What are these insects and are they good or bad for the plants

tnkrer · June 10, 2013

Spotted these in last few days. Don't know what they are or whether they are good or bad.

Is this a roach? on brandywine.

There are few of these shiny flies flying around tomato. May be they are pollinating the tomato? Since bees don't seem to care for tomato.

And saw this on the cuke leaf and where it was sitting, the leaf had a cut/hole. Not sure if it caused it though. It jumped away before I could take second pic.

Thanks

ContainerTed · June 10, 2013

Scare away the fly and kill the others.

Sorry, I just couldn't resist. I don't know what those other two are, but anything that ugly is not allowed in my garden.

Kazfam · June 10, 2013

1st picture - European Earwig: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r116301811.html
Not good - are a pest BUT also feed on aphids. I would hand remove into soapy water - there are plenty of other beneficials that eat aphids.

2nd picture - Long-Legged Fly: feeds on aphids. Good bug.

3rd picture - Tree Hopper. Not good - feeds on sap. I would hand remove into soapy water. I've removed many from my sunflowers plants.

tnkrer · June 10, 2013

Thanks Kazfam. I will look for both of those in the plants. If there was one, there must be few more lurking.

matilda'skid · June 10, 2013

I wish there were more threads like this. I don't like to kill insects unless I know for sure they are harmful. My kale had insect eggs on stalks which I've read are lacewings and beneficial. I have seen flies attacking hornworms and that was very interesting. I need all the bug helpers I can get.

Master_Gardener · June 10, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnkrer

Spotted these in last few days. Don't know what they are or whether they are good or bad.

There is a free bug identification guide available from Rhodale at http://ebook5.org/g/good-bug-bad-bug...-w2511-pdf.pdf

habitat_gardener · June 11, 2013

I found a bug in my garden the other day that I don't know. I thought I was picking a piece of compost or wood chip off a leaf, and it did a jack-in-the-box thing in my fingers. Oblong gray-brown.

A couple beneficial bugs here
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=28077
including a photogenic soldier beetle who posed for me.

tnkrer · June 12, 2013

Master Gardener, thanks for that book. However, I couldn't identify these two using that book

Same questions, who are those and are they good or bad? (I have sort of decided that flying insects are usually good, so they are probably good)

long brown mosquito looking insect. Probably crane fly .. not necessarily good though

small non shiny fly - a fungus gnat may be? So not good either. That shoots down my assumption that most flying insects are beneficial

Thanks

Redbaron · June 12, 2013

One crane fly or a couple fungus gnats are no biggie. It takes a swarm of them to do any real damages. One sure way to promote swarms of insects like that is spray everything with insecticide, killing the beneficials.

tnkrer · June 12, 2013

Hi Redbaron, So far I have not sprayed the plants with anything. (Though I do want to figure out some fungicide to use as a regular preventive spray. )

I am just observing what I see on the plants and trying to learn as much as I can to be able to take better and educated decisions. In general, I am not bothered by insects to start spraying the plants (unless I see hundreds of bad bugs on the plants)

and I found a good resource for bug info .. bug guide.

Redbaron · June 12, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnkrer

and I found a good resource for bug info .. bug guide.

Thanks for the link! I love it!

Master_Gardener · June 12, 2013

I also find it helpful to know what part of the plant the bug was found on and if there are others or just this one. If the bug was found on the bark, leaf or fruit it might help to identify it.

tnkrer · June 14, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Master_Gardener

I also find it helpful to know what part of the plant the bug was found on and if there are others or just this one. If the bug was found on the bark, leaf or fruit it might help to identify it.

None of these were numerous. They were either on top of the leaf or back of the leaf. (photo shows where). gnats were around 5. Only one earwig spotted, two hoppers spotted. shiny flies - 4-5. One crane fly that flew away from the plants ..

And now another bug on mint. haven't figured out the family of insects to look in the bug guide to match the photo yet.

matilda'skid · June 14, 2013

Looks like a grasshopper and there is the hole to prove it maybe. I would squish him.

tnkrer · June 14, 2013

yeah, its eating leaves. It had moved to next leaf and a new hole had appeared under it on that leaf. So it was squished.

close enough match to this -> http://bugguide.net/node/view/781746/bgimage

June 10, 2013	#1
tnkrer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: MA 6a/b Posts: 352	What are these insects and are they good or bad for the plants Spotted these in last few days. Don't know what they are or whether they are good or bad. Is this a roach? on brandywine. There are few of these shiny flies flying around tomato. May be they are pollinating the tomato? Since bees don't seem to care for tomato. And saw this on the cuke leaf and where it was sitting, the leaf had a cut/hole. Not sure if it caused it though. It jumped away before I could take second pic. Thanks

June 10, 2013	#2
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Scare away the fly and kill the others. Sorry, I just couldn't resist. I don't know what those other two are, but anything that ugly is not allowed in my garden. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

June 10, 2013	#3
Kazfam Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Upstate South Carolina Posts: 113	1st picture - European Earwig: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r116301811.html Not good - are a pest BUT also feed on aphids. I would hand remove into soapy water - there are plenty of other beneficials that eat aphids. 2nd picture - Long-Legged Fly: feeds on aphids. Good bug. 3rd picture - Tree Hopper. Not good - feeds on sap. I would hand remove into soapy water. I've removed many from my sunflowers plants. __________________ God Almighty first planted a garden, and indeed it is the purest of human pleasures. It is the greatest refreshment of the spirit of man, without which buildings and palaces are but gross handiwork. Francis Bacon

June 12, 2013	#8
tnkrer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: MA 6a/b Posts: 352	Master Gardener, thanks for that book. However, I couldn't identify these two using that book Same questions, who are those and are they good or bad? (I have sort of decided that flying insects are usually good, so they are probably good) long brown mosquito looking insect. Probably crane fly .. not necessarily good though small non shiny fly - a fungus gnat may be? So not good either. That shoots down my assumption that most flying insects are beneficial Thanks Last edited by tnkrer; June 12, 2013 at 11:17 AM.

June 12, 2013	#9
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	One crane fly or a couple fungus gnats are no biggie. It takes a swarm of them to do any real damages. One sure way to promote swarms of insects like that is spray everything with insecticide, killing the beneficials. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

June 10, 2013	#5
matilda'skid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Missouri Posts: 309	I wish there were more threads like this. I don't like to kill insects unless I know for sure they are harmful. My kale had insect eggs on stalks which I've read are lacewings and beneficial. I have seen flies attacking hornworms and that was very interesting. I need all the bug helpers I can get.

June 11, 2013	#7
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	I found a bug in my garden the other day that I don't know. I thought I was picking a piece of compost or wood chip off a leaf, and it did a jack-in-the-box thing in my fingers. Oblong gray-brown. A couple beneficial bugs here http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=28077 including a photogenic soldier beetle who posed for me.

June 12, 2013	#12
Master_Gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Central Indiana 6a/41 Posts: 131	I also find it helpful to know what part of the plant the bug was found on and if there are others or just this one. If the bug was found on the bark, leaf or fruit it might help to identify it. __________________ Russel USDA: Zone 6a, Sunset Zone 41 - 15 miles NW of Indianapolis, IN I had a problem with slugs. I tried using beer but it didn't work, until I gave it to the slugs.

June 14, 2013	#14
matilda'skid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Missouri Posts: 309	Looks like a grasshopper and there is the hole to prove it maybe. I would squish him.