Month: August 2022

 

 

On a stiflingly hot afternoon last week in the parking lot of a large suburban mall, I was treated to a remarkable and somewhat macabre phenomenon playing out in a dozen states in the eastern half of the US where spotted lanternflies engage in their annual dispersal flights. Scientists in the invaded range here in the US and in the native range in Asia have long observed the late summer peregrinations of spotted lanternflies as they take wing on hot summer days. Flights which may cover hundreds of yards are thought to carry legions of unmated female lanternflies to new host trees where they will mate, feed and develop eggs, prior to depositing eggs of the next generation. In the natural world, one full of delectable, nutritious host plants including a favored host, the invasive Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), taking a short flight to find a high-quality source of food for you and your offspring sounds like a fine idea. Furthermore, if hungry predators like mantises and assassin bugs or parasitic wasps have discovered you and your gang on your natal tree, getting out of Dodge and finding a new tree on which to procreate makes a lot of sense.

But what happens in an unnatural world, the human-built world where a mile of asphalt separates you from the nearest Tree of Heaven one of your preferred hosts for dining and developing? Here’s what I saw. At a shopping mall complex, scores of lanternflies apparently mistook large vertical surfaces of buildings lining the parking lots as hospitable places to land after departing their birth trees, which lined the perimeter of the asphalt desert. One fetching brown wall of a department store seemed to attract an overabundance of lanternflies, which roamed the bark-like cement surface apparently looking for a place to insert a beak. Lacking vascular tissues on which spotted lanternflies feed, these walls were a particularly bad choice to settle in for a meal. For them, starvation was just around the corner. Less fortunate lanternflies crashed into clear plate glass windows or concrete panels and fell onto sidewalks where busy parents buying back-to-school supplies brought a quick end to their puny lives. One eagle-eyed shopper exiting a store spotted a hapless lanternfly on the ground, exclaimed “oh, that’s a lanternfly, we’re supposed to squash them”, and proceeded to do so with a quick two-step. Another lady emerged from a car with two teenagers on their way to see a movie. A wayward lanternfly landed on her son. The mother grabbed the lanternfly, which displayed its gorgeous hindwings, and said “oh, look how pretty this is, I can’t hurt you.” She launched the insect back into the sky. This fascinating contrast reflects societies’ approach to lanternflies, other invasive insects, and sometimes insects in general. Some love them, some despise them, and many are somewhere in the middle.

Spotted lanternflies are on the wing to find new host plants, bringing them in contact with the human-built world where they will wander buildings and benches in search of food. Many will perish of starvation or dehydration on sidewalks and in parking lots. Others will be squashed beneath feet and automobile tires. Some may visit shoppers and diners briefly before flying off, while others will be snared and killed by urban spiders. Before you leave a parking area infested with lanternflies, inspect your car to make sure these clever vagabonds are not hitching a ride with you.

Excepting some form of divine intervention, spotted lanternflies have likely become unwanted but permanent residents in our country. In 2017 during the early stages of the lanternfly onslaught, we reported that more than a million lanternflies had been killed by volunteers in Berks and surrounding counties in Pennsylvania. Despite these herculean efforts, in the intervening five years, lanternflies have spread and established breeding populations in a dozen states, more than eighty counties, and have been detected almost five hundred miles from the place of their initial detection. Here in Maryland, we jumped from 2 infested counties in September of 2020 to 14 infested counties in August of 2022. Lanternflies are on the move.

 

  

 

Despite what you might have heard on television or read somewhere, squashing a few lanternflies in a parking lot in Maryland is unlikely to reduce the abundance of this pest. The vast majority of lanternflies you encounter outside a department store are doomed. In the wild, a diverse complement of predators and pathogens, part of Mother Nature’s hit squad, are already waging war on spotted lanternflies. These beneficial organisms have played important roles in putting a beat-down on other invasive pests like the brown marmorated stink bug. Remember that pest and how things have changed in the last two decades here in the DMV? In addition, clever scientists of the USDA are evaluating enemies of the lanternfly from the lanternfly’s native range in Asia. If these beneficial insects clear rigorous hurdles and pose no threat to our indigenous fauna, they will be released to join the battle against lanternflies. 

What should you do if you spot a spotted lanternfly when you stop in a parking lot in Maryland while on a trip to Colorado? Be sure to carefully inspect your vehicle both inside and out to avoid transporting a stowaway to a new location. If you are simply stopping for groceries before heading home and you live in a generally infested county, squashing a lanternfly may save the doomed lanternfly from a miserable death by starvation or being run over by a car. If you live in a county or location where spotted lanternfly is not known to infest and reproduce, like the District of Columbia or Napa County, California, and think you found a spotted lanternfly, by all means squash it and bring a swift end to its dastardly life, but don’t just toss it out. Please, take a photo of it, place it in a zip-lock bag and send it or the image to your local department of agriculture or nearest university extension service for identification. We need to know what new locations this rascal has invaded to make sound management decisions. Maybe you can be the one to help stop this crafty hitch-hiker from setting up shop in your hometown at least for the time being.

