Two new Beetles in my garden

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?KBHJY 23 June 2012 Two new Beetles in my garden
Good or bad? That is the question.

[chickenchargrill]

Naww, why did you squish it? Poor water boatman. It only wanted your algae.

[Durgan]

Naww, why did you squish it? Poor water boatman. It only wanted your algae.

Listen man, I have about 70 potato plants and four egg plants.These plants are uninvited hosts of the Colorado Potato Beetle.Since 18 April I have dealt with the Colorado Potato Beetle, picked 200 adults, about 60 egg clusters (50 to 80 eggs per cluster) and about 2000 instars (larvae, munchies). Some wonderful formed produce appearance destroyed by the flea beetle. These are two pests of which I am familiar due to the observed destruction. Yes, I am a bit paranoid about insects. When a strange bug appears, certainly in large numbers, I like to know their intended target. Shoot first and get the facts later. Beneficials are few in number or so it seems.

[Davie Crockett]

I'm not so sure the beetle is a water boatman as they live underwater and their back limbs are modified to form paddles. They look more like May bugs or cockchafers. The second one is actually a moth, it's a Squash Vine Borer, Melittia cucurbitae it mimics a wasp to deter predators.

[chickenchargrill]

Huh, you may well be right. I know the US swim right way up, unlike the UK ones. Some kind of diving beetle?

[Davie Crockett]

It is a European Chafer, Loads of info here Durgan: http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/chafer.htm



Both it and the Squash Vine Borer are pests and will affect your crops/pasture.

[Davie Crockett]

Good article on the Squash Vine Borer: http://masterofhort.com/2012/04/control ... ucurbitae/

[Durgan]

Naww, why did you squish it? Poor water boatman. It only wanted your algae.

Listen man, I have about 70 potato plants and four egg plants.These plants are uninvited hosts of the Colorado Potato Beetle.Since 18 April I have dealt with the Colorado Potato Beetle, picked 200 adults, about 60 egg clusters (50 to 80 eggs per cluster) and about 2000 iInstars (larvae, munchies). Some wonderful formed produce appearance destroyed by the flea beetle. These are two pests of which I am familiar due to the observed destruction. Yes, I am a bit paranoid about insects. When a strange bug appears, certainly in large numbers, I like to know their intended target. Shoot first and get the facts later. Beneficials are few in number or so it seems.

Crikey you did ask! Having a bit of a bad day Durgan. Poor Chickenchargrill, I suspect she'll keep her opinions to herself in future.

How the hell is this offensive? Straight talk from where I sit.The language of the country. Surely nobody is so thin skinned that this can be taken as a put down. Certainly that was not the intent.

[Durgan]

Good article on the Squash Vine Borer: http://masterofhort.com/2012/04/control ... ucurbitae/

Wow. Thanks so much. This is the first year that I have seriously grown squash. I was looking forward to a trouble free harvest. Trouble! trouble! trouble! In the USA growers are always complaining about this pest. I posted the pictures on a whim, and I am glad I did.

[Durgan]

It is a European Chafer, Loads of info here Durgan: http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/chafer.htm



Both it and the Squash Vine Borer are pests and will affect your crops/pasture.

The chafer is not of immediate concern. We have so many under turf choppers that one more is not a real issue. The European Crane Fly, the Japanese beetle to name two. I have had both in abundance some years.