Beetle fauna of the island of Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies

Tobago is a biologically rich but poorly investigated island. In this paper we report the occurrence of 672 species of beetles representing 69 families. Of these, only 95 had been previously reported from the island

Pollinator attractiveness of five weeds

The number of pollinators in agro-ecosystems world wide has declined alarminglyin recent decades due to poora gricultural practices such as the intensive use of pesticides and monocultures.Postprint (published version

A Beginner\u27s Guide to Arthropod ID

Classification \u3e Morphological Identification \u3e Images Spiders and Scorpions; Sow Bugs; Millipedes, Centipedes & Pauropods; Proturans, Springtails & Diplurans; Bristletails & Silverfish; Mayflies; Dragonflies & Damselflies; Grasshoppers, Crickets & Katydids; Walkingsticks; Rock Crawlers; Gladiators; Earwigs; Stoneflies; Web-Spinners; Zorapterans; Mantids; Cockroaches; Termites; Bugs, Aphids, Scale Insects, Hoppers, Cicadas, Psyllids & Whiteflies; Thrips; Barklice & Booklice; Lice; Beetles; Alderflies, Dobsonflies, Antlions, Lacewings, Mantidflies & Fishflies; Ants, Bees, Wasps & Sawflies; Caddisflies; Butterflies, Skippers & Moths; Fleas; Scorpionflies & Hangingflies; Twisted-Winged Parasites; Flies & Mosquitoes; Reference

Nebraska 4-H Entomology Club Manual : Extension Circular 16-01-2

This 4-H circular is a manual for the entomology club. This manual gives all the information you need to collect and examine many different types of bugs

An Insect Community Study of the Morris Arboretum Green Roof

Green roofs are becoming increasingly popular in cities around the globe because of their numerous benefits to humans. Green roofs can also benefit wildlife, particularly insects, through the creation of habitat. The goal of this study was to evaluate the biodiversity of the insect community on the Morris Arboretum intensive green roof and to identify management strategies to promote more diversity. We vacuum sampled the green roof three times in August and September 2017. Insects in the orders Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Neuroptera, and Mantodea were sorted, preserved, and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic rank. Overall, 891 insects were collected and identified. Two groups, ants and aphids, accounted for 566 of those insects. There was low diversity and abundance of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, which could be attributed to the lack of fall-flowering plants, larval host plants, and overwintering sites. Additionally, there was low diversity of pollinator species, which may also be attributed to the lack of fall-flowering plants. In order to promote these groups, I suggest adding plants that provide high-quality pollen and nectar resources in the late summer and fall, as well as adding woody debris to provide habitat and overwintering sites. I also suggest maintaining open areas to provide habitat for ground-nesting insects. If these management suggestions are implemented, the increased diversity of habitat and resources will foster more diversity in the insect community

Increasing beneficial insects in row crops and gardens (2015)

"New 8/15/Web.""Agriculture.

Wildflower plantings have mixed effects on insect herbivores and their natural enemies

Flower strips are advocated as a strategy to promote beneficial insects as well as the services they deliver to adjacent crops. Flower strips have, however, often been developed separately for pollinators and natural enemies and, additionally, little consideration has been given to effects on insect herbivores. We sampled insect herbi-vores, their natural enemies and parasitism of pest eggs using vacuum sampling, sticky cards and egg cards in nine pairs of bee-attractive wildflower plantings and control field borders, as well as in adjacent tomato and watermelon crop fields in Yolo County, California 2015-2016. Control field borders had a higher total number of herbivores on sticky traps than did wildflower plantings, a pattern that was driven by more aphids, hoppers, psyllids and whiteflies, whereas wildflower plantings had more lace bugs and Lygus bugs. The total number of herbivores in the adjacent crop fields did not differ between treatments, but there were more leaf beetles near (at 10 m but not 50 m from) wildflower plantings. Control field borders had a higher total number of predators, driven by more big-eyed bugs, lady beetles and minute pirate bugs, whereas spiders were more common in wildflower plantings. The total number of predators in adjacent crop fields was, however, higher in those next to wildflower plantings, which was driven by more minute pirate bugs. Parasitoid wasps were more common in wildflower plantings and at 10 m but not 50 m into adjacent crop fields. Stink bug egg parasitism rate did not differ between treatments, either in the borders or in the crop fields. In conclusion, wildflower plantings clearly affect the insect herbivore and natural enemy community, but do so in a highly taxon-specific manner, which can lead to both positive and negative outcomes for pest control as a result

Know Your Insects

A graded project that can carry a young person through many years of work in entomology. The project material gives minimum instructions for beginning an entomology project. Included are an introduction to what an insect is, guidelines for making an insect collection including proper data collection and keys for the identification of specimens to order level, directions for making necessary collecting equipment, suggestions of how, when and where to collect, and lists references, and other aids that are available. The requirements for 3 years of general collecting for 4-H is included

Do charismatic species groups generate more cultural ecosystem service benefits?

The relationship between nature and cultural ecosystem service (CES) benefits is well accepted but poorly understood, as is the potential role of biodiversity in the relationship. By means of a public questionnaire survey in Wiltshire, UK, the relationship between the presence of a range of common species groups, species group ‘charisma’, group abundance in the landscape, and the benefit that people felt that they derived from the species groups was investigated for a lowland multifunctional landscape. Findings showed that species group charisma influenced the benefit reported by respondents for current abundance levels, and influenced their response to potential increases or decreases in abundance. Respondents reported high levels of benefit from species groups hypothesised to be charismatic (birds, flowering plants, butterflies) and there was high consistency in the pattern of response. Respondents reported less benefit from groups hypothesised to be less charismatic (beetles/bugs, brambles and nettles), the latter response patterns showing much greater variation. These results could be used to promote a more holistic understanding of the value of biodiversity by educating and informing the public so that they derive benefit not just from the charismatic, but also from the everyday, the commonplace and less obviously charismatic species