Cicada killer wasps emerging in Central Texas

Over the past week I've been getting questions on large wasps that people are seeing emerging from the ground.  They want to know what they are and be reassured that they are not the Asian giant hornet.  These wasps are known as cicada killers and are aptly named.  Cicada killers are large wasps, reaching around 1.5 inches.  They have a rusty colored head and thorax with a black and yellow patterned abdomen.  The wings are also rusty in color, but transparent.

Cicada killer wasps are solitary, but multiple wasps may be seen in the same area at times.  Males are known for aggressively defending their territory and patrolling burrows created underground. While males dive bomb someone who walks into their territory, they are incapable of stinging.  Female cicada killers are capable of stinging, but generally reserve their stinger for paralyzing prey and tend to only sting in defense.

Adult wasps feed on nectar and tree sap while immatures feed on cicadas.  Adult female wasps locate a cicada, sting it causing the cicada to become paralyzed and then carry it back to the tunnel created in the ground.  She drags the cicada into the tunnel and to a nesting chamber.  Each chamber is provisioned with 1-2 cicadas before the female lays an egg on the leg of the cicada and seals up the chamber.  Once the egg hatches, the wasp larva eats the provided cicadas, overwintering in the ground as a mature larva, and pupating the following year to emerge again when cicadas are available.

Tunnels are about a foot deep and about 2 feet long with 3-4 chambers off to the sides for provision cicadas for larvae.

These wasps are considered to be beneficial, so no control is recommended.  If you feel that you need to manage them, you can:
1. Use clear plastic tarp over the tunnel area to solarize
2. Sprinkle and insecticidal dust around the tunnel opening and tamp it down with your foot

2015 All Bugs Good and bad Seminar Series

The eXtension All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar series is set to resume Feb. 6, 2015. Dr. Kathy Flanders, an entomologist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, says the 2015 series will continue to emphasize good and bad insects that affect people every day.

“This webinar series will feature insects that affect homeowners and gardeners,” says Flanders. “These insects fall into two categories and we hope to provide information that is beneficial when treating your gardens or crops, pest-proofing your home and yard, and protecting your family and pets.  One webinar will venture outside the insect world to discuss the small mammals that share our backyards.”

Webinars will be held the first Friday of each month at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The first webinar in the 2015 series will discuss how to use pesticides safely and effectively. "Pesticide Strategy: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," presented by Kaci Buhl, Coordinator, National Pesticide Information Center, will be Friday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m.

Charles Pinkston, a regional Extension home grounds agent, will be moderating the Feb. 6 webinar. He says it is imperative to follow the directions when using pesticides.

“All too often people think that if a little is good, more is better,” Pinkston says. “Using more pesticide than is directed is not only illegal, it can be dangerous and lead to secondary pest outbreaks.”

Upcoming webinar topics include fire ants, termites, beneficial garden helpers, and insect-borne diseases affecting people.

Flanders says The All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar series is designed to provide useful tips for those interested in solid, research-based information.

More information can be found at 2015 All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar Series including how to connect to the webinars.  On Feb. 6, participants can use this link to connect to the webinar. Participants can login as a guest within 15 minutes of the start of the webinar.  Webinars will be archived and can be found on the 2015 All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar Series page.

The 2015 webinars are a continuation of the nine webinars in the 2014 All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar Series,  That series included webinars on pollinator health, termites, spiders, ticks, mosquitoes, fire ants, kudzu bug and brown marmorated stink bug.  Links to view these archived webinars can be found here.

The 2015 Webinars are brought to you by the Imported Fire Ants, Urban IPM, Disasters, and Pesticide Environmental Stewardship eXtension Communities of Practice; and by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the University of Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture.  Kathy Flanders is the series coordinator.  Amanda Tedrow, University of Georgia Extension Agents, assists with marketing.   Shawn Banks, North Carolina State University Extension Agent moderates the text chat during webinars.

