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14 POTATO GROWER | MAY 2016 TOP 5 Benefi cial Insects Everyone knows growers spend a lot of time and effort beating back their tiny, creepy- crawly friends. Some of those little guys can cause a lot of damage in a crop, and they make for some sneaky effective enemies. However, some insects can have favorable effects and even be valuable allies through the growing season. Sizers/Eliminators/Sorters Custom Built! Numerous Options Available for Debris Elimination! Quality Components! Patented Quick Adjust Sizer and Sizing Star for Accurate and Gentle Sizing! 395 W Hwy 39, Blackfoot, ID 208-785-4285, 1-800-574-1852 www.milestone-equipment.com 159521Milest13h.indd 1 3/21/16 8:45 AM LADY BEETLES Commonly known by the entomologically incorrect "ladybug," the several species of these little red-and-black guys are probably the most familiar insect predators in most crops, nurseries and urban areas. They feed ravenously on soft-bodied insects such as aphids, mealybugs and spider mites. BIG-EYED BUGS Commonly present throughout the Northwest, big-eyed bugs often arrive in potato fields in early spring and colonize quickly. Adults and nymphs feed by sucking body fluids from their prey, which include aphids, leafhoppers, lygus bugs and spider mites. These small insects are characterized, predictably, by their prominent eyes and brown or gray bodies, and are sensitive to many insecticides. DAMSEL BUGS These slender insects have large wings and specialized front legs for grasping prey. They overwinter in protected areas near fields and generally colonize potato fields in late spring. Damsel bugs feed on aphids, spider mites, small caterpillars and eggs and larvae of the Colorado potato beetle.