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Common Name: Assassin bug
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Reduviidae
Photo Credit: John Obermeyer, Purdue University
Pest Status: Assassin bugs are beneficial predatory insects. Caution
should be taken in handling them, however, as they can bite
people.
Appearance: Adults are 1 ⁄5- to 1½-inches long depending upon the
species. An adult has an elongated head with distinct narrowed
thorax, long legs and a prominent, segmented proboscis. Most
species are dark in color with hues of brown, black, red, or orange.
Life Cycle: Assassin bugs lay their eggs on leaves during the
summer and in cracks and crevices during the fall. The eggs hatch
either during the summer or the following spring. Nymphs pass
through five instars before becoming adults.
Where to Collect: Adults are usually the overwintering stage.
They can be collected nearly anywhere as they disperse to find
prey. Sweeping foliage or collecting them at night are also productive
techniques.
Common Name: Bagworm
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Psychidae
Photo Credit: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Forestry Archive,
Bugwood.org
Pest Status: The bagworm can become a serious pest of evergreen
trees and shrubs, occasionally of broad leaf trees.
Appearance: Bagworms themselves are seldom seen due to the
protective, cone-shaped bag that encloses the insect. The bag is
approximately 1½-inches long and is composed of silk, leaves, and
twigs. Mature male larvae, however, do eventually leave the bag
for a short time. They range in color from brown to tan, and are
usually mottled with black markings.
Life Cycle: Adult moths are active in late summer and early fall.
The females remain within the bags to lay the overwintering eggs.
The eggs do not hatch until June and the larvae immediately begin
to form the silken bag where they remain until August when
pupation occurs.
Where to Collect: Larvae attach their very conspicuous bags to
branches of trees.
Common Name: Bald-faced hornet
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Pest Status: The bald-faced hornet is seldom a pest, but can sting
if their gray paper nest, usually found in trees, is disturbed.
Appearance: Adults are at least ½-inch long with a black head,
thorax, and abdomen, all mottled with white markings.
Life Cycle: The queen starts a new nest each spring by laying
eggs inside a small nest. When the eggs hatch, the queen feeds the
larvae until they pupate. When adults emerge, they work to expand
the size of the nest, and take on the foraging/feeding and defense
responsibilities of the colony. The nest is created from bark, paper,
and saliva and can become as large as a basketball.
Where to Collect: These hornets can be found in both wooded and
urban areas. Hornet nests commonly hang from trees, bushes, low
vegetation, and buildings.
Photo Credit: John Obermeyer, Purdue University