Upcoming Webinars in the First Friday of the Month 2014 Series

February 6, 2015 — Pesticide Strategy: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Presented by Kaci Buhl, Coordinator, National Pesticide Information Center
Moderated by Charles Pinkston and Danielle Carroll, Alabama Cooperative Extension System Regional Extension Agents

March 6, 2015 — Fire Ant Management Using Baits

Presented by Dr. Lawrence "Fudd" Graham
Moderated by Charles Pinkston and Bethany O'Rear, Alabama Cooperative Extension System Regional Extension Agents, and Vicky Bertagnolli-Heller, Clemson Cooperative Extension Consumer Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Coordinator

April 3, 2015 —Common Termites of the Southern United States: Biology, Behavior, and Management

Presented by Dr. Robert Puckett
Moderated by Mallory Kelley and Ellen Huckabay, Alabama Cooperative Extension System Regional Extension Agents

Lacewing larvae

Lacewings are beneficial insects, right?  Well...that depends on the circumstance in my opinion.  I was definitely thinking that they were NOT beneficial when one of the little boogers BIT me!

Lacewing larvae.  Photo by Bart Drees.

It happened a few weeks ago when hubby, the boy and I were playing outside on the swingset.  The boy discovered the lacewing and asked what it was.  I plucked it off the playset and was holding it to show him, while explaining that they were so good because they helped to eat insects that feed on our plants.  It began to crawl up my arm as I explained (maybe that's the problem....explaining too much to a 3 year old) and that's when it happened.  I felt a sharp prick and in my surprise the larvae fell into the grass.  My arm turned instantly pink in the area.  While it didn't feel the best, it wasn't excruciating pain, it didn't last long and my pink mark lasted maybe an hour or so before fading.  I would guess that most people, if bitten, wouldn't even get the pink mark, but I have really sensitive skin and even something that is simple for most, like mosquito bites, turn into huge pinkish welts that last for a long time.

So, the moral of the story is....lacewing larvae are beneficial when they are eating unwanted insects such as aphids, not when they bite you!

If you are interested in learning more about beneficial insects, please attend my seminar next Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at 9AM.  It will be held at the Travis County Extension Office at 1600-B Smith Road Austin, TX 78721.

I'll also be speaking the next day (June 14, 2012) from 10AM-12PM on Insect Pest Suppression Methods for Vegetables and Ornamentals.  That presentation will also be at the Extension office.

I do want to point out some other posts that you may find interesting.  Mike Merchant wrote an interesting post on tarantulas and their courtship.  Since I know many of you love it when you see tarantulas, you should check it out.  I've also been getting some calls recently about areas with high numbers of walkingsticks.  Molly Keck wrote a great post about walkingsticks that you can check out if you've been finding them lately.  And lastly, I would like to welcome my colleague Paul Nester to the world of blogging.  He recently started a blog about fire ants that you can check out for more information.

Mantids...predators of the garden

Since I covered a "creepy" bug last week, I decided to go with one that everyone generally likes to have around.

Mantids are easily recognized by their elongated thorax and specialized, raptorial front legs that are use to capture prey. They also have large compound eyes and a neck that can swivel 180 degrees. Mantids are generalist predators that will capture and eat a wide variety of small prey. They really don't differentiate between "good" and "bad" bugs, so they are best to conserve when you see them in the garden, but augment the population as they are cannibalistic and will also often bee seen eating honey bees.

After mating, females lay eggs in a frothy egg case on twigs, vines or other locations. The frothy egg case eventually hardens which will help protect the eggs throughout the winter. In the spring, small mantids (nymphs) will emerge from the egg case. It's actually rather interesting to watch as the first mantid out gets a meal delivered to them when the next nymph comes out of the egg case.

If you have kids who like bugs, or are interested yourself, you can either collect an egg case that you find or buy one from the store to watch the little guys and gals come out. If it's warm enough outside, you can release them into the backyard to have a go at it. If it's too cold outside for them to survive, you can keep them in a 10 gallon fish tank and feed them insects (pinhead crickets work great while they're small). Remember, they are cannibalistic, so don't forget to feed them!