Benefical Insects A Field Guide for Natural Pest Management Table of Contents Pg. 3 - Parasitic Flies......... Pg. 5 - Parasitic Wasps.................. Pg. 8 - Predatory Beetles........................... Pg. 10 - Predatory Bugs.......................................... Pg. 13 - Predatory Flies........................................................ Pg. 16 - Stinging Wasps.................................................................... Pg. 18 - Spiders.............................................................................................. Pg. 20 - Other.............................................................................................................. Pg. 2 Parasitic Flies Help Manage: Aphids, bees, beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, insect eggs, grasshoppers, leafhoppers, mealybugs, spiders, true bugs, wasps, and whiteflies. Pg. 3 Bee Fly Have a large and fuzzy bee-like body and unlike wasps or bumblebees are harmless to people yet help to pollinate plants. They are brown and have a long black rigid proboscis (nose) which protrudes from the front of their head. Tachinid Fly (Bombyliopsis abrupta) An extremely small bodied fly similar in size to houseflies. Their bodies are colored black, grey or dark brown with a variety of markings which include combinations of red, yellow, orange, metallic green and blue. Their bodies are usually covered with long bristly hairs. Pg. 4 Parasitic Wasps Help Manage: Aphids, beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, insect eggs, leafhop- pers, mealybugs, true bugs, spiders, and whiteflies. Pg. 5 Bracoid Wasp Although highly variable in appearance, is usually less than one-half inch long and dark with trans- parent wings. Colors range from shades of black, brown, yellow, and red with a darker area at the edge of the forewing. Generally, their abdomen is longer than the head and thorax combined. Chalcid Wasp Is typically very small in size, dark in color featuring metallic blue or green with complex patterns on the body. This wasp also features a reduced wing vena- tion meaning the vein pattern across its translucent wings are not defined unlike other other wasps. Encyrtid Wasp An extremely small wasp with an enlarged pair of middle legs and wings covered with short hairs. Col- ors are typically grey or black for males while females can have tan colored heads and sides as well as white tipped antennae. Pg. 6 Ichneumon Wasp A slender wasp-like insect with long antennae that are sometimes half as long as their bodies. Colors range from black and brown with yellow or orange markings. One distinct feature on females is a long tail which looks like a stinger, but is actually an ovipositor – a reproductive organ that allows it to deposit eggs inside or on hosts. Pg. 7 Predatory Beetles Help Manage: Mites, aphids, insects, insect eggs, leafhoppers, mealybugs, scale insects, small larvae, thrips, and whiteflies. Pg. 8 Ground Beetle The body features a distinctive row of grooves which run down their wing covers. Most are predominately black with some reddish-brown coloring on anten- nae and legs. Two Spotted Lady Beetle (Adalia bipunctata) Most lady bugs that have been introduced to the west coast are non-native invasive species and do little to help control pests. The Two Spotted Lady Beetle is the only one endemic to the PNW. There are two coloration patterns: one features two black spots laid over red or orange on the body and the other features four red or orange spots over a black body. Rove Beetle (Dalotia coriaria) Has a body that is elongated and segmented into four visible parts. They sometimes curve their ab- domen upwards similar to scorpions and can run or fly. Colors range from black, dark brown and light brown. Pg. 9 Predatory Bugs Help Manage: Aphids, catapillars, insect eggs, leafhoppers, mealybugs, mites, leafhoppers, scale insects, and thrips. Pg. 10 Ambush Bug This insect is a relative of the much larger Assassin Bug and is highly camouflaged yet brightly colored. Its colors range typically match the flowers it hides in whether it be a bright yellow, cream, red or green. It features thick and powerful forelegs which it uses to kill its prey – similar to the ones found on preying mantises. Ambush bugs commonly wait for their prey for long periods of time and are able to catch prey 10 times their size. Assassin Bug (Reduviidae) Usually black, red or brown in color. Their narrow head slightly sticks out from their body and a strong beak can be found tucked in between their front legs. The Assassin Bug’s name comes from their signature kill, which involves using their strong beak to repeatedly stab prey to death. Beware of handling them as their bite is powerful and painful. Damsel Bug A soft bodied, slender insect with long legs and an- tennae and bulging eyes. Has two pairs of wings - a set of forewings and a set of hindwings covering its back. The most distinguishing feature of the Damsel Bug is the small group of cells that border each of its wings. Colors range from Pale yellow to dull brown and grey. Pg. 11 Minute