Acknowledgements     

We thank several shoppers and movie-goes in Hagerstown, Maryland for providing inspiration and video footage used in preparation of this episode. The great article “Flight Dispersal Capabilities of Female Spotted Lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) Related to Size and Mating Status” by Michael S. Wolfin, Muhammad Binyameen,  Yanchen Wang, Julie M. Urban, Dana C. Roberts, and Thomas C. Baker provided information on dispersal behaviors of lanternflies. Thanks to Brian Eshenaur and the entire team at the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program of Cornell University for providing the updated maps of spotted lanternfly distribution in the US.

To learn more about USDA’s efforts to discover beneficial insects with potential to reduce populations of spotted lanternflies, check out this website: https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=338695

To learn more about hitch-hiking spotted lanternflies, please visit this episode of Bug of the Week: https://bugoftheweek.com/?offset=1600693536810&reversePaginate=true

To learn more about spotted lanternfly flights, please click on this link: https://www.psu.edu/news/impact/story/spotted-lanternfly-collective-flights-late-summer-not-dangerous-public/

To see spotted lanternflies in flight, please click this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MqmWHodMN8

To hear a recent broadcast about spotted lanternflies in the DMV on public radio, please click this link: https://www.wypr.org/show/on-the-record/2022-08-25/the-invasive-spotted-lanternfly-and-park-students-in-the-arctic

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Learn How to Prevent Ground Bees from Building Nests or Harming Loved Ones

Surprise: Not all bees live in hives. Many make their homes in the ground, creating tunnels that disrupt lawns and create a nuisance for people and pets alike.

In fact, out of the 20,000 different species of bees around the world, approximately 14,000 are ground bees.

Several species of ground bees are common in the New England region of the United States, including social ground nesters like bumble bees and solitary bees like miner bees and digger bees. Although most ground bees aren’t aggressive, they will sting if threatened and may swarm around the ankles and shins of people walking in the vicinity.

If unsightly tunnels or nests have you worried, learning more about what it is and the danger it presents is a good first step in getting rid of ground bees.

These bees are pollinators, making it important to consult with professionals like the experts at Catseye Pest Control to ensure the best practices are being followed to handle ground bees without harming the ecosystem.

What are Ground Bees?

As the name implies, ground bees will nest in and under the soil. Most ground bees are solitary, which means they don’t live in colonies, but the nesting sites can be located near each other. Each female typically digs its own nest by creating tunnels that range from around 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch in diameter.

Some ground bees find holes made by small animals and will nest inside the hole.

Most ground bees are small, meaning no more than around 3/4-inch long. Depending on the species, the pest may have colors ranging from black, yellow, green, blue, copper, and metallic red.

Types of Ground Bees

There are a variety of ground bees, which can be seen in different colors and sizes. Some of the ground bees common to areas of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire include:

• Bumble Bees: Unlike other types of ground bees, bumble bees build underground hives, either burrowing into the soil or repurposing an existing hole. These bees are typically black and yellow with fuzzy abdomens.
• Cellophane Bees: These bees are one of the first emerging spring pollinators in the Northeast. They have dark heads and bodies with dark and light hair — also known as pile, and white or ivory stripes. Female cellophane bees can sting if they are stepped on or picked up.
• Sweat Bees: These ground bees are attracted to human sweat, so they may fly around people who are outdoors. Sweat bees don’t commonly sting, but females can sting if their nests are disturbed. Some sweat bees are dull or metallic black, but others are more colorful, coming in shades of metallic purple, blue, and green.
• Miner/Digger Bees: Males can be aggressive but don’t have stingers; females can sting when threatened. These bees are small with velvet-like facial patches. They may be furry and have a bright stripe or metallic-green color.

Ground Bee Dangers & Damage

One of the telltale signs of ground bees is the presence of low-flying bees that go into the soil using a single hole.

Property owners may also find what looks like anthills and mounds that the bees use to make their nests.

Although one or two ground bee nests aren’t likely to cause significant damage, if enough bees move into your outdoor space, it can cause problems, especially if the bees create nests in areas where you garden, mow, or otherwise spend time.

