st place (tie) – Elise Bennett – “Brilliant Disguise”
1st place (tie) – Robert Himmerlight – “Lady Bug”
2nd place – Julia Pratt – “Exit Stage 4”
3rd place – Rebecca Hawkins – Ambush
Tianhao Jiang - 1st place junior - Great Gymnast
Alice Han - 2nd place junior - Pretty Ladybug
Eric Han - 3rd place junior - Butterfly nectar
Elise Bennett - Brilliant Disguise - Tied for first place - adult
Robert Himmerlight - Lady Bug - Tied for 1st place - adult
Exit Stage Four - Julia Pratt - 2nd place adult
Rebecca Hawkins - Ambush - 3rd place adult
Amelie - Buddies
Sylvia Gott - Believe in Yourself
Jonathan Blank - Pollination By My Bee!
Travis - tree with gypsy moths
Lanaya - gypsy moths
Yalienis - moth
Azul - Gypsy Moth Line
Cardell - insect masses
Jiliana - moth
Alyssa - bee on lavender
Anthony - Bee Zoom
Aliah - moth front view
Alisha - Masses on tree
Lucas Hawkins - Amazing White Wooly
Ting Zhou - A Resting Butterfly
Bonnie Burr - bees in flower
Cara Workman - Hummingbird Moth
Anna Dietz - Bumblebee Fueling Up
Isaac Hawkins - So Painful
Harley Erickson - Monarch
Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you to all of our participants. Bugs are the unsung heroes of our ecosystem, providing services such as pollination and natural pest control. However, bugs don’t stop at environmental benefits. They have also impacted our culture through the manufacturing of silk, sources of dyes, wax and honey production, food sources, and the improvement of building materials and structures. There are also problem bugs, like the Emerald Ash Borer and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug that are a concern in Connecticut. Visit our website at www.bugs.uconn.edu for featured insects and resources.
UConn Extension offices are located across the state and offer an array of services dedicated to educating and informing the public on innovative technology and scientific improvements. Bug Week is one example of UConn Extension’s mission in educating and solving problems in the areas of food, health and sustainability. For more information on Bug Week, please visit our website at www.bugs.uconn.edu, email bugweek@uconn.edu or call 860-486-9228.
1st Place Photo Contest 2017 – Jeff Gonci – “Buzzy Bee” – Manchester, CT
UConn Extension’s Bug Week is right around the corner, and we have programs for the whole family.
Bugs are the unsung heroes of our ecosystem, providing services such as pollination and natural pest control. However, bugs don’t stop at environmental benefits. They have also impacted our culture through the manufacturing of silk, sources of dyes, wax and honey production, food sources, and the improvement of building materials and structures. There are also problem bugs, like the Emerald Ash Borer and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug that are a concern in Connecticut. Visit our website at www.bugs.uconn.edu for featured insects and resources.
All ages are welcome to attend and explore the activities and events dedicated to insects and their relatives. Bug Week programs include:
Pests and Guests will be held at the Tolland Agricultural Center in Vernon on Monday, July 23rdat 5:30 PM. Activities include: cooking with bugs, games and demos for the whole family, and learning about bugs in the garden. Please register at http://s.uconn.edu/4ac or call 860-486-9228.
Pollinators at Auerfarm in Bloomfield on Monday, July 23rdwill have a station at the beehive, pollinator plants, and a hands-on make and take activity. The farm is home to a Foodshare garden, 4-H programs and more, offering fun for the entire family. Time is to be determined, with a rain date of Tuesday. Please register at http://s.uconn.edu/4ac or 860-486-9228.
Insect Wonders at the Farm: Join UConn Extension faculty and Spring Valley Student Farm staff and students for an interactive, fun-filled ‘buggy’ event. Learn about our amazing and important insect friends by collecting and observing them. Activities for the whole family will include insect collecting, insect-inspired crafts, Bug-Bingo and a scavenger hunt. This event will be held on Tuesday, July 24th from 9-11 AM. The rain date is July 27th.
Join the Museum of Natural History, AntU and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology for an exciting afternoon on campus on Thursday, July 26th from 12:30-4 PM. We have tours of the insect collections, an AntU presentation, plus exhibit activities, microscope stations, giveaways, and a live ant colony. There will also be special greenhouse displays. Please register at http://s.uconn.edu/4ac
Find out all about insects and where to look for them at Bug Walks at the Tolland Agricultural Center in Vernon on Saturday, July 28th from 10 AM-1 PM. The program will have live insects on display, right out in the open, plus part of the insect collection from the UConn Natural History Museum, as well as three bug hunts that include going to the butterfly/pollinator garden and the vegetable garden on the property.
Connecticut Science Center is celebrating Bug Week from Monday, July 23rdthrough Saturday, July 28th. Lots of things are buzzing around at the Connecticut Science Center during Bug Week. Spend some time in the tropical Butterfly Encounter, participate in bug-themed Live Science programming, come hear a bug themed story during Story Time, and be sure to explore what is flying around the Rooftop Garden. Programs are open to all ages. Please visit the Connecticut Science Center for ticket prices.
