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Eugene, OR

Hello again. I'm looking for an experienced pumpkin entomologist that can help me identify this little guy. All my plants have quite a few of these little green bugs but I couldn't find any similar pictures on the net so I caught one, cranked up the resolution, and scanned it in. They flutter away when I shake a few leaves and promptly land again a few leaves away. There's no visible damage or other signs of possible insect problems but as small as these bugs are, I probably wouldn't be able to see the damage anyway. I can barely see the bug itself!

I looked at pictures of leaf hoppers, aphids, spider mites, etc. and none of them look like this tiny bug. They're very small....about 1/8 of an inch in total length. I would say they're almost exactly the same size as a mosquito but these are green. I was planning on applying a half dose of triazicide tomorrow night for some peace of mind anyway but it would be nice to know what they are.

The picture is on my personal webspace here:

http://webpages.charter.net/brianreid/unidentified.jpg

That's the best I can considering the size of these bugs. I greatly appreciate any info!

Brian

7/13/2004 12:18:02 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

mosquito larvae/baby?

7/13/2004 12:20:00 AM

Eugene, OR

I think mosquito larvae can only survive in standing water but I'm not sure on that. After you mentioned it possibly being a baby mosquito, I did a search for some info on mosquitos. Apparently the male mosquitos do not feed on blood, but actually feed on plant nectar. I wonder if these could be male mosquitos getting their fill of my plants life blood?!? If so, I suppose they could also vector plant diseases?

It's cool info though. A mosquito sucking on plants! I never heard of such a thing.

BTW Kyle, those plants of yours are looking good. You have some nice size pumpkins already. Hope you get that mosaic virus business sorted out and grow a monster! I would say you deserve it for all the help you give around here.

Tremor/Steve needs to pop a big one too!

Thanks for the suggestions.

Brian

7/13/2004 12:46:58 AM

Eugene, OR

Duh, I meant angular leaf spot. I read too many posts here.

7/13/2004 12:48:15 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

Thanks brian, the ALS is under control.

7/13/2004 7:39:40 AM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Looks like a juvenile dragonfly to me.

That extended abdomen looks about right.

Brian - what does the head look like?

Is there a pond or lake near by?
- duh like the Klamath Lake?

7/13/2004 8:21:04 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I am sooo tired of staring at that ugly green bug....LOL

It is a fallow something. Probably a juvenile dragon fly like Eric said.

Brian. Can you shoot a clearer picture under bright light? How close to a pond are you? Are those antenna on it's head?

Now I need an Advil. LOL

7/13/2004 9:01:09 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

It's not a mosquito.

7/13/2004 9:02:09 PM

Eugene, OR

Thanks for all the thoughts guys. This little guy is so tiny, my old Sony digital camera wouldn't be able to get a better picture than that. It's like trying to take a picture of a small mosquito! I used the scanner with the resolution turned way up to get that picture, but I'll fool around a little tomorrow and try to get a better picture.

I am about 1/8 of a mile from Klamath Lake but I've never seen these bugs before I started growing pumpkins this year. They only seem to congregate on the tops and bottoms of the pumpkin leaves and can also be seen on the leaf stems from time to time. My clumsy fingers smooshed the little guy pretty good but I've looked at live specimens and they do have some sort of antennae and do resemble baby dragonfly's but I don't seem to ever see any grown ups around. The antennae are translucent, are about as wide as the abdomen, and are very very thin....almost like a smaller set of wings.

They're probably nothing to worry about but it sure would be nice to know if they're beneficial or harmful before I break out the pesticide or they get out of control.

I appreciate the help and apologize for the headaches! :-)

Brian

7/14/2004 4:55:20 AM

Eugene, OR

Well, I tried my best but my obsolete camera just can't do any better than that picture. They're so darn small I can hardly even catch one without smooshing the little guy beyond recognition.

I guess I'll just go ahead and nuke 'em and hope for the best. Thank you all for your help.

Thanks for the pesticide advice too Steve.

Brian

7/15/2004 10:01:29 PM

Eugene, OR

OK, I just couldn't let it go. After hours on the net, I believe I have it licked. These little bugs are part of the Chironomidae family and are often called midges. The one in the pic is known as a "non-biting midge." In the adult form, they live only long enough to breed and pose so threat to the plants.

The one I caught is a male. Males have those fuzzy antennae.

Living so close to lake rich in aquatic plant life explains why there's so many of them around. The larvae live in water, feeding on algae. They emerge as adults only to breed in large swarms at dawn and dusk.

Thanks again.

7/16/2004 2:15:23 AM