If you inadvertently disturb a nest, female ground bees may sting in retaliation. Some species have venom that causes a burning sensation. Others retain their stinger after stinging a person or animal, which could result in multiple stings in a single episode. Although the venom isn’t poisonous, it can trigger an allergic reaction in some people.

Tips for Safe Ground Bee Removal or Prevention

Wondering how to prevent ground bees naturally? Discourage ground bees from setting up shop with these preventive tips that can help prevent ground bees and other bees by making the space less hospitable:

• Till and enrich the soil with organic matter.
• Plant additional shrubs, ground cover, grasses, and other vegetation.
• Maintain soil moisture with frequent watering and adding mulch in bare spots.
• Avoid planting flowers that bloom in early spring and have brightly colored flowers.
• Add plants that repel ground bees, including petunias, lavender, citronella, geraniums, and marigolds.

Well intentioned DIYers may do more harm than good when attempting to go at bee prevention and removal alone.

For starters, if you’re not sure about what kind of ground bee you’re dealing with, you could mistakenly do battle with another kind of bee or wasp. For example, yellow jackets look like ground bees, but these aggressive ground nesting wasps can certainly sting you.

Trying to treat nests on your own can aggravate the bees. Remember, bees will sting if the nest is threatened.

And a single bee sting can lead to a variety of reactions — including hives, itching, or swelling at the sting site, in addition to more severe reactions like difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat, or tongue.

You might see misleading advice online or from friends and family about how to remove ground bees on your own by filling in the holes. Unfortunately, this won’t fix the problem. It will only cause the bees to create more holes to establish new entrances and exits.

And it can be extremely dangerous if it isn’t handled properly, making it essential to work with a trusted expert in bee control.

In fact, to ensure that the situation is handled properly, working with a knowledgeable professional is absolutely vital.

Professional Ground Bee Control & Removal at Catseye

Whether ground bees are creating a buzz at your home or business, a stress-free outdoor space without worrying about disturbing a nest or enduring painful stings is a must-have.

Professionals not only help prevent future problems, but they can also handle proper removal of miner bees, cellophane bees, and other types of bees, hornets, and wasps with the utmost care for optimal results.

Bee control and nest removal services from Catseye offers prevention as well as nest removal. Our experienced technicians have the skills and equipment to efficiently rid properties of ground bees without causing further problems.

This service includes an inspection of the property to determine problem areas and then a solution that has been tailored to meet the unique needs of the home or business.

Then, our pest management professionals will treat and remove the nests — often in a single visit. It’s important to know that some bee species may require special removal techniques and additional service visits.

Contact us today to learn more or to schedule a free inspection.

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Discover Where Flying Squirrels Like to Build Their Nests & How to Keep the Flying Rodents Out of Your House or Business

When temperatures drop, flying squirrels start looking for warm, cozy places to build their nests. Throughout New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, barns, homes, garages, and other buildings offer attractive housing options for the furry pests.

Flying squirrels don’t passively enter human spaces. They often take advantage of existing holes in roofs, siding, and walls and then chew and tear to make the holes bigger for easier access. These cute but destructive pests may also damage siding and trim, chew wires, and pose a health hazard to humans by leaving urine and droppings everywhere.

Understanding where flying squirrels live and where they like to build their nests can help homeowners and business owners identify appealing areas for infestation.

Additionally, once they determine where flying squirrels have already nested, they can take action to remove them from the property. 

Once these gliding rodents set up shop in a building, the best remedy is to call a professional like Catseye Pest Control to handle the problem. Knowledgeable, experienced technicians at Catseye can not only remove flying squirrels but also keep the critter from returning.

And fun fact, our nuisance wildlife technicians recently removed 78 flying squirrels from a home in Bristol, CT. Imagine the sounds and smells the homeowner must have encountered from the infestation!

Where Do Flying Squirrels Live in the Wild?

Squirrels are a regular sight in parks, trails, woodlands, and backyards, but like many people, you may not be that familiar with where flying squirrels live. After all, these small rodents are nocturnal and rarely seen during daylight hours.

Unlike chipmunks and squirrels, which scamper about on the ground, flying squirrels don’t spend much time on fancy footwork. Instead, they prefer gliding from tree to tree, high above the ground, where they’re safe from predators.

Flying Squirrel Nesting Habits

Flying squirrels prefer older forests and often create nests in hollow spots of tree trunks. They like to use holes made by other animals, including woodpecker cavities. Once they find a suitable place — typically 15 feet or more above ground level, they line the hollows with feathers, fur, leaves, bark, moss, and other materials.

Don’t assume the problem is solved if the critters suddenly disappear from a known nesting spot. Flying squirrels change nesting locations periodically when their dens get dirty or infested with fleas and other parasites.

