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Cicada killer wasp

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Article author: Pat Porter
Most recently reviewed by: Wizzie Brown (2021)

Common Name(s): cicada killer wasp

Description

Only the name is scary; cicada killer wasps are not a threat to people, just cicadas. In Texas we have two species of cicada killers, the eastern and the western (Sphecius speciosus and Sphecius grandis, respectively). Of these the eastern cicada killer is by far the most common. The males have a pseudo-stinger (false stinger which is an extension of the abdomen) but cannot sting, and females only sting if threatened, like when picked up with a bare hand. Cicada killers do not “attack” people; the behavior sometimes perceived as being an attack is actually the male being territorial, trying to drive an intruder away from the underground nest or a nearby female. Since males cannot sting, there is really no danger. If you have a cicada killer buzzing around you, then keep walking to remove yourself from the territory.

cicada killer wasp

Cicada killer wasp

Cicada killer wasps are large, approximately 1 to 1.5 inches in length and have transparent brownish wings. The eastern cicada killer has a black body with white to yellow zig-zag stripes on the abdomen. The western cicada is more reddish-brown and also has white to yellow zig-zag stripes on the abdomen.

Unfortunately, the Asian giant hornet was found in Washington State in 2020, and its discovery was national news. This put people on guard all over the country, including in Texas, so now people are killing big cicada killer wasps out of fear they are the Asian giant hornet.

photo of a cicada killer wasp and Asian giant hornet

Cicada killer wasp (top) and Asian giant hornet (bottom). Pat Porter 2020

The Asian Giant Hornet is much larger than an eastern cicada killer, has a wide, orangish head, a black thorax and wings, and a black and orange smoothly striped abdomen. The eastern cicada killer has a black head that is smaller with respect to the body, a black thorax with brown wings, and a zig-zag pattern of yellow stripes on a black abdomen. If you see this yellow and black zig-zag pattern, the wasp is not an Asian giant hornet.

Origin and Distribution

The eastern cicada killer is found in the U.S. from South Dakota to New Mexico, south to Florida and all along the east coast. It is also found in Ontario, Canada. The western cicada killer can be found from Texas to California and northward to Nebraska and Washington State.

Habitat & Hosts

Favored nesting sites are those with light-textured soils that are well drained, and that are reasonably close to trees that will have cicadas in them. Unfortunately, this sometimes means the nesting sites are adjacent to patios or walkways, or in gardens or nearby embankments. A good nesting site might be utilized by several female cicada killers.  The wasps are not social insects, like honey bees, they just share good nesting sites.

Cicada killer wasp and burrow entrance

Life Cycle

Female cicada killers build nesting tunnels beneath the ground, with several branches leading off from the main tunnel. The tunnel is a “nursery” for their young. Females locate a cicada, sting it to cause paralysis, and bring it back to the tunnel. She will then drag it inside and stuff it, and perhaps one or two more, in a tunnel branch and lay an egg inside the last cicada and seals the branched tunnel. The egg will hatch in a few days, and the developing larva will consume the cicada(s) as it grows during the next two weeks. Once the larva is fully grown, it spins a silken cocoon in which it will remain until the following summer. It will then exit the cocoon, enter the pupal stage and ultimately emerge as an adult. There is one generation per year.

Management

If you live in the State of Texas, contact your local county agent or entomologist for management information. If you live outside of Texas, contact your local extension for management options.

Because they are not a threat to people, and because they are beneficial insects, there is seldom a need to manage cicada killers. On the other hand, cicadas, while they can be annoying, can also damage trees. Cicada killer wasps specialize in killing cicadas while posing almost no risk to humans.

Citations

Cicada Killer Wasps. The Smithsonian Institution. https://www.si.edu/spotlight/buginfo/cicada-killer-wasps.

Eastern Cicada Killer. Missouri Department of Conservation. https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/eastern-cicada-killer.

Cicada Killer Wasps. The University of Kentucky. https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef004.

Acrobat Ant

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Article author: Bradleigh S. Vinson

Common Name(s): Acrobat Ant

Description

Workers are one size, between 1/16 inch and 1/6 inch depending on species. Color is variable, but frequently the head and thorax are reddish-brown and the abdomen is black. They have two backward-pointing spines on the thorax. The waist (pedicle, the narrow segments at the front of the abdomen) has two nodes, and is attached to the upper side of the gaster (part of the abdomen following the waist). The gaster is heart-shaped and is often held upright over the body when the ants are disturbed.

Origin and Distribution

Of the 27 species known of acrobat ants known from the United States, 17 occur in Texas. C. punctulata, C. laeviuscula and C. minitussima occur widely throughout the state, six species are found only in eastern Texas and eight occur only in western Texas.  Although acrobat ants have a stinger, they seldom sting.  sometimes acrobat ants will enter houses near windows.