Pirate Bug (Anthocoridae) This insect has a flat and oval shaped body with antennae that are longer than the length of the head, which extends forward. They are mostly black in color and have white markings on their wings. They possess a piercing beak which they use to inject digestive enzymes into their prey. Pg. 12 Predatory Flies Help Manage: Aphids, bees, beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, insect eggs, leaf- hoppers, mealybugs, spiders, true bugs, wasps, and whiteflies. Pg. 13 Dance Fly Usually a small to medium sized fly with a spherical head and distinct neck that extends from the body. Its eyes are large taking up most of the surface area of its head while a well distinguished proboscis (nose) protrudes from its mouth. Some have large raptorial front legs for catching prey. Most are dark in color and never have a metallic gloss. Hoverfly The Hoverfly has a body that is covered with dense hair and can be dark colored with spots, bands, or stripes of yellow or brown. Most are difficult to iden- tify but typically, their wing venation features veins that radiate outward. Being able to hover in mid-air completely still is one of the Hoverflys distinguishing behaviors observed in nature. These flies are also pollinators. Long Legged Fly (Dolichopus spp) A small slender bodied fly with a metallic green, gold or blue hue coloration and bright red eyes. Pg. 14 Robber Fly (Laphria saffrana) A robust and bristly fly with prominent compound eyes that are apart of a divot on the top of their head. Their bodies are elongated and feature a tapered abdomen with yellow striped markings over black - imitating a wasp. Pg. 15 Stinging Wasps Help Manage: Beetles, caterpillars, mantids, and spiders. Pg. 16 European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominula) A long bodied wasp with a black and yellow marked abdomen. A distinguishing feature for this wasp is its “threaded waist” which describes the narrowing that occurs between the thorax and the abdomen. Is commonly mistaken for the common Yellow Jacket but is also capable of stinging. Hunting Wasp Features are mostly similar to and difficult to distin- guish from solitary wasps. Size varies from small to extremely large. Colors are typically dark colored with yellow banding across the abdomen. Although these wasps can sting, they rarely sting humans. Western Yellow Jacket (Vespula pensylvani- ca) A short and stocky bodied wasp with traditional yel- low and black banding. Differentiates itself from the paper wasps in that it usually lacks a slender body. Beware of the sting from this wasp. Pg.17 Spiders Help Manage: Aphids, bees, beetles, butterflies, caterpillars, flies, grasshoppers, leafhoppers, mealybugs, mites, moths, thrips, wasps, and whiteflies. Pg. 18 Bold Jumper (Phidippus audax) A hefty looking spider with short, thick legs and forward facing eyes. Colors are mainly black with white, red or orange patches lying at the center of the abdomen. However, coloration is highly variable as it differs with every molt. Crab Spider Has a short, wide, and flat body along with two large front legs that it uses to grab its prey. Its coloration is extremely variable, but tends to be extravagant for blending in with its environment. Crab Spiders are named for their crablike movement and appearance and tend to scuttle sideways with their four hind legs. Orb Weaver Spider (Araneidae) A rather large and stout spider with a rough triangu- lar abdomen and very long menacing looking legs. The body can be white or orang-ish brown and usu- ally has a mixed camouflage pattern at the abdomen along with striped legs. Pg. 19 Other Help Manage: Aphids, beetles, butterflies, caterpillars, centipedes, cockroach- es, earthworms, insect eggs, leafhoppers, mealybugs, millipedes, mites, moths, pill bugs, scale insects, slugs, small larvae, spiders, thrips, wasps, whiteflies. Pg. 20 Earwigs Earwigs are most recognized for their notorious pin- cers that are attached to the end of their abdomen. They are slender with elongated features and are dark reddish brown in color with lighter brown shade on their legs. Only some adopt a set of two pairs of wings and most lack them. The Earwigs name comes from an old myth that Earwigs would crawl and burrow into the ears of sleeping people. European Mantis (Mantis religiosa) A rather large elongated insect with modified front legs equipped with serrated blades and a head that can turn similar to humans. Males are the only species that can fly. Colors range from green, yellow, brown, pink, white or a mix of all of them. Green Lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea) A slender and frail looking pale green insect with copper colored eyes and long antennae. The dis- tinguishing features for this insect are the thin mint green transparent wings that have an intricate net vein structure and are folded over its body. Pg. 21 Harvestmen (Daddy Longlegs) Infamous for having extremely long legs that over- shadow the size of their bodies. Harvestmen or Daddy Longlegs are not actually spiders, but are closely related to them.