horticulture science lesson 37 identifying and managing insect plant pests in the greenhouse

Bring one or more plants that are suffering from disease or insect problems into the classroom. Also bring in one healthy plant. Ask the students to explain whythe infected plants could cause a problem. Ask them if the infected plants should be put in the greenhouse with the healthy plants. Ask them to explain their answer.

•I can explain insects

•I can explain insect mouth parts

•I can explain insect body parts

•Identify the major insect pests found in the greenhouse.

aerosols aphids aster yellows biological control botanical insecticides Botrytis blight caterpillars chemical control

cultural/physical control

damping–off dip drench Erwinia fumigants fungus gnats granular horticultural oils

insect growth regulators

insecticidal soaps leaf miners mealybugs microbial organisms mites metamorphosis parasitic organisms Phytophthora plant health powdery mildew

predatory organisms

Pythium Rhizoctonia sanitation scale spray Thielaviopsis tobacco mosaic Western flower

thrips whiteflies

The health of crops grown in a greenhouse is challenged by a variety of pests and diseases.

The ability to identify major greenhouse pests and diseases is the first step in a pest management program.

Insect pests can severely damage or ruin a crop if their populations are not managed.

What is Entomology?

It is the study of insects. Insects are always around us. Scientists called

entomologist spend most of their time studying these insects

There are more than 750,000 species of insects which have been identified

There is about 2,000,000 species that have not been identified

There are two different life cycles that an insect can go through and they are: Incomplete Metamorphosis Complete Metamorphosis Metamorphosis- a complete change of

form structure or substance.

eggseggs to Early nymph (no to Early nymph (no

wings)wings) to late nymph to late nymph

(wings developing)(wings developing) Goes to AdultGoes to Adult

Three_Stages_of_Incomplete_Metamorphosis__Egg__Nymph__Adult.asf - YouTube

Egg Young larva Mature larva Pupa Adult

Mosquito life cycle - YouTube

There are three parts to any insectHeadThoraxAbdomen

The head is the anterior of the three body regions of an adult insect. It bears the eyes (usually a pair of compound eyes), the antennae and the mouthparts.

The thorax is the middle of the three body regions of an adult insect. It is composed of 3 segments. It bears 3 pairs of legs (one on each segment) and usually 2 pairs of wings. Some insects have only 1 pair of wings.

The abdomen is the posterior of the three body regions of an adult insect. It is composed of 11 segments. The abdomen bears the external genitalia of the insect. In female insects these consist of an ovipositor.

How are insects grouped?They are grouped by the way they

feed on plants. So they are grouped by their mouth parts.

There are six different mouth parts Sponging Rasping- sucking Siphoning Chewing-lapping Chewing Piercing- sucking

Chewing grasshoppers,

crickets Pinches or bites

off Chews and ingest

plant parts

Piercing-Sucking

Aphids Pierce epidermal

layer of plants Suck up the exuding sap

Siphoning Butterflies, moths Mouthparts

dissolve solid substances

such as sugar with their saliva

Chewing-Lapping

Ants, bees, wasps Mouthparts suck

up the exposed liquids

Sponging Flies Mouthparts have a

combination of chewing and sucking mouthparts

Rasping-Sucking Beetles, weevils Insects lacerate

(tear) the epidermis of plants

Suck up the exuding sap

The following utensils are used as mouth parts: pliers, syringe, straw, sponge. Pick the insect they wish to be.

* Pliers: caterpillars, grasshoppers, ants and praying mantis

* Syringe: mosquito * Straw: bees and butterflies * Sponge: fly

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10 11. 12. 13.

Its time for Buganopoly Select 5 students to be on your

team.Materials1 game board1 game piece bag1 set of chance cards

Aphids are pear-shaped, soft-bodied, usually wingless insects.

They are often green or yellowish in color.

Aphids have the ability to reproduce very rapidly.

Astonishingly, they give birth to live young that are pregnant!

Aphids use their mouthparts to pierce the plant and suck out juices.

Aphids attack a wide variety of greenhouse plants.

Caterpillars are the larvae of various moth species. They damage greenhouse crops by eating the

plants. Fungus gnats are long-legged, winged,

gray-black insects less than 1/8 inch long. The larvae of fungus gnats feed on root hairs and

tunnel into plant stems. They prefer a growing medium that is constantly

moist.

Leaf miners are small, stocky flies. The adult deposits eggs inside a leaf. The eggs hatch, and the larvae feed on the

interior of the leaf, making tunnels as they move along.

Chrysanthemums are subject to leaf miner damage.

Mealybugs are slow-moving, oval-shaped, whitish insects. They have a waxy finish and produce small

cottony masses. Mealybugs pierce plant leaves and suck the

plant juices. As with aphids, they give birth to living nymphs.

Mites have eight legs and are related to spiders. Mites pierce leaf tissues and suck juices. Symptoms of damage include a yellow speckled

appearance to the leaves, and, in severe cases, yellowing of the leaves and defoliation.

Two spotted spider mites and red spider mites are among the most serious greenhouse pests.

They appear as tiny specks on the plants and are often found on the undersides of leaves and near the apical meristems.

A two-spotted mite has two dark spots on its back.

Spider mites create a complex network of webbing as they move about a plant.

Cyclamen mites infest a broad range of plants and are not visible to the naked eye.

Bulb mites damage lily bulbs and the developing shoots.

Commercial Pest Control in The Pepper Greenhouse (Spider Mites), Part 1. - YouTube

Many types of scale insects infest greenhouse plants. Typically, they have flat, oval, often brown bodies. They may or may not be covered with armored shells. Scale insects pierce plant leaves and stems and suck

juices. Western flower thrips are small dark brown

insects with two pairs of fringed wings. They have rasping mouthparts that scrape plant tissue. The damage they cause to many kinds of plants often

appears as whitish discoloration.

Whiteflies are small white insects. They generally camp out on the undersides of

leaves, where they pierce the tissues and suck juices.

Their flat, scale-like larvae feed on the undersides of the leaves.

Whiteflies are major pests of poinsettias and fuchsias.

Major pests of poinsettias and fuchsias.

They appear as tiny specks on the plants and are often found on the undersides of leaves and near the apical meristems.

This insect gives birth to live young that are pregnant!