Re: Armoured & colorful insects/predators

Hi, Curt!
If you'll take a look at the bottom of this email, as I did, voila! how to
access the archives.
Good luck!
Kathie
--


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>From: Curt Mearns <curtm@swcp.com>
>To: pumpkins@hort.net
>Subject: Armoured & colorful insects/predators
>Date: Sun, Jul 16, 2006, 6:27 PM
>

> Greetings all,
>
> First thanks for keeping this list alive.  I find it educational and
> often entertaining.
>
> If you folks have an archive and instructions on how to access, I might
> find answers to the following email as it was probably answered by
> others before.
>
> Sadly after returning from vacation, my entire crop of pumpkin plants
> (3) had been decimated.
>
> I inspected the plants by lifting the vines off the ground, and found 2
> types of insects.
> I see no evidence that these insects are the culprit, but if they use
> some sort of proboscis sucking structure I don't know if I would
> recognize the site of the damage.
>
> At any rate the plants turned more yellow than green and wilted in a way
> different from lack of water.  The plants more resembled what happens
> after a frost. Wilting from the edges first.
>
> Insect Description
> The first insect looked like a harlequin beetle on steroids without any
> red or orange.  Just kind of brown.  Probably 1/2 inch long by 1/4 inch
> wide.  Behind the head looks like a rectangle and at the other end a
> point forms.  There is a distinct X on the back.   [><>
>
> The second insect was a kind of brilliant sky blue behind the head and
> jet black other parts including long legs relative to body size.  The
> blue looked kind of fuzzy on first inspection.  About 2 of these would
> fit on the top of a pencil eraser.  When I looked again a day later the
> same insects had varying colorations.  Some looked like engorged aphids,
> that is they had shiny green instead of brilliant sky blue fuzzy
> bodies.  I am convinced these were the same insects because of their shape.
>
> Any information would be helpful.  I am specifically interested in:
> 1) common and/or scientific name of these insects
> 2) knowing if they are the real predators
> 3) what can be done to minimize their effects (or eradicate them
> altogether!)
> 4) description or references to these insects life histories.
>
> Thanks for your reading this email
> Curt
> Albuquerque, New Mexico
>
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