Events

Integrated pest management (IPM) is key to the management and health of many urban and rural ecosystems. Scouting for insect pests, one of the key components of IPM, can be tricky because adult and immature life stages are often cryptic and difficult to identify. For example, phloem- and wood-boring larva are rarely seen because they live under tree bark. They do, however, leave behind gallery patterns and exit holes that are unique to their family, genus, and sometimes species. Other insects (e.g., four-lined plant bug, Poecilocapsus lineatus) feed on leaves in unique patterns which can give ecological caretakers insight into the types and species of insects inhabiting gardens and natural areas. In this session, Dr. Sara Tanis of Kalamazoo Valley Community College will teach you how to look for and interpret the clues that many insects leave behind.