Dangers of Flying Squirrel Nests

Where there is one flying squirrel, there are often many. These rodents are social animals that tend to live in colonies, with 20 or more flying squirrels sharing a nest. In addition to nesting in rafters and attic spaces, they may burrow into walls where they could cause structural damage, chew on wiring, and infest indoor spaces with fleas, mites, and parasites.

Flying squirrels often damage exterior elements like siding, roofing, and trim. They may widen existing holes and cracks to make it easier to come and go at night. The creatures are most active in the dark when they leave to hunt for birds, eggs, and insects or to gather seeds, nuts, and fungi to eat and bring back to the nest.

Rodents like mice and other squirrels have also been known to become a tasty meal for flying squirrels.

What to Do if You Think You Have Flying Squirrels Nesting in Your Home or Business

Flying squirrels are active at night, which means scratching, chirping, and clucking sounds at night are common signs that flying squirrels are living inside the building. It’s possible to find oval-shaped droppings, urine stains on walls and ceilings, in addition to damage to flowers and fruit trees on the property.

Enlist the help of a professional at the first sign of flying squirrels nesting on your property. Not only are these critters social and live in colonies, but they also leave their scent behind. Without proper removal, that scent could attract other wildlife to the same area. 

That’s why Catseye uses a multi-step flying squirrel removal system to remove the pests and prevent future infestations. In addition to removal and cleanup, Cat-Guard Wildlife Exclusion Systems naturally protect homes, businesses, and other structures from flying squirrels and other potential invaders.

Cat-Guard consists of three services, including:

Upper Cat-Guard: Protects from the top of the windows on the first floor to the peak of the roof.

Lower Cat-Guard: Protects from the ground to the top of the first-floor windows.

Trench-Guard: Protects from ground-level to below the surface.

Contact Catseye for Expert Flying Squirrel Removal

If flying squirrels have moved in and are invading your property, working with professionals is the only way to resolve the problem permanently.

Catseye doesn’t just provide pest control — we offer a holistic solution tailored to your specific situation.

Call Catseye today at 888-260-3980 to talk with an expert. Alternatively, schedule a free inspection, and we will come assess where flying squirrels are nesting and create a customized plan.

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Learn How to Keep Your Home Free from Flying Squirrels & Prevent Damage Caused by the Rodent

Flying squirrels look unassuming, but they can pose a destructive problem.

Despite their name, flying squirrels don’t actually fly. Instead of wings, they have a furry membrane called a patagium that lets the rodent soar through the air like hang gliders. The patagium acts like a parachute and stretches from the ankles to the wrists, allowing these small animals to “fly” up to 100 feet between treetops to evade predators.

The southern flying squirrel is most common in the northeast while the northern flying squirrel is a bit rarer.

Unfortunately, flying squirrels aren’t just cute and gravity-defying. They can also damage the interior and exterior of buildings. To make matters worse, this wildlife critter is very social and tends to live in colonies. If you spot one, it’s likely that even more flying squirrels are in the attic or building.

In addition to spreading diseases, flying squirrels can be a nuisance for homes and businesses. To permanently eliminate flying squirrels, it’s essential to work with expert professionals like Catseye Pest Control.

Trapping and removing just one or two of these pests may not solve the problem. Experts can take all the necessary steps to remove and prevent colonies of pests from creeping back in.

What are Flying Squirrels?

Smaller than many other types of squirrels, flying squirrels can grow from three to 24 inches in length. Species in the northern region of the United States can grow up to 11.5 inches at most and are usually comparable to chipmunks in size.

In addition to their patagium, which allows them to glide, flying squirrels also have a unique piece of cartilage that helps them steer. This cartilage enables flying squirrels to make turns as they glide through the air, which makes them unique among the species of gliding mammals.

Flying squirrels are nocturnal, with large, dark eyes, flattened tails, and fur that’s grayish-brown in color with white on the underside.

North America is home to approximately 50 species of flying squirrels, but only two types call Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire home: the northern flying squirrel and the southern flying squirrel.

The northern flying squirrel mates in late winter, while the southern flying squirrel mates in early spring.

These periods are significant as it indicates when this type of nuisance wildlife will be searching for a safe space to keep warm and raise their young. Like many other pests, flying squirrels find attics, homes, businesses, and other structures appealing as nesting sites.

Damage Flying Squirrels May Create

Flying squirrels commonly enter structures with specific goals in mind. They need a warm spot to make a nest, a safe area to raise their young, and a readily available food source. They get into houses and other buildings through attics and crawl spaces, using preexisting cracks to create larger access points to gain entry.

