COLUMN: Insects: Pest or Friend?

Humans, with a great deal of hesitation, have learned to share their habitat with insects.

Unfortunately, most people think only of insects as pests when they experience them. Most insects found in yards, homes, gardens or crops do not feed on or harm plants. There are both good and bad insects in the landscape.

Lady Beetles, often called ladybugs, are the most familiar beneficial insect. Both adult and larval lady beetles feed on small, soft-bodied insects such as aphids. One small group of very small, black lady beetles specializes on spider mites. Other species prefer mealybugs or scale insects. This is a good insect.

The tomato hornworm feeds on tomato, eggplant, pepper, potato and certain weeds. The larvae consume large amounts of foliage which can virtually defoliate large plants. However, the adult is a large swift-flying hawk moth or hummingbird moth that feeds on nectar, pollinating petunias and other flowers. This is a good and bad insect.

The green lacewing is a pale green insect that most fishermen are familiar with. The adults primarily feed on nectar and other plant fluids. The larvae, sometimes called aphid lions, are ravening predators capable of feeding on small caterpillar as well as aphids and other insects. This definitely is a good insect.

The field cricket will feed on almost anything. The major significant of the cricket is as a nuisance pest when they come into the home, especially in large populations. Their chirping in the bedroom at night or mere presence in the living room floor makes them a nuisance, but not a bad insect. After all, how would we know it is dark outside in the summertime without chirping crickets.

Ground beetles are those large black beetles, usually following a large cricket infestation. They are actually after the crickets and other insect larvae and adults. The bigger the better for this group of bugs. They are a beneficial insect until they are stepped on in the house.

Most people are familiar with the wasp family of insects. Their first thought is that they must get rid of them because of their sting. However, adult wasps are efficient predators, mostly on caterpillars. They will carry their prey back to the nest and feed their developing larvae. They become a nuisance when they build their nest around homes and defend the nest by inflecting painful stings. The wasp family of insects are good insects.

Spiders are not insects, but most species are highly beneficial as they feed on insects and other tiny animals. Most people are familiar with the common web-making species, however, there are many others that do not build webs to catch their prey. The wolf spiders, crab spiders and jumping spiders are three species that do not make webs.

Spiders get their bad reputation from the two bad guys; black widow spider and the brown recluse spider. Although both spiders feed on insects and other tiny animals, their bite is a very unpleasant experience. Even one of these spiders in a building is one too many.

The dragonfly and damselfly are aerial, expert flyers that are normally found abounding about ponds and streams. The dragonfly has the large broader wings that are outstretched when they rest. The smaller more delicate damselfly rests with the wings folded. These two insects can eat more mosquitoes and horseflies than most birds could even think of eating. These two insects are definitely good insects.

Praying mantis are the large green or brown insect that are well known to many children. The common name comes from the manner in which they hold up their front legs to grasp small insects. They feed entirely on other insects and are even cannibalistic. Because of their slow-moving traits, don’t wait around too long for them to eat many insects. This is a good insect.

Jim Coe lives in Lawton and writes a weekly gardening column for The Lawton Constitution.