Habitat & Hosts

Acrobat ants sometimes forage in columns. Although they seldom sting, they can bite. While some species produce exposed nests, many nest under objects, in rotten logs, or are cavity nesters in shrubs or trees.  Their colony size is usually a couple thousand members. They are omnivorous; many tend aphids and occasionally east dead or living insects and sometimes can be attracted to sweets or meat.

Life Cycle

Egg, larva, pupa and adult

Management

If you live in the State of Texas, contact your local county agent or entomologist for management information. If you live outside of Texas, contact your local extension for management options.

These ants nest in water-damaged or water-stressed wood similar to carpenter ants. Indoors, they are found in building voids and insulation. Outdoors, they are found in soil, leaves or wood. They will trail and enter buildings by any means. They are active during the day, and prefer sweet foods. They often feed on the sugary excretions of honeydew-producing insects (e. g. aphids or scales).

Bugwood Images

Argentine Ant

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Article author: Bradleigh S. Vinson
Most recently reviewed by: Pat Porter (2018)

Common Name(s): Argentine Ant

Description

Workers are one size, about 1/8 inch and light to dark brown. The waist (pedicel) has one node. The tip of the gaster lacks a circle of hairs. They may emit a stale greasy or musty odor when crushed. These ants do not have a stinger.

Origin and Distribution

The Argentine ant is an introduced exotic species that occurs in the United States and is widely distributed.   In areas where it is present it is often found in high densities.

This ant does not pose a medical threat because they do not have a stinger, but they are a threat to native biodiversity. Because of their common high nest density and large colony size, they are a major nuisance pest that very difficult to control.

Habitat & Hosts

Argentine ants are often seen in dense foraging trails. They frequently invade homes. They neither bite nor sting. They are cavity nesters in exposed soil or sometime inside houses, under cover or in rotten wood and can nest in lawns and plant beds.  Their colony size is in the hundreds or thousands of individuals.  Argentine ants have polygyne (multiple queen) colonies and both queens and workers freely move between mounds. This mixing of individuals leaves all the mounds genetically homogenous and thus making the entire population resemble one giant colony. These “supercolonies” may extend for many miles in diameter. They are omnivorous and attracted to sweets and animal fat.

Life Cycle

Egg, larva, pupa and adult.

Management

If you live in the State of Texas, contact your local county agent or entomologist for management information. If you live outside of Texas, contact your local extension for management options.

They usually nest near a moisture source. Indoors they are found near water pipes, sinks, potted plants and water leaks. Outdoors they are found in moist areas under logs, boards, stones, concrete slabs, debris, mulch, leaves and pine straw. Workers follow trails when foraging. They commonly tend honeydew-producing insects (e.g., aphids). Sweets are the favored food, but they will feed on most any food source.

Related Publications

Identifying Household Ants. Mike Merchant, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

Managing Household Ant Pests.

Bugwood Images

Cutworms

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Article author: David Kerns, Tyler Mays
Most recently reviewed by: Suhas Vyavhare & Kate Crumley (2020)

Common Name(s): army cutworm, Black Cutworm, Cutworms, dingy cutworm, granulate cutworm, mesquite cutworm, pale western cutworm, variegated cutworm

Description

There are a number of species of cutworm that may be encountered in Texas. Adults are typical “miller” type moths from the family Noctuidae. They are common moths found around porch lights. The moths are gray or brownish in appearance, although the hind wings are light gray or silverish in appearance.  Their wingspans are 1 to 2 inches. The larvae are dingy, grayish-black and smooth-skinned and may reach 2 inches in length. The larvae are primarily nocturnal and will hide under plant debris and within soil cracks and crevasses during the day. When disturbed the larvae of most species will curl up into a C-shape.

There are four major groups of cutworms based on habitat and feeding behavior:

1) subterranean cutworms, such as the pale western cutworm that feed almost entirely below the soil surface on roots and underground stems;
2) tunnel dwellers such as the black cutworm which cuts a small, tender plant at the soil surface, pulls it into the tunnel and devours the plant;
3) surface feeders such as the granulate cutworm and the army cutworm which may cut seedling plants off at the surface or feed upon leaves of older plants;
and
4) climbing cutworms such as the variegated, dingy, and mesquite cutworms, may cut seedling plants and may also feed on foliage and flower buds.

Most significant plant injury from cutworms is associated with 3rd instar or larger larvae. All regions of Texas may encounter cutworms of one or more types of cutworms.