Once inside, flying squirrels damage attics and other interior spaces in several ways. Damage often results from the following activities:

• Gnawing on wires, which can cause shorts and increase the risk of electrical fires.
• Enlarging cracks and creating new holes in roofing, walls, and siding, which leads to expensive repairs.
• Bringing other pests, including lice, fleas, parasites, and mites, inside.

Like other critters, flying squirrels can carry and spread diseases to humans. Most commonly, they carry mange, a disease that causes an animal’s healthy fur to fall out. Additionally, it’s less common, but flying squirrels can also carry rabies.

Signs of Flying Squirrels in Houses

Aside from actual sightings, a few common clues can help you figure out your home or business has an infestation of flying squirrels. Possible signs include:

Teeth Marks

Flying squirrels can create a lot of damage by gnawing on wires, insulation, roof intersections, ridge vents, chimney flashing, and gaps in fascia and/or soffits.

Cracks that Grow

Flying squirrels typically exploit existing cracks and crevices and enlarge them for easier entry and exit.

New Holes or Damage

To make it easier to get inside, flying squirrels may create entirely new holes, causing damage to the building’s exterior walls and siding, which can lead to expensive repairs.

Droppings

Like any other animal, flying squirrels in attics and crawl spaces leave fecal matter and urine in their wake. You might see droppings, track marks from their feet, or stains from urine. It is also possible to notice unpleasant odors.

Noises

Flying squirrels often nest in walls and insulation. You may hear scratching, chirping, or clicking sounds at night, particularly if there is a colony of flying squirrels living in your home.

How to Get Rid of Flying Squirrels

As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” If you’re concerned that your home, business, or structure may attract flying squirrels, there are ways to make the area less appealing. Preventive measures include:

• Removing bird feeders and other easy-to-access food sources
• Installing borders or fencing around gardens
• Trimming tree branches back to keep the roofline clear
• Avoiding planting nut-producing trees near buildings

If you have already seen signs of flying squirrels, contacting a pest management professional like Catseye is the most effective way to prevent them from taking over.

Experts have the knowledge and necessary equipment to effectively address, manage the situation, and remove the flying squirrels. Even better, tools like exclusion systems seal potential entry points, providing a permanent solution.

The Cat-Guard Wildlife Exclusion System

Catching and removing flying squirrels are just the start of wildlife control. With an effective exclusion system, property owners can feel rest assured that the same problem won’t happen again.

The Cat-Guard system offers three ways to protect homes or businesses:

• Upper Cat-Guard: Flying squirrels can gain entry through the attic, roof, and areas in the upper part of a building. This barrier protects everything from the roof’s peak to the top of the first-floor windows.
• Lower Cat-Guard: Think of this as your first floor’s version of Fort Knox. This barrier protects everything from the first-floor windows to ground level to prevent flying squirrels and other critters from gaining entry.
• Trench-Guard: Prevent flying squirrels and other wildlife from burrowing under structures with this system, which uses a rigid permanent barrier to protect buildings.

Contact Catseye for a Free Inspection

For maximum effectiveness, every removal plan and exclusion system should be customized to the home or business being protected.

The experts at Catseye will walk through the property and make a full assessment before creating a treatment plan that is tailored to meet the needs of the exact situation.

Contact us today for a free inspection to not only resolve the problem, but also to protect the property from future invasions.

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Last week my neighbor sent a fine image of a caterpillar resembling Cousin Itt of Addam’s Family fame. The shaggy caterpillar was comically cloaked in black, orange, and white tufts of hair. Hordes of these leaf-munchers have been discovered feeding on milkweed leaves over the last few weeks. With gardeners from coast to coast striving to help our imperiled monarch butterflies find food for their young by planting more milkweed plants, how concerned should we be about these gregarious interlopers horning-in on food for monarch caterpillars? Who are they and what should we do? These caterpillars are the offspring of a species of moth known as milkweed tussock moth or milkweed tiger moth. Before we rage on these rascals, let’s have a little course in milkweed plant and milkweed caterpillar biology.

Milkweed gets its name from the sticky white sap exuded from stems and leaves when their surface is broken by hungry insects or curious humans. Milky sap and cells within the leaves contain nasty chemicals called cardiac glycosides. As the name implies, these compounds have something to do with the heart. At higher concentrations, cardiac glycosides can be heart poisons, bringing death to humans and other animals foolish enough to eat them. However, many insects that eat milkweeds have evolved mechanisms to deal with these toxins and have the ability to consume leaves of milkweed without being poisoned. In fact, they obtain cardiac glycosides from their food and store these noxious compounds in their bodies. Caterpillars of both the monarch butterfly and milkweed tiger moth obtain cardiac glycosides and retain them as they develop into a butterfly or moth, respectively.