A photo contest is being offered, with three categories: junior, senior and professional. More details can be found at: http://bugs.uconn.edu/photo-contest/
UConn Extension offices are located across the state and offer an array of services dedicated to educating and informing the public on innovative technology and scientific improvements. Bug Week is one example of UConn Extension’s mission in tying research to real life, by addressing insects and some of their relatives.
Gypsy moth caterpillars have certainly caused their fair share of problems over the past couple of years. We know you have questions, and UConn Extension can help you answer them. For more information on these pests read Extension educator Tom Worthley’s post on understanding them.
This is a Cecropia moth caterpillar. Do you want to see one in person? Meet this guy, and lots of other bugs on Saturday at our Bug Walks event in Vernon.
Bug Walks in Vernon (24 Hyde Avenue) – Saturday, July 29th 10 AM – 1 PM
Find out all about insects and where to look for them at Bug Walks at the Tolland Agricultural Center in Vernon. The program will have live insects on display, right out in the open, plus part of the insect collection from the UConn Natural History Museum, as well as three bug hunts that include going to the butterfly/ pollinator garden and the vegetable garden on the property.
Donna Ellis, UConn, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, 2017.
Syrphid flies are also known as hover flies or flower flies. These tiny beneficial insects are members of the insect order Diptera, which includes flies, mosquitoes, and gnats. They adults vary in size, but the common ones we often see in our area are less than ¼ inch in length. Syrphid flies have 2 wings and are sometimes mistaken for small bees due to similar markings on their abdomen, but they are flies and do not bite or sting. Syrphid flies are amazing pollinators, feeding on pollen and nectar from many annuals and perennials during the summer months. These beneficials are called hover flies because they can actually hover over plants while flying.
Syrphid flies go through complete metamorphosis, from egg to larva (the larva are technically called maggots because they are flies), on to a pupal stage, and finally to adult. As an immature larva, they can feed on many soft-bodied plant pests, such as aphids, eggs, scales, caterpillars, and leafhoppers. The larvae can be found in many colors, including green, brown, yellow, or off-white. To find their prey, larvae move their legless bodies around on plants and swing their heads until they bump into their next meal. Despite their small size, a syrphid fly larva can feed on hundreds of insects before it develops into an adult. The adults only feed on pollen and nectar. There can be a number of generations of these helpful insects during the summer months. Look for them on the flowers in your garden!
A syrphid fly adult, also called a hover fly. These beneficial insects are often found hovering over flowers. Photo by Donna Ellis, UConn.A syrphid fly larva, or maggot. Photo by David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org.If you look carefully near the center of the flower, you will see a tiny adult syrphid fly. Photo by Donna Ellis, UConn.
References
Gardiner, M.M. 2004. Good Garden Bugs. Everything You Need to Know About Beneficial Predatory Insects. Quarry Books, Beverly, MA. 176 pp.
Walliser, J. 2014. Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden. Timber Press, Portland, OR. 240 pp.
Spittlebug Foam. Photo credit: Gerald J. Lenhard, Louisiana State University, Bugwood.org
Spittlebugs are common and easily recognized by the white foamy ‘spittle’ produced by the nymph or immature stage of the insects as they feed. Adults are less commonly seen but are commonly known as froghoppers (close relatives of leafhoppers, etc). Depending on the reference, there are anywhere from 30 to 60+ spittlebug species in the United States. All feed on plants, including both woody and herbaceous types. Some spittlebugs have broad host ranges and others narrow.
There is usually only one generation per year and most overwinter in the egg stage inside overwintering plant tissue where they were deposited by the females in from mid to late summer to early fall, depending on species. Hatch occurs in the spring, probably in May in Connecticut. Even though spittlebugs feed by extracting plant sap/juice through needle-like mouth parts, they seldom cause notable injury to the plant. There are a few exceptions including the meadow spittlebug (Philaenus spumarius) and the pine spittlebug (Aphrophora cribata).
The meadow spittlebug has a broad host range that includes both herbaceous and woody plants. It is reported to cause damage in clover, strawberry, mint, herbaceous ornamentals and both coniferous and broad-leaved woody plants when present in high numbers. Other common names include the common froghopper and the cuckoo spit (most common name in the UK). Eggs are laid in the stems or crevices of host plants in the fall. When they hatch in the spring, nymphs usually feed on the plant the eggs were laid on but they will move to younger more tender tissues as the plant grows. There are five nymph stages and all produce spittle as they feed. Once the adult stage is reached, spittle is no longer produced and the adult is quite mobile, quickly jumping a long distance relative to its size when disturbed.