Habitat & Hosts

Cutworms are generalist and can be found feeding on a wide variety of plants. They are considered economic pests of corn, cotton, sorghum, vegetables and turf. Most damage occurs in the spring during crop establishment, where they can clip seedling plants off at the soil surface, resulting in poor stands. Infestations are most common in crops where thick cover crops or weeds exist at or within a few weeks before crop emergence. Cutworms are most evident when there are skips or sections of rows where all plants are missing, and cut plants can be seen laying upon the soil or partially buried. Some species, such as the mesquite cutworm, are usually most severe in July and August. In turf, cutworms may hide in aeration holes and clip nearby grass or burrow under the turf resulting in “ball mark” appearing spots. They are common in flower beds with thick spring flower growth, such as with petunias, and may be observed dispersing from areas where bedding cover and mulch is disturbed. Mesquite cutworms are occasionally major defoliators of mesquite in Texas.

Life Cycle

Most cutworms overwinter as larvae or pupae and emerge and mate during the spring. They lay their eggs on the various portions of the host plant. They typically seek out thickly vegetated areas to lay their eggs. The larvae will usually pass through 5-6 instars, but some species may have as many as 9 instars. They pupate in the soil, and most cutworm species require about 60 days to complete a full life cycle. There may be three to five generations per year in central and south Texas, depending on weather conditions and temperature.

Management

If you live in the State of Texas, contact your local county agent or entomologist for management information. If you live outside of Texas, contact your local extension for management options.

Cutworms usually do not require curative control unless unacceptable crop stand loss is likely. Seed treatments and Bt GMO traits can help prevent loss, but may not suffice where high populations of large cutworms exist, usually originating from cover crops or weeds. In turf, they are an erratic pest and are most attractive to overly fertilized and watered situations. Where they occur in turf, spot treatments will usually suffice.

Related Publications

  1. Managing Cotton Insects in Texas, https://extensionentomology.tamu.edu/resources/management-guides/managing-cotton-insects-in-texas/.
  2. Managing Insect and Mite Pests of Texas Small Grains, https://extensionentomology.tamu.edu/resources/management-guides/managing-insect-and-mite-pests-of-texas-small-grains/.
  3. Managing Insect and Mite Pests of Texas Sorghum, https://extensionentomology.tamu.edu/resources/management-guides/sorghum/.
  4. Managing Insect Pests of Texas Forage Crops, https://extensionentomology.tamu.edu/resources/management-guides/managing-insect-pests-of-texas-forage-crops/.
  5. Managing Insect and Mite Pests of Texas Corn, https://extensionentomology.tamu.edu/resources/management-guides/managing-insect-and-mite-pests-of-texas-corn/.

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Cat fleas

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Article author: Mike Merchant
Most recently reviewed by: Janet Hurley & Pat Porter (2018)

Common Name(s): cat flea

Description

adult cat flea side view

Adult cat fleas are flattened and have strong jumping legs. (Photo by Mike Merchant)

Look for small (1/8 inch-long), wingless insects in the fur of dogs and cats. Adult fleas are brown to black in color, with strong jumping legs. Adult cat fleas feed on dogs, cats, and a variety of furred animals. People may be bitten by fleas, especially when populations are high, but fleas will not live and reproduce on humans. Flea larvae are small, rarely seen, legless larvae that live in carpeting, furniture, cracks in the floor, pet beds, and outdoors around pet sleeping and loafing areas.

Habitat & Hosts

Despite its name, cat fleas feed on a variety of hosts including dogs, people, cattle, opossums, raccoons, rats, etc.  Cat fleas require animal blood meals for successful reproduction.  Surprisingly human blood does not provide the right nutrition for cat fleas to survive, though they certainly bite humans.  The presence of cat fleas in a home or yard without pets usually implies that wildlife (possums, squirrels, raccoons) or feral/free range dogs are cats are living in close proximity.  

 

Life Cycle

flea larva

Flea larvae are small and legless, and rarely seen even by pet owners. They live in the bedding and around loafing areas of infested pets.

Fleas generally spend their adult life attached to one furry host. While feeding, female fleas lay eggs which fall off the animal and onto carpeted floors, furniture, grass and soil.  Flea larvae feed on dried blood that has also fallen off the host.  For this reason the most heavily flea infested areas of a home are places where pets like to hang out and sleep.

 

 

Management

If you live in the State of Texas, contact your local county agent or entomologist for management information. If you live outside of Texas, contact your local extension for management options.

Infested pets should be treated immediately. Some of the newer on-animal treatments are generally effective and eliminate the need for sprays applied to house or yard, especially if applied before a serious problem develops.  For more information about fleas and flea control, see http://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/biting-stinging/others/ent-3001/

Related Publications

Safer Flea Control