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Oklahoma Master Gardeners
Basic Entomology for
the Home and Landscape
Eric J. Rebek
Dept. of Entomology
and Plant Pathology
MG Questions and Answers
• How can I manage insect
pests without
insecticides?
• How do I stop ants from
getting in my house?
• Do some plants repel
mosquitoes?
• Why doesn’t this
insecticide work?
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Keys to Insect Management
Know your landscape
Know your adversary
Know your tools for control
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Know Your Landscape
• Preemptive gardening is a good first
step in keeping many problems from
ever occurring (i.e., preventative
maintenance)
• Includes selecting proper plant
material, site identification, “smart
landscaping”, proper fertility, proper
watering, and overall good
horticultural practices
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Know Your Landscape
• Some insects are commonly
associated with certain plants
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Know Your Landscape
• Some of these close associations create a
nuisance for the home or landscape
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Know Your Landscape
• Location of plant materials in the landscape
can affect potential pest problems
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Know Your Adversary
Why Study BUG Science?
• Proper ID
• Associate injury symptoms with pest
• Selection of proper control strategy
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The Arthropods
Phylum Arthropoda (ahr thrŏ pod a)
• The most abundant, diverse life form on
the planet (3/4 of known animal species)
• Our chief competitor for food, and a major
source of potential health problems and
annoyance
• Most are NOT a problem for us
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What Is an Arthropod?
All arthropods have:
• Skeleton on the outside of the body
• Distinct body segmentation
• Paired, jointed appendages
• Dorsal, tubular heart valves
• Double, ventral nerve chord
• Open circulatory system
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Classification of Japanese Beetle
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Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
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Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Popillia
japonica
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Classes of Arthropods
• Malacostraca (crayfish, lobsters, sowbugs
pillbugs)  crustaceans
• Arachnida (spiders, mites, ticks, scorpions)
• Chilopoda (centipedes)
• Diplopoda (millipedes)
• Insecta (true bugs, beetles, butterflies,
wasps, fleas, grasshoppers, silverfish, etc.)
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The Arachnids
Class Arachnida (a-rach’-nid-a)
– Two body regions
(cephalothorax + abdomen)
– No antennae, never winged
– 4 pairs of legs
Tick
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Mite
Harvestman
Spider
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Scorpion
The Chilopods
Class Chilopoda (chi lo po da)
Centipedes
– Two main body regions
– Laterally flattened
– 30 to 340 legs (1 pair
per body segment)
– 1 pair antennae
– Predaceous, can be venomous
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The Diplopods
Class Diplopoda (dip lo po da)
Millipedes
–
–
–
–
2 body regions
Body generally rounded
1 pair of antennae
80-400 legs (2 pair per
apparent body segment)
– Feed on decaying organic
matter
– Often coil when disturbed
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The Insects
Class Insecta (in sec ta)
• Beetles, wasps, butterflies, cicadas,
grasshoppers, roaches
• 3 body regions
(head + thorax + abdomen)
• 3 pairs of legs
• 1 pair of antennae
• 0, 1 or 2 pair of wings
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Insect Physiology 101
The insect body is made of a substance called chitin;
it must be shed for the insect to grow
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Insect Growth
Metamorphosis
• Series of changes an insect passes through in
its growth and development
• Growth and development occur through the
process of ecdysis (shedding its exoskeleton)
• Each molt allows insect to get bigger, change
shape, and mature
• May reduce competition between young and
adults for food and shelter
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Insect Growth
• Ametabolous Growth
– Increase in size, but no changes in
characteristics of the insect
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Insect Growth
• Ametabolous Growth
–
–
–
–
Protura (Proturans)
Diplura (Diplurans)
Thysanura (Silverfish)
Collembola (Springtails)
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Insect Growth
• Paurometabolous Development = gradual
metamorphosis
– Three life stages (egg, nymph, adult)
– Change in size, and addition of adult structures,
such as reproductive organs, wings.
