More Sweep Net Photos
Insect Storage & Transport
 Container with holes, label
 Add food & surfaces
 Keep shaded!! Keep Cool!!
 Cooler, packing, ice packs
 Store in refrigerator
 Transport in coolers
The insects
need proper
food and
care for
transport
Separate
 Cool in refer to slow
 Hand pick
 Aspirator = “bug sucker”
 Accelerator
Larinus minutus
knapweed seed head weevil
Accelerator
-Sweep net
through flea
beetle infestation.
-place nettings in
screen.
–flea beetles fit
through screen.
-measure
flea beetle
#’s by
volume.
-flea beetles fall
through funnel
into jar.
–
release fairly well
cleaned up.
Insect Economy
 Defoliators
 Seed Head Feeders
 Leaf Galls
 Stem Galls
 Stem Borers
 Root Borers
 Root Feeders
 Other: fungi, nematodes,
bacteria, etc..
Insects need the proper habitat!
Specific Insect How To
 Cyphocleonus achates – knapweed root boring weevil
 Agapeta zoegana – knapweed root boring moth
 Larinus minutus – knapweed seed head weevil
 Aphthona spp. – leafy spurge flea beetles
 Oberea erythrocephala – leafy spurge root boring
beetle
 Mecinus janthinus – toadflax stem boring weevil.
Bio-agent Collection
 Cyphocleonus: hand pick, sweep net
 Agapeta: hand pick, sweep net, vac
 Larinus: sweep net + asperator or pump
 Aphthona: sweep net + accelerator
 Oberea: sweep net + hand pick from net.
Cyphocleonus achates – Root Boring Weevil
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Adults emerge Aug./Sept.
Lay eggs on root crown
Larvae bore into root
Over winter as larvae in
root
Feeding in taproot and
exit hole cause damage
Pupate in early summer
Emerge and do it all
again
Do not fly
2000-29,000+/yr..
Cyphocleonus achates knapweed root boring weevil
Agapeta zoegana - root boring moth
Biology:
 Adults emerge spring/summer
 Lay eggs on lower stem
 Larvae hatch, mine down stem into
the root
 Larvae over winter in root
 Pupate in soil early/late spring
 Larvae can move a short distance
through soil to a new plant if theirs
dies
 Adults disperse by flying
Collected 2,950 in 2007!
Larinus minutus Biology:
• Over winters as adult weevil!
• Adults gather at knapweed
plants when flower buds appear
• Females lay one egg per flower
• Larvae soon hatch and consume
seeds (that is a good thing!!)
• Pupate in destroyed flower
• Emerge as adult in late summer
• Fly away and over winter
• Strong flier, readily disperses
• Great one-two punch with root
borers!!
Larinus Collections
Aphthona – leafy spurge flea beetles
 Adults emerge from soil early/mid summer
 Release pheromone, stay together
 Adults feed on spurge leaves, high #’s can
damage plants
 Scatter eggs on soil around spurge plants
 Larvae soon hatch, feed on root hairs
 Major effect: larval root feeding
 Larvae feed all fall, winter & spring
 Pupate in soil in late spring
 Becoming very successful bio-agent!
 Can hop & fly, we need to disperse them…