Potato Grower

38 POTATO GROWER | MAY 2022 FINAL COUNTDOWN COLLECTING & IDENTIFYING INSECT PESTS By University of Idaho Extension Just like most doctors, good pest managers want to help people resolve their issues, but many pests, like serious medical issues, can be a challenge to fix. When you go to see a doctor, he doesn't write you a prescription before asking about the symptoms; it's the same with insect pests in your crop. The first step is to identify the pest and understand how big of a problem it is before looking at ways to help the situation. Pest management experts are always eager to help growers. The University of Idaho's insect identification website is a prime example of researchers and growers cooperating to identify potential arthropod pests and developing management plans. The first step in creating a successful management strategy is to correctly identify the problem. UI offers the following tips for collecting and identifying insect pests: 3. Collection Equipment The right collection equipment can make things much easier for you to capture insects. If monitoring insect populations on your farm is important to you, you may want to consider investing in such equipment as a sweeping net, forceps, plastic or glass jars, pitfall traps, lure traps and sticky traps. More tools are available to help with your insect identification efforts; contact your local extension entomologist for advice on your own operation. 2. Photography High-quality pictures to confirm identification can be captured by most smartphones today. If possible, place the subject onto a background that will make all the features of the specimen apparent. For a darker-colored specimen, use a white background; for lighter colored specimens, a dark background. Multiple photos that ensure good angle shots of the feet, wings, antennae or other body segments can be helpful. Be sure to include a size indicator by placing a standard U.S. penny or dime next to the specimen if possible. If the specimen is very small (the size of a pin head or smaller), you may need to use a hand lens to get a clear enough picture. Otherwise, the specimen may need to be shipped to a research center or extension office. 1. Killing and Preserving Specimens Sometimes it is essential to kill specimens to get a good picture of them or to ship them to a professional. To do so, it is necessary to cause as little harm to the body of the specimen as possible so it can still be identified. A smashed specimen is usually difficult to identify. It is recommended that specimens be killed using one of the following: • Submersing them fully in rubbing alcohol for a few minutes. Specimens can be left in alcohol for shipment. This method, however, is not recommended for moths, bees, butterflies or anything hairy. • Placing them in a container and leaving them in the freezer overnight. • Placing them in a sealed jar with a paper towel moistened with acetone (nail polish remover). Leave them in this jar for at least 30 minutes. Once a confident identification of the issue is made, you can move on to treatments. When managing pests, growers should consider all their options to create the best long-term solution. Visit University of Idaho Extension's Insect Identification website at www.uidaho.edu/ extension/insect-id to learn more. PG

• Cover