The froghoppers or adult stage are so-called because their bodies are somewhat wider at the rear like a frog. The name
Spittlebug nymph. Photo credit: David Cappaert, Bugwood.org
cuckoo spit may have come about because the spittle tends to be first seen in the spring around the same time that the first calls of the cuckoo bird are heard. Most adults are brown to green in color with only subtle markings but some species have striking coloration or patterns. The meadow spittlebug adult is quite variable in coloration.
So, about the spittle. The spittle offers some clear benefits to the nymph(s) hiding within. First, it helps prevent the soft-bodied little guys from drying out. In addition, it protects them from detection by potential parasites and predators. A single mass of spittle may be inhabited by multiple nymphs feeding in the same area on the plant. How is the spittle produced? First, the spittlebug ingests more plant sap than it needs for its nutrition/sustenance. The excess is expelled through the anus as a watery waste product. It mixes with a mucilaginous fluid produced by glands on the abdomen and air bubbles are introduced from a special canal by abdominal contractions. This is pretty interesting stuff going on in gardens, forests and meadows all around us each spring and early summer!
If you would like to get a closer look at a nymph, don’t be afraid to brush the foam carefully away from a plant and look for them inside. They will be up to ¼” long depending on their stage of development and may be yellowish, greenish or brown in color. They are elongated and generally are positioned head down. This facilitates the movement of the spittle downward to cover them. Nymphs are shy and will not be happy to be exposed. They will attempt to walk away but cannot run or fly.
The biggest problem with spittlebugs in the garden, whether it’s an ornamental or food garden, is the unsightliness of the spittle masses. Spittle and nymphs can both be washed off the plants with a steady stream of water. On a small scale, they can be hand-removed and disposed of. Normally, no chemical controls are recommended and the spittle protects nymphs from contact insecticides. Not sure if there are enough spittlebugs to cause plants to be weakened? Look for distorted or stunted new growth, and of course numerous spittle masses on the same plant.
UConn Extension’s Bug Week is right around the corner, and we have programs for the whole family.
Bugs are the unsung heroes of our ecosystem, providing services such as pollination and natural pest control. However, bugs don’t stop at environmental benefits. They have also impacted our culture through the manufacturing of silk, sources of dyes, wax and honey production, food sources, and the improvement of building materials and structures. There are also problem bugs, like the Emerald Ash Borer and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug that are a concern in Connecticut. Visit our website at www.bugs.uconn.edu for featured insects and resources.
All ages are welcome to attend and explore the activities and events dedicated to insects and their relatives. Bug Week programs include:
Pests and Guests will be held at the Tolland Agricultural Center in Vernon on Monday, July 24th at 5:30 PM. Activities include: cooking with bugs, games and demos for the whole family, and learning about bugs in the garden. Please register at http://s.uconn.edu/3r7 or call 860-486-9228.
Insect Wonders at the Farm: Join UConn Extension faculty and Spring Valley Student Farm staff and students for an interactive, fun-filled ‘buggy’ event. Learn about our amazing and important insect friends by collecting and observing them. Activities for the whole family will include insect collecting, insect-inspired crafts, Bug-Bingo and a scavenger hunt. This event will be held on Tuesday, July 25th from 9-10:30 AM. The rain date is July 26th.
Join the Museum of Natural History, AntU and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology for an exciting afternoon on campus on Thursday, July 27th from 1-5 PM. We have tours of the insect collections, an AntU presentation, plus exhibit activities, microscope stations, giveaways, and a live ant colony. There will also be special greenhouse displays. Please register at http://s.uconn.edu/3r7
Pollinators at Auerfarm in Bloomfield on Friday, July 28th from 9 AM -12 PM will have a station at the beehive, pollinator plants, and a hands-on make and take activity. The farm is home to a Foodshare garden, 4-H programs and more, offering fun for the entire family. Please register at http://s.uconn.edu/3r7 or 860-486-9228.
Find out all about insects and where to look for them at Bug Walks at the Tolland Agricultural Center in Vernon on Saturday, July 29th from 10 AM-1 PM. The program will have live insects on display, right out in the open, plus part of the insect collection from the UConn Natural History Museum, as well as three bug hunts that include going to the butterfly/pollinator garden and the vegetable garden on the property.
A photo contest is being offered, with three categories: junior, senior and professional. More details can be found at: http://bugs.uconn.edu/photo-contest/
UConn Extension offices are located across the state and offer an array of services dedicated to educating and informing the public on innovative technology and scientific improvements. Bug Week is one example of UConn Extension’s mission in tying research to real life, by addressing insects and some of their relatives.
Thank you to all of our photo contest participants, and congratulations to the winners:
“T Bug” 1st Place Junior: Amelie Lopez“Young Grasshopper” 1st Place Professional – Jennifer Dacey“An Ant at the Allium” 1st Place Senior – Alyssa Mattei“Summer Visitor” 2nd Place Senior – Harley Erickson“Forest Encounter” 3rd Place Senior – Sylvia Gott
Tianhao Jiang - 1st place junior - Great Gymnast
