CMG GardenNtes #314 Key 1 Key t Insects Assciated with Gardening Ntes: This key cvers insect rders cmmnly assciated with gardening and landscape maintenance. Key 2 includes additinal rders. This simplified key cvers insects shwing cmmn characteristics fr the rder. Species with atypical appearances will nt wrk with this simplified key. 1a. Wings present. g t 2 1b. Wings absent. g t 8 (1a) 2a. One pair f membranus wings. The insect may lk like a fly r bee. (Lk carefully fr a secnd pair f wings hidden beneath the frnt pair.) Diptera (flies) [details page 313-4] 2b. Tw pair f wings present. g t 3 (2b) 3a. Frnt and hind wings nt similar in texture. Frnt wings parchment-like, shell-like r leathery r thickened. Hind wings mre delicate r membranus. g t 4 3b. Frnt and hind wings similar in texture. Either membranus, transparent r cvered with pwderylike scales. g t 6 (3a) 4a. Chewing muthparts. g t 5 4b. Piercing-sucking muthparts. Beak-like muthparts usually easily visible and appear t arise frm frnt f head, ahead f eyes. Frnt wings thickened at base but membranus and verlapping at tips, s that the wings frm a triangle pattern n the back. Hemiptera,, subrder Heterptera (true bugs) 314-1
(4a) 5a. Leathery frnt wings, withut veins, lay ver bdy in a shell-like fashin, making a straight line between wings. Hind wings membranus. N cerci (tail-like appendages). Cleptera (beetles) 5b. Frnt wings mre r less parchment like with a netwrk f veins. Hind wings membranus and flded fan-like when at rest. Hind leg enlarged fr jumping. Orthptera (grasshppers, crickets, katydids) 5c. Frnt wings mre r less parchment like with a netwrk f veins. Flattened bdies, thread-like antennae Blattaria (cckrach) 5d. Frnt leg enlarged fr capturing prey. Mantdea (mantids) 5e. Frnt wings shrt and leathery. Hind wings membranus. Elngated flattened bdy with distinct frceps-like pinchers (cerci). Dermaptera (earwigs) (3b) 6a. Wings membranus. g t 7 6b. Wings usually cvered with pwdery-like scales. Muthparts ciled sucking tube beneath the head. Lepidptera (butterflies, mths) 6c. Wings very narrw and fringed with hair. Tiny insect (less than 1/8 inch). Ft ending in balln-like swelling. Thysanptera (thrips) 314-2
(6a) 7a. Piercing-sucking muthparts. Jinted beak-like muthparts nt very visible and appear t arise frm under the head r between the frnt legs. Wings generally held rf-like ver bdy when at rest. Hemiptera, subrder, Auchenrrhyncha r Sternrrhyncha (aphids, cicadas, leafhppers, psyllids, treehppers, and whiteflies) aphid cicada leafhpper whitefly 7b. Frnt wing usually larger than hind wing. Wings may be cnnected. Chewing r chewing sucking muthparts. Bee, wasp, r ant like with narrw waist. Hymenptera (bees, wasps, ants) 7c. Large membranus wings, usually with many veins and crss veins; similar in size and texture; held rf-like ver bdy when at rest. Antennae lnger, nt extremely shrt r bristle-like. Tarsus (ft) with five segments. N cerci (tail-like appendage). Neurptera (lacewing) (1b) 8a. Piercing-sucking, jinted beak-like muthparts. g t 9 8b. Chewing muthparts. g t 10 8c. Rasping-sucking muthparts. Tiny (less than 1/8 inch), slender insects. Balln-like swelling n end f ft. Often nticed by scarring and defrmatin f leaves and flwers where it feeds. Thysanptera (thrips) (8a) 9a. Bug-like with jinted beak. Muthparts usually easily visible and appear t arise frm frnt f head, in frnt f eyes. Hemiptera, subrder Heterptera (true bugs) 9b. Bug-like with jinted beak. Muthparts nt highly visible and appear t arise frm under the head r beween the frnt pair f legs. Hemiptera, subrder, Auchenrrhyncha r Sternrrhynca (aphids, cicadas. leafhppers, mealybugs, psyllids, scale) 314-3
(8b) 10a. Larva-like (i.e., caterpillar-like, grub-like, maggt-like). g t 11 10b. Bug-like with tail-like features (cerci, filaments). g t 14 10c. Ant-like. g t 15 10d. Dragn-like with lts f appendages and decratins. g t 16 (10a) 11a. Caterpillar-like: sft bdied, three pair f legs n thrax, fleshy leg-like prlegs n abdmen. g t 12 11b. Grub-like: head capsule, three pair f legs n thrax, and n legs n abdmen. typical f Cleptera (beetle grubs) [details page 313-2] 11c. Maggt-like, headless, legless. g t 13 - (11a) 12a. Up t five pair f prlegs n abdmen. Lepidptera (butterfly and mth caterpillars) 12b. Six r mre pair f rlegs n abdmen. Hymenptera (sawfly larva) - 314-4
(11c) 13a. Maggt-like: n legs, n head capsule, muth-hks. typical f Diptera (fly maggts) 13b. Legless, n head capsule, head area may be enlarged. Insect internal wd r bark brer. sme Cleptera (brer larva) 13c. Slug like; fliage feeding. Hymenptera (typical f sme sawfly larva) 13d. Maggt-like; larva fund in nests. - Hymenptera (larva f bees, wasps and ants fund in nest) (10b) 14a. Elngated flattened bdy with distinct frceps-like pinchers (cerci), and shrt leathery frnt wings. Dermaptera (earwigs) 14b. Hind legs designed fr jumping. Antennae tread-like. Orthptera (grasshppers, crickets, katydids) 14c. Flattened bdy, thread-like antennae, thick semi-transparent wings with majr venatin. Husehld pest. Blattaria (cckraches) 14d. Frnt legs designed fr grasping and hlding prey. Bdy elngated. Lng, thread-like antennae. Mantdea (mantids) (10c) 15a. Three distinct bdy segments. Narrw waist. Elbwed antennae. Hymenptera (ants) 15b. Lks like a fat ant withut a narrw waist. Creamy white. Straight beaded antennae. Isptera (wrker termites) 314-5
(10d) 16a. Generally dark clred with bright markings and spines. Cleptera (beetle grubs) 16b. Frward-prjecting, curved pinted jaws designed t grasp prey, which they crush and suck the insides f prey. Neurptera (antlin) Additinal Infrmatin CMG GardenNtes n Identify Insects #310 Identifying Insects: Reference and Study Questins #311 Taxnmy f Arthrpds (Insects and Insect Relatives) #312 Insect Anatmy and Grwth #313 Insect Orders #314 Key #1 Key t Insects Assciated with Gardening #315 Key #2 Key t Insect Orders #316 Wrksheet: Identifying Insects #317 Hmewrk: Identifying Insects Authr: David Whiting, Cnsumer Hrticulture Specialist (retired), Clrad State University Extensin. Line drawings frm USDA. Phtgraphs by David Whiting.Revised by Mary Small, Clrad State University Extensin. Clrad Master Gardener GardenNtes are available nline at www.cmg.clstate.edu. Clrad Master Gardener training is made pssible, in part, by a grant frm the Clrad Garden Shw, Inc. Clrad State University, U.S. Department f Agriculture and Clrad cunties cperating. Extensin prgrams are available t all withut discriminatin. N endrsement f prducts mentined is intended nr is criticism implied f prducts nt mentined. Cpyright 2005-2018. Clrad State University Extensin. All Rights Reserved. CMG GardenNtes may be reprduced, withut change r additins, fr nnprfit educatinal use. Revised July 2017 314-6