Below are answers to UC IPM's 2024 insect Easter egg hunt! Click on the name of each insect to learn more.
These eggs belong to the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) a pest of many types of plants and occasional indoor nuisance. BMSB females will lay up to 28 white or pale green eggs in a cluster. There are over 50 stink bug species in California, and some are beneficial predators of other insects while many like BMSB are pests that can damage plants.
Caterpillars often lay eggs in large clusters on leaves, but armyworm eggs are laid in fluffy masses on the crowns of seedlings or leaves of older plants. The fuzzy egg mass pictured here belongs to the beet armyworm, a pest of many types of vegetables. They feed on seedlings, can skeletonize leaves, and gouge holes in fruits.
While not yet found in California, the egg masses of the invasive spotted lanternfly are easily recognized, occurring in groups of 30 to 50 eggs covered in a gray, mud-like covering. It's important to know what these eggs look like as they can easily be transported to new areas on firewood, building materials, trailers, and other flat surfaces.
Greenish blisters under the surface of leaves can indicate the presence of glassy winged sharpshooter's eggs, an invasive pest that is found mostly in southern California. Females lay egg masses in groups of 8 to 12 eggs arranged side-by-side under the epidermis of the lower leaf surface of young, fully developed leaves. Shortly after the eggs hatch, the leaf tissue surrounding the egg mass begins to turn brown and remains as a permanent brown scar. Glassy winged sharpshooters can transmit several important, often fatal, plant diseases in California.
Praying mantid (or mantis) eggs are laid in masses attached to twigs, fences, or other surfaces. Egg masses are frothy and pale when first laid, then dry to a brown, hardened, paper-like material. The egg case pictured here belongs to the Carolina mantid, Stagmomantis carolina, which isn't found in California, but several other species are. Mantids feed on any insects or spiders they can catch, including both pests and beneficials.
The brown, cylindrical eggs of all three species of leaffooted bugs are laid end-to-end in a string-like strand. They are often found along a stem or leaf midrib but may sometimes be found on fruit or other surfaces, as seen in this picture. Most egg masses have 10-15 eggs, although strands of more than 50 have been reported. Leaffooted bugs feed on many types of plants but damage occurs primarily when they feed on fruit or nut crops.
We hope you enjoyed this year's insect Easter egg hunt. Check back next year to test your insect egg identification skills!
/table>/table>- Author: Lauren Fordyce
It's time for UC IPM's annual insect Easter egg hunt! Can you guess which insects laid the eggs pictured below? Some may be pests, while others may be beneficial. Leave a comment on this blog post with your guesses, or on our Facebook and Instagram posts.
Answers will be posted on Monday, April 1st.
Photo credits:
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Jennifer Carr, University of Florida, Bugwood.org
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Alton N. Sparks, Jr., University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
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Kenneth R. Law, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org
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Jack Kelly Clark, UC IPM
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Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org
- David R. Haviland, UCCE
Below are answers to the 2023 Easter Egg Hunt! How did you do?
Some mosquitoes lay single eggs on water surfaces, while others, like Culex species, lay batches of 100 or more eggs, called rafts, pictured above. Other species lay single eggs just above the water line in moist soil, tree holes, or containers where later flooding is likely. Eggs deposited on water surfaces usually hatch within a couple of days, but eggs laid on the sides of saucers under plants, jars, cans, or soil surfaces won't hatch until flooding occurs, which can be months or even years later. Read the Pest Notes: Mosquitoes to learn more.
Squash bug eggs are laid in groups or clusters of 15 to 40 on the underside of leaves in the spring. The bugs hatch and feed on squash plants as juveniles and adults. See the Pest Notes: Squash Bugs for more information about these garden pests.
Spined assassin bug eggs are laid in groups. These beneficial insects or “natural enemies” are predators that feed on other small to medium sized insects. Visit the UC IPM website to learn more.
Cockroach eggs are laid in a case, called an ootheca. American cockroaches carry the egg case from their abdomen for only a short time before depositing it in a suitable location where it incubates for weeks or months. View Pest Notes: Cockroaches to learn more.
Green lacewing eggs are laid on slender stalks. Female lacewings lay about 100 to 300 eggs during their several-week lifespan. Larvae and adults are predators of soft-bodied insects. Read more about these natural enemies and learn to recognize them on the UC IPM website.
It's time for UC IPM's Easter egg hunt!
Can you guess which insects laid the eggs pictured below? Some may be pests, while others may be beneficial! Leave a comment on this blog post with your guesses, or on our Facebook and Instagram posts.
Answers will be posted on Friday, April 7th.
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- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
It's that time of year again for UC IPM's semi annual Easter Egg hunt!
Can you guess which insect, spider, or mollusk laid the eggs pictured below? These critters may already be hiding in your home, landscape, or garden! Leave a comment with your guesses. Answers will be posted on Friday, April 15.