Milkweed tussock moth caterpillars devour leaves of milkweeds. Orange and black coloration warns predators not to mess with them.

What is all of this chemical chicanery about? Birds are important predators of many kinds of insects, including caterpillars and butterflies. Scientists discovered that cardiac glycosides found in monarch butterflies caused predators such as blue jays to vomit dramatically following an attempted monarch meal. Blue jays exposed to monarchs soon learned to recognize the monarch by sight and avoided eating these beautiful, but nasty tasting butterflies. Many of the insects that live on milkweed and consume its leaves display vivid patterns of orange and black as both juveniles and adults. This convergence on a similar, easily recognizable color pattern by two or more nasty-tasting insects is called Müllerian mimicry. Other milkweed feeders that participate in the milkweed mimicry ring include milkweed longhorned beetles, milkweed bugs, and milkweed leaf beetles we met in previous episodes. Like the larvae of the monarch, caterpillars of the milkweed tiger moth obtain cardiac glycosides from milkweeds and retain them as adults.

While the caterpillars of this tiger moth boldly wear the characteristic warning colors of orange and black as they feed during the day, the adult moth is comparatively drab at first glance with pale brown wings, but its impressive abdomen sports Halloween colors of orange and black. The fact that caterpillars of the milkweed tiger moth store cardiac glycosides for use as adults is somewhat perplexing. Primary predators of these night-flying moths are fearsome bats that hunt using sound rather than sight to locate prey. Orange and black coloration may have little value in defeating these night-hunting predators. However, the cardiac glycosides stored in the body of the moth are put to good use. The resourceful milkweed tiger moth evolved an organ that emits an ultrasonic signal easily detected by bats. The signal warns that an attack will be rewarded with a noxious distasteful meal and bats soon learn to avoid the tiger moth as prey. 

What can you do to preserve your milkweeds as a food for monarchs? Well, you really don’t want to reach for pesticides to do away with any leaf-eaters that may have come to dine on your milkweed. Although we endeavor to help our monarchs, remember that these tussock moths are an important part of our natural ecosystems too. They have their own complement of predators and parasites that depend on them as a source of food. If you are trying to enjoy monarchs dining on the milkweed patch in your garden or landscape, perhaps the best strategy is to simply collect your tussock moth caterpillars in a container and relocate them to the nearest patch of milkweeds in a nearby meadow.

Acknowledgements

Bug of the Week thanks Randy Taylor, Sam Taylor, Chris Sargent, and several Bug of the week viewers for providing the inspiration for this week’s episode. Two delightful references  “Sound strategy: acoustic aposematism in the bat–tiger moth arms race” by  Nickolay I. Hristov and William E. Conner and “Secret Weapons” by Thomas Eisner, Maria Eisner, and Melody Siegler provided valuable insights into the mysterious ways of this week’s stars.

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Last week ago, while mowing the lawn, I felt a familiar stinging sensation on my left calf after brushing up against some plants at the border of a flower bed. This surely felt like the burning pain associated with the sting of a caterpillar, but a cursory inspection of the vegetation failed to reveal a suspect. Fast forward to this week when, while pulling weeds in the same flower bed, I was treated to several stings on my lower and upper arm. This time the culprit was easy to spot resting on an iris frond where I had apparently interrupted its lunch. One’s first encounter with the saddleback caterpillar is usually memorable, more likely to be experienced through the sense of touch rather than the sense of sight.  

While weeding a flower bed, a saddleback caterpillar taught me a memorable lesson: don’t mess with a caterpillar armed with venomous spines. Watch as the saddleback defends its flanks from attack by a dissecting probe. First it turns left and engages the probe with large spines located on fleshy protuberances called scoli, found near the head and the tail. A gentle poke on the right side produces a similar defense. BTW, following this harassment, the saddleback shuffled down the leaf and resumed its meal unharmed.

Protecting the front and rear flanks of the garishly beautiful caterpillar are projections festooned with nasty spines. Like the stinging spines borne by the larvae of Io moths we met in a previous episode, these spines, or urticating hairs in entomological lingo, contain venom released upon contact with a would-be predator or unlucky human. According to Dr. Isadora Maria Villas-Boas and colleagues, the composition of the saddleback’s irritating venoms is not fully known. However, their symptoms include mild to severe burning sensations reminiscent of a wasp’s sting. In some cases, a very uncomfortable and persistent rash may develop at the point of contact. Reactions of some folks can be more troublesome with burning sensations lasting for hours or days rather than for minutes, with accompanying headaches, difficulty breathing, gastrointestinal discomfort, and in severe cases anaphylaxis.  

