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Wasps
Latin Name: Pristiphora geniculata
Common Name: Mountain-ash Sawfly
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native species in North America.
Biology:
These wasp larvae feed on several species of mountain ash throughout the northern tier of states in the U.S. and in southern Canada. The female wasp deposits eggs in short rows along the margins of leaves, leading to brown spots at this point on the leaf. The larvae then feed in clusters on the leave, beginning along the margins and leading to complete defoliation of the branches they feed on. This feeding begins in late spring and multiple generations are likely. The life cycle from egg to adult is about 1 month, with the larvae pupating on the lower stems or in the soil below.
Identification:
The adult wasp is about 3/16 inch long and solid shiny black. The abdomen joins to the thorax without a thin waist and the sides of the abdomen are parallel. The larva is similar
Latin Name: Trypoxylon sp.
Common Name: Organ Pipe Mud Daubers
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native species in eastern North America.
Biology:
This solitary, beneficial wasp is found throughout the eastern half of the U.S. and southern Canada. It’s common name is given due to the characteristic look of the mud nests, which consist of elongated cells stacked one on top of or next to another, rather than the solid blob of mud made by the black and yellow mud dauber. Each cell will be provisioned with 3 to 18 spiders and then an egg. Males do not participate in the construction of the cells, but may stand guard near the cells and threaten intruders with a loud buzzing sound. Otherwise these wasps are not aggressive and would sting only if specifically threatened, such as being caught in clothing.
Identification:
The adult wasp is a very shiny deep black on the head, thorax, and abdomen and shiny blue-black
Latin Name: Polistes sp.
Common Name: Paper Wasps
Other Names: Umbrella wasp
Pest Details
Origin:
Many species of these wasps are native insects in North America.
Biology:
The umbrella wasps derive their name from the upside-down umbrella shape of their nests. They are closely related to yellowjackets, but have smaller colonies, exposed cells in the nest, and are not the annoying scavengers on human foods that yellowjackets are. These wasps are a nuisance when they sting someone who gets too near their hive or when they are foraging for foods in orchards or backyard gardens. Adults feed on sugary liquids, but gather natural foods such as insect larvae to feed to their own offspring. Colonies do not survive the winter, but are started by a single fertilized female which over-wintered in a protected location. The nest is created from chewed bark, dried plant parts, or other cellulose materials, and the cells in
Latin Name: Caliroa cerasi
Common Name: Pear Sawfly
Other Names: Pear slug, Cherry slug
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native species in North America.
Biology:
This pest is found throughout the U.S. and southern Canada wherever the host plants are found, and these include pear, cherry, apricot, plum, and some ornamentals such as hawthorn and ash. The larvae are capable of defoliating large areas of the trees, leading to reduced vigor in the tree, reduced fruit size and quality, and reduced bloom the next year. Female wasps deposit eggs in the tissues of the leaf, often in the upper branches, and two generations occur each year. The second generation is usually larger and progresses more quickly to the adult stage. The larvae often feed alone on a leaf but feed on the soft tissues, leave the leaf veins behind, and result in a skeletonized leaf.
Identification:
The larva of this wasp is unusual in that as it grows
Latin Name: Neodiprion sp.
Common Name: Pine Sawflies
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
Most species in this genus are native to North America while a few are imported. These include the Introduced Pine Sawfly and the European Pine Sawfly.
Biology:
This genus of important pests includes about 35 species in North America. It includes both native and introduced species and heavily infested pines may quickly be defoliated and killed. Female wasps cut a slit in the needles using a saw-like plate and then deposits eggs in that cut. The larvae develop over 3 to 4 weeks and pupate on the needles in a crevice. Depending on the species there may be 1 to several generations per year.
Identification:
The larva can be identified as a sawfly by the presence of 7 pairs of prolegs along the bottom of the abdomen, compared with only 5 pairs on moth larvae. The sawfly larva also has the behavior of slightly rolling the posterior
Latin Name: Eumenes sp.
Common Name: Potter & Mason Wasps
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
These are native insects in North America.
Biology:
This fascinating group of wasps is placed in the same family as the social paper wasps, but these are solitary wasps that make their nests from mud. Each “nest” strongly resembles a small mud pot, including the flared lip around the entrance, and within each pot a single egg is laid and the pot then provisioned with paralyzed caterpillars that the adult female wasp has gathered as food for her larva. Beetle larvae and spiders also are known to be preyed upon. The mud pots may be constructed with a hole in the soil or some other hidden cavity, but often will be within convenient grooves around a structure, such as sliding window tracks. The adult wasps feed on nectar and females are capable of stinging but would do so only in self-defense.
Identification:
Latin Name: Scoliidae
Common Name: Scoliid Wasps
Other Names: Grub Hunter Wasps
Pest Details
Origin:
These are native species in North America, with most species found in the southern states.
Biology:
These solitary wasps may resemble yellowjackets, but a close look shows their very hairy body and lack of a narrow waist between the thorax and abdomen. There are about 20 species in North America and all are parasites of scarab (June beetle) larvae. The female wasp detects a grub in the soil, digs down to reach it, stings it to paralyze it, and then deposits an egg on the grub. She may sting many grubs without even laying an egg on them, but the result is the death of the grub. Following ovipositing she digs deeper to create a cell for the paralyzed grub and for her offspring to develop in. Adult wasps visit flowers for nectar.
Identification:
Adult wasps may be anywhere from ¾ inch to nearly 2 inches
Latin Name: Vespula pennsylvanica
Common Name: Western Yellowjacket
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native species in North America and can be found throughout the western U.S. and Canada.
Biology:
This is one of several species of yellowjackets referred to as “scavenger” species, due to their tendency to forage for human foods such as meat products and sugary beverages. Most of the 13 North American species, for the most part, restrict their diet to natural foods of honeydew, other insects, and similar sweet or protein sources. In warm regions a colony may continue from year to year, but where winters are cold the social structure breaks down in the fall with females mating and going into hibernation while all workers die and the nest deteriorates with weathering. The fertilized queen begins a new nest in the spring with around a dozen eggs, and once these have matured to new adults the workers