The Asian soybean aphid is not exactly a household word. As its name implies, it's native to Asia. It was first detected in North America in Wisconsin in July 2000. Technically, its Aphis glycines Matsumura. In lay language, that's spelled "p-e-s-t.
Ooh, a walking stick! Look! Its eating a leaf. Ooh, look at the dung beetles. Those were some of the comments overheard at the Bohart Museum of Entomologys recent open house, themed Beauty and the Beetles.
Of the many things I'm thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful for the millions of insects that populate our planet. Scientists have described more than a million species, but there may be 10 million more undescribed. I am thankful for honey bees.
Some folks mistake the spotted cucumber beetle for a ladybug or lady beetle. However, unlike the beneficial ladybug, which devours aphids and other soft-bodied insects, the spotted cucumber beetle is a major agricultural pest.