One look at the saddleback caterpillar plainly explains its name. In the center of its back is a striking brown shield surround by a ring of white that closely resembles a saddle. Saddleback caterpillars eat a wide variety of plants in the forest and garden including oaks, elms, lindens, apples, plums, corn, blueberries, grapes, and apparently leaves of iris plants. With such a potent defense, one might think the saddleback has gained immunity from attack by enemies. Unfortunately for the saddleback, this is not the case. While hiking the Appalachian Trail a few years ago, I happened upon a most unfortunate saddleback caterpillar reliving a scene from the 1979 movie Alien, when the larval alien pops out of John Hurt’s chest. Festooning the back of the motionless caterpillar were dozens of tiny legless larvae. Spawned from eggs deposited in the saddleback caterpillar from a tiny wasp earlier this year, fully developed wasp larvae drilled their way through the skin of their victim and writhed on its back as they spun cocoons made of white silk. Observant gardeners have likely seen small white objects like these on the back of hornworms on tomatoes and identified them as eggs of some mysterious enemy of the caterpillar. In reality, these are cocoons of small parasitic wasps in the genus Cotesia. 

In a scene straight out of Aliens, wasp larvae emerge from their saddleback host and spin white cocoons in which to pupate.

Female Cotesia wasps hunt saddlebacks and other caterpillars on the foliage of plants. Upon encountering a suitable host, they jump aboard and rapidly deliver many stings using an appendage called the ovipositor. Once inside the caterpillar, eggs hatch and wasp larvae feed on the tissues of its host. However, to survive successfully, the tiny wasp larvae must avoid death by the caterpillar’s vigilant immune system. This is where a little help from mother comes along. In addition to depositing eggs, mother Cotesia injects a special virus known as a polydnavirus into the caterpillar. The polydnavirus disables the caterpillar’s immune system, paving the way for her young to develop without interference. Once development is complete, wasp larvae move to the surface of the caterpillar, burrow through its skin, and spin a cocoon on the exterior of their host. Stinging and being stung, part of the circle of life in a bug’s world. 

Watch this half-speed video as a parasitic wasp “stings” the saddleback and deposits her eggs.

Acknowledgements 

We thank Ellery Krause and Dan Gruner for bearing the stings of caterpillars and capturing the wasps that inspired this week’s episode of Bug of the Week. The wonderful textbook “Medical and Veterinary Entomology” by Gary Mullen and Lance Durden, and fascinating articles including “Effects of the polydnavirus of Cotesia congregata on the immune system and development of non-habitual hosts of the parasitoid” by N. Lovallo, B. A. McPheron, and D. L. Cox-Foster and “Venomous caterpillars: From inoculation apparatus to venom composition and envenomation” by Isadora Maria Villas-Boas, Giuliano Bonfá, Denise V. Tambourgi were consulted to prepare this episode.

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Early one morning last week on a visit to a supermarket in rural Maryland, I was chagrined to see a gorgeous male Hercules beetle spinning helplessly on its back beneath a tall lamp post in a parking lot. We met Hercules beetles in a previous episode and learned of their sylvan life cycles recycling organic plant matter and wooing mates. With not a tree to be found in the vast parking lot desert, the presence of a break dancing, belly-up beetle was perplexing. Skip back three years to an early morning discovery of a Luna moth on a sidewalk outside a day-care center which raised a similarly puzzling question. Luna moths, aptly named in honor of the moon, are denizens of forests where males fly by the light of the moon and stars to find mates and females navigate the darkness to deposit eggs on the leaves of trees. The common feature of both of these unnatural appearances is, of course, the presence of powerful overhead light sources, one illuminating a parking lot and another guarding the entryway to a day care center at a church. These beautiful but hapless insects should have followed the sage advice given to Heather O’Rourke in Poltergeist “do not go into the light”, but unfortunately most insects have not seen the movie.

Just after dawn, I found this Hercules beetle break dancing beneath a lamppost in a parking lot. This handsome night-flier likely was attracted to the light during the night and crashed to the asphalt below. Getting off his back looked challenging. After a rescue and release in a nearby forest, he quickly disappeared inside a rotting stump.

Why are beetles, moths, and other insects attracted to lights? Scientists believe that night flying insects use light sources from distant stars and the moon to orient their flight. When light from these sources arrives at earth their light beams are largely parallel. By flying at a fixed angle to these beams, nocturnal insects maintain a straight course. However, beams of light from a nearby security light, parking lot light, or flashlight are still diverging from their source. When insects encounter these light beams, they constantly correct their angle of flight which causes them to spiral ever-inward to the source. Several other theories have been advanced to help explain the not yet fully understood reason why insects are attracted to light. In addition to attracting insects that will perish in a parking lot or on a sidewalk, light pollutions can disrupt normal behaviors such as the wondrous mating rituals of bioluminescent insects like the iconic fireflies we met in a previous episode. 

