Determining Plant Damage Caused by Insects Part II
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By Agnes Farside
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In Part I of Determining Plant Damage Caused by Insects, the discussion was centered on the close inspection of the plant for chewed damage and what type of insect might be causing the damage. Part II will address the damaged caused by sucking insects and ways a gardener can identify which insect might be causing the damage. Specific insects may not only suck the life right out of a plant, but may also inject toxic substances into it while they are feeding on it, which is known as phytotxemia. In addition, knowing where the insect is in its life cycle can help a gardener determine which insect is causing damage.
Plant Inspection for Sucking Damage
Aphids, leafhoppers, and lygus bugs are known insects that cause spotting or stippling on a plant. These insects inject enzymes into the plant while feeding to kill the chlorophyll in localized areas. Aphids have also been known to cause even more devastating destruction through their toxic saliva with leaf curling and/or puckering.
Some toxins are localized but some can spread throughout the whole plant, causing reduced growth. Insects that cause systemic toxemia are scale and mealy bugs.
If a gardener observes random stipple patterns on leaves, they should look for leafhoppers or mites. If leaves and stems are off-color, then look for rose aphids, black cherry aphids, or leaf-curl plum aphids.
Leaf and stem swelling can be attributed to any number of insects such as aphids, wasps, poplar petiole gall midge, and many others. Twig or branch split can be caused by sucking insects splitting the branch to lay eggs, thus causing damage to the plant. Such insects are cicadas and treehoppers.
Reduced growth, dieback, and/or poor color can be the results of scales, mealy bugs, or pine needle scales damage, which feed on the roots, stems, and branches of plants.
The Life Cycle Metamorphosis
Insects with incomplete life cycles, such as lygus bugs, leafhoppers, and grasshoppers, resemble adults of the same species, but are smaller. These insects shed their skins leaving these castings as sure signs of the cause to plant damage.
Insects with complete life cycles, such as butterflies and moths start out as eggs, larva, or pupa and are completely difference in appearance from their adults. The adolescent stage is the most damaging one, in which the young cause chewing destruction.
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Author Bio Box: Agnes Farside
 http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/110407/agnes_farside.html
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