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Common Name: Dragonfly
Order: Odonata
Family: Aeshnidae
Photo Credit: John Obermeyer, Purdue University
Pest Status: Dragonflies are beneficial predatory insects both in
the adult and immature stages.
Appearance: Dragonfly adults are often brightly colored and have
long, slender abdomens. They also have two pairs of long, slender
wings with net-like veins. The wings do not fold and are held
outstretched when at rest. Both pairs of wings usually have a
stigma (colored patch) near the middle of the leading edge.
Life Cycle: Eggs can be laid inside plants, in water, or along
the shorelines of a bodies of water. Within a week the eggs hatch,
and larvae go through 12 to 15 instars in as little as two months.
After emerging, most dragonflies leave the water and go through a
month-long period of maturation during which the body
color brightens.
Where to Collect: Dragonflies are often found near lakes, streams,
and ponds.
Common Name: Earwig
Order: Dermaptera
Family: Forficulidae
Photo Credit: John Obermeyer, Purdue University
Pest Status: Earwigs are considered nuisance pests in most situations.
They are attracted to and occur in great numbers in and
around areas where people live.
Appearance: Earwigs are approximately 1 inch long and are easily
recognized by their red-brown color, short wings, and prominent
forceps-like appendages at the tip of the abdomen.
Life Cycle: During the spring and fall, females lay their eggs 2
inches deep in the soil. Females move, clean, and provide
protection for the eggs until the first molt. The larvae leave the nest
and mature in one season. Both eggs and adults overwinter.
Where to Collect: Earwigs require moist, cool places and are
found in damp crawl spaces, flower gardens, compost piles, and
trash and under boards in wood piles. Because they are attracted to
lights, they may be collected in light traps.
Common Name: Elm leaf beetle
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Chrysomelidae
Pest Status: Elm leaf beetles can defoliate elm trees when populations
are high. They are also attracted to homes in late fall where
they can become nuisance pests when they occur in great numbers.
Appearance: Adults are about ¼-inch long and elongated in shape.
They vary from yellow when young to olive green when mature,
with a black stripe along the outer edge of the wing covers. There
are four black spots on the thorax.
Life Cycle: Adults overwinter and lay yellow eggs on elm leaves
in the spring. After feeding in the canopy for several weeks, the
larvae crawl down the tree trunk and develop into pupae.
Where to Collect: Adults overwinter in bark, litter, and woodpiles
or in buildings. In the spring and summer, they can be found
feeding on the leaves of elm trees.
Photo Credit: Extension, Purdue University