Uh oh, Luna moth down! Attracted by security lights at night, this handsome moth wound up on the sidewalk by morning. Will careless feet be its demise or hordes of hungry ants dismember it? Nah, giant fingers first rescue the moth, and then it’s off to a photoshoot before being released in the forest far away from bright lights.

So, what can we do to reduce insect carnage related to light pollution?  The trick seems to be balancing illumination for human safety with the needs of animals and plants for natural patterns of light evolved over eons. Scientists suggest that every parking lot or sport stadium does not need to be illuminated all night every night. Shielding light sources from above to prevent light escaping upward and interfering with night flying insects might also help. Low-lying lights along trails can be shielded both above and below to avoid disturbing nocturnal ground-dwelling insects. Dimming lights whenever possible may help reduce general light scatter to the sky above. Also, turning lights off when they are not needed and installing motion detectors to activate lights only when needed will reduce unnecessary illumination. For insects with well defined emergence patterns like mayflies and fireflies, reducing lights during periods of flight associated with mating activity could help preserve species whose behaviors are hard-wired to natural light patterns. And when you find one of these creatures stranded in a dangerous place beneath a light, give them a break and transport them back to more natural surroundings nearby. With a little thought and care we can all help the natural world become a little darker and more animal and plant friendly. With all of this in mind, as I put this episode of Bug of the Week to bed, I will be sure to turn off the lights both outside and inside.

Acknowledgements

The great read “Light pollution is a driver for insect declines” by C.S. Owens, P. Cochard, J.D. Durrant, B. Farnworth, E. K. Perkin, and B. Seymour was consulted for this episode.

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Black locust is commonly seen in the eastern half of the United States and planted throughout the world for its ornamental value. Honey bees transform its nectar into delicious black locust honey. Its durable wood is super resistant to rot and Abraham Lincoln is said to have spent significant amounts of time pondering liberty and equality while splitting black locust for fence posts and rails. As a member of the bean family, black locust has the ability to improve the quality of soil by fixing atmospheric nitrogen in its roots. You may recognize this tree by its fragrant white blossoms which arrive each year in the first week or two in May along major thoroughfares in the DMV, such as interstate 70, and along forest edges in our parks and farmlands. 

On a recent trip across South Mountain the black trees looked like they had been assaulted with a blow torch. What manner of devilment is this? Well, the culprit behind this beating is a small beetle called the locust leafminer. The locust leafminer belongs to a clan of beetles known as leaf beetles. Well-known leaf beetles include garden pests such as cucumber beetles and Colorado potato beetles.  Ravages caused by locust leafminer began back in spring when adult beetles emerged from their overwintering sites on the ground beneath the locust trees. During May and June beetles fly to the treetops to eat the fresh young leaves. Their feeding produces small holes in tender leaves or rough scrapes on the surface of mature leaves called skeletonization. After dining for many days, females convert the nutritious leaves into small batches of eggs laid on the lower surface of the leaves of locust. After the female deposits her brood on the leaf she defecates on them. Now what would Sigmund Freud have to say about that? No matter, this is probably a way to protect the eggs and larvae developing within from becoming a tasty meal for some roving predator.  

Feeding injury by adult and larval beetles known as the locust leafminer are scorching black locust trees along our roadways and landscapes. Feeding by adult beetles externally and as larvae within leaves causes leaves to turn white and then a crispy brown. Watch as an adult beetle grooms its legs before moving off to find the next meal.

The eggs hatch into tiny larvae that tunnel into the leaf and consume the nutritious tissue between the upper and lower surfaces. In general, insects that feed between the surface layers in this fashion are known as leafminers. Leafminers are found in many groups of insects including caterpillars, primitive wasps called sawflies, true flies, and beetles. The leafmining way of life is a clever way to avoid the dangers of occupying the leaf surface where fearsome predators such as lacewing larvae roam. When larval growth is complete, a pupa forms and within a week or so a new locust leafminer adult emerges and the life story repeats. Two generations of the locust leafminer punish locusts in our region each year. Mining produces large whitish blotches on the leaf that later turn brown as the leaf tissue dies. Leaves skeletonized by adults also turn brown. Feeding by larvae and adults in concert give the black locust its scorched appearance. Fortunately, black locust is a very hardy tree and appears able to withstand the beetle’s periodic onslaughts. 

Acknowledgements

 “Managing insects and mites on woody plants” by J. A. Davidson and M. J. Raupp was consulted for this episode. 

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