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Insect Growth
• Gradual Metamorphosis
- Orthoptera (Grasshoppers
Roaches, Walkingsticks,
Mantids)
- Isoptera (Termites)
- Dermaptera (Earwigs)
- Psocoptera (Booklice)
- Zoraptera (Angel insects)
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Insect Growth
• Gradual Metamorphosis
-
Thysanoptera (Thrips)
Mallophaga (Chewing Lice)
Anoplura (Lice)
Hemiptera (True Bugs)
Homoptera (Aphids, Scales,
Leafhoppers, Plant Hoppers,
Whiteflies)
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Insect Growth
• Hemimetabolous Development =
simple (incomplete) metamorphosis
– Three life stages (egg, naiad, adult)
– Immature stage is aquatic
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Insect Growth
• Incomplete Metamorphosis
- Ephemeroptera (Mayfly)
- Odonata (Dragonfly)
- Plecoptera (Stonefly)
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Insect Growth
• Holometabolous Development =
complete metamorphosis
– Four life stages (egg, larva, pupa, adult)
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Insect Growth
• Complete Metamorphosis
- Neuroptera (Lacewings)
-
Coleoptera (Beetles)
Mecoptera (Scorpionfly)
Lepidoptera (Butterfly)
Diptera (True Fly)
Siphonaptera (Flea)
Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps)
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Insect Orders
• Insects can be grouped into orders quite
easily with a bit of practice. Key in on
the following:
–
–
–
–
Wing type and number
Mouthparts
Type of development
Other body structures (legs, antennae, etc.)
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Insect Mouthparts
Chewing
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Insect Mouthparts
Chewing-lapping
Sponging
Honeybee
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House fly
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Insect Mouthparts
Piercing-sucking
Leafhopper
Stable Fly
Mosquito
Flea
Louse
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Insect Mouthparts
Siphoning
Rasping
Butterfly
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Thrips
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Insect Wings
True bug - hemelytra
Grasshopper - tegmina
Thrips – fringed
Beetle - elytra
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Wasp – membranous
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Antennae
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Legs
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Major Groups of Insects
• Coleoptera – Beetles (sheath-winged)
Complete
metamorphosis
Chewing
mouthparts
Hardened wing
covers (elytra) on
adults, antennae
are various
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Major Groups of Insects
• Diptera - Flies, gnats, mosquitoes
(two-winged)
Complete metamorphosis
Mouthparts various
1 pair of membranous
wings, and 1 pair of little
knobs called halteres
(= hindwings)
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Major Groups of Insects
• Hemiptera - True bugs (half-winged)
Gradual metamorphosis
Piercing-sucking
mouthparts
2 pairs of wings with
hemelytra (outer wings)
“half” membranous and
half leathery
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Major Groups of Insects
• Hymenoptera - Ants, bees, wasps
(membrane-winged or marriage-winged)
Complete
metamorphosis
Chewing mouthparts
Membranous wings
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Major Groups of Insects
• Lepidoptera - Butterflies, moths,
skippers (scale-winged)
Complete
metamorphosis
Siphoning mouthparts
(adult), chewing
mouthparts (larva)
2 pair wings with
colored scales
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Major Groups of Insects
• Orthoptera - Grasshopper, cricket,
praying mantis, walkingstick, cockroach
(straight-winged)
Gradual metamorphosis
Chewing mouthparts
Outer wings leathery,
inner ones membranous
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Major Groups of Insects
• Neuroptera - Lacewings, antlions, snakeflies,
mantispids, dobsonflies, alderflies (nerve-winged)
Complete metamorphosis
Chewing mouthparts
(adults), piercing
mouthparts (larva)
Membranous wings with
many veins
Most are predaceous
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Major Groups of Insects
• Homoptera - Aphids, scales, whiteflies,
leafhoppers, cicadas (alike- or
uniform-winged)
Gradual metamorphosis
Piercing-sucking mouthparts
2 pairs of clear wings, some
wingless
Some reproduce without
males
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Major Groups of Insects
• Thysanoptera – thrips
(fringe-winged)
Gradual metamorphosis
Rasping-sucking
mouthparts
2 pairs of “feathery”
wings
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Know Your Adversary
Why Study This Stuff?
• Proper ID
• Associate injury symptoms with pest
• Selection of proper control strategy
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Relate Damage to Insect
Chewing Damage
Internal
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External
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Relate Damage to Insect
Piercing-Sucking Damage
Wilting
Distorted Growth
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Discoloration
Relate Damage to Insect
Rasping-Sucking Damage
Flower
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Leaf
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