Insect Highlights

Insect Highlights for the Week of July 17, 2001

Photo of scarab beetle, Osmoderma
LEATHER BEETLE
One of the biggest insects in Wisconsin is the scarab beetle, Osmoderma. Large c-shaped white grubs can be found in rotting stumps and the adults appear in July and August. They are up to 3 cm long and are strongly attracted to lights at night. They are harmless and remind many of the large beetles found in the tropics. There is sometimes a strong odor of leather when captured and which leads to the name "leather beetle." They are also called the Hermit Flower beetle.

Photo of Japanese Beetle

Photo of skeletonizing of leaves

JAPANESE BEETLES
More and more communities are having problems with Japanese beetles. Adults will be flying for the next six weeks. They feed on over 300 species of plants and can be found eating flowers or causing a skeletonizing of leaves of many plants including roses, grapes, linden, redbud and raspberries. Look for white spots along side of the metallic green body. Heavily infested plants may need to be treated weekly. Products containing permethrin, cyfluthrin, carbaryl (Sevin), or neem oil can be used. See http://www.uwex.edu/ces/wihort/gardenfacts/X1062.pdf for more background.

Photo of Pansy Caterpillar
PANSY CATERPILLAR
Not many insects bother the flowers of pansies, but I have been getting numerous calls about the caterpillar of a fritillary butterfly. This has been a great year for butterflies in the garden. The caterpillar has two rows of branched spines and two long spines near the head that people mistake for antennae.

For picture of adult see http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/wi/62.htm.

Photo of Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar
HICKORY TUSSOCK MOTH
How strange a year is it? These little caterpillars are hickory Tussock moths--but they are feeding on oak leaves. The preferred host is walnut, hickory and butternut, but these little guys do not read the same books as me and are doing well on red oak. Feeding at this time of the year does little harm to the tree.

Return to Entomology Home Page.
URL is http://www.entomologyl.wisc.edu/diaglab/hilt717.html. Updated 07/17/01

237 Russell Labs
1630 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
608/262-3227

For more information contact:
Phil Pellitteri, 608/262-6510
or e-mail pellitte@entomology.wisc.edu.

	LEATHER BEETLE One of the biggest insects in Wisconsin is the scarab beetle, Osmoderma. Large c-shaped white grubs can be found in rotting stumps and the adults appear in July and August. They are up to 3 cm long and are strongly attracted to lights at night. They are harmless and remind many of the large beetles found in the tropics. There is sometimes a strong odor of leather when captured and which leads to the name "leather beetle." They are also called the Hermit Flower beetle.
	JAPANESE BEETLES More and more communities are having problems with Japanese beetles. Adults will be flying for the next six weeks. They feed on over 300 species of plants and can be found eating flowers or causing a skeletonizing of leaves of many plants including roses, grapes, linden, redbud and raspberries. Look for white spots along side of the metallic green body. Heavily infested plants may need to be treated weekly. Products containing permethrin, cyfluthrin, carbaryl (Sevin), or neem oil can be used. See http://www.uwex.edu/ces/wihort/gardenfacts/X1062.pdf for more background.
	PANSY CATERPILLAR Not many insects bother the flowers of pansies, but I have been getting numerous calls about the caterpillar of a fritillary butterfly. This has been a great year for butterflies in the garden. The caterpillar has two rows of branched spines and two long spines near the head that people mistake for antennae. For picture of adult see http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/wi/62.htm.
	HICKORY TUSSOCK MOTH How strange a year is it? These little caterpillars are hickory Tussock moths--but they are feeding on oak leaves. The preferred host is walnut, hickory and butternut, but these little guys do not read the same books as me and are doing well on red oak. Feeding at this time of the year does little harm to the tree.