Renowned Entomologist Donates to Arthropod Collection

The Florida State Collection of Arthropods (FSCA) is housed here in Gainesville at the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry (DPI). This collection contains more than 8 million specimens, which are used to ensure correct identification of invasive insects that may enter Florida via plant material, international travelers, or the pet trade. DPI also has a phytoparasitic nematode collection, a herbarium with over 10,000 plants and nearly 1,500 vials of seeds, a plant pathology collection, a biological control laboratory, a fruit fly identification laboratory, and an advanced diagnostics laboratory.

We recently received a wonderful addition to our collection. FSCA was given an enormous donation of insects from Dr. R.M. Baranowski, a retired entomologist from UF-IFAS-TREC. Julieta Brambila (USDA/APHIS, specialist on Lygaeidae), Mark Rothschild (FSCA volunteer), Andrew Jansen, Kurt Ahlmark, and Dr. Paul Skelley (all DPI employees) helped to obtain and integrate the donated material.

This collection had well over 50,000 specimens from around the world. It is a tremendously valuable addition to the Florida State Collection of Arthropods. After combining the collections we have discovered that we lack only four of the Lygaeidae reported from Florida.

This is a major addition to the FSCA. Help from these five individuals has made these bugs available to everyone for study and reference, increasing the Bureau of Entomology, Nematology & Plant Pathology’s ability to identify invasive pests and diseases which have entered, or may enter, Florida. This is an essential component of FDACS DPI’s mission of protecting Florida’s native and commercially grown plants and agricultural resources.

Super Bowl XLVI: Feast Like A Giant (or a Patriot)

Well its countdown to kickoff for football fans across the nation who are highly anticipating one of the single most watched events on television: the Super Bowl. Last year, 111 million viewers tuned into the show down, up from 2010’s 106.5 million. Whether you’re a diehard NFL fan, a commercial enthusiast, or you just got stuck watching it because your significant other’s hand is fused to the remote, make this year’s Super Bowl one to remember. You ask, how can I do that? With excellent food of course!

Fans are pulling out all the stops to create a winning spread at their Super Bowl parties which will curb any appetite – giant or not! Here at DPI, we are preparing for our own Superbowl celebrations and our secret ingredient to accomplish this task – Florida avocado.

Let’s get this party started with some savory dip featuring our secret ingredient! But surprise – this is not guacamole. We are serving up a heaping helping of Florida Avocado Dip! This treat will turn a stuffy shindig into a feisty fiesta! You can serve traditional tortilla chips, or my personal favorite, black bean chips, to scoop this scrumptious spread. Bet you can’t eat just one.

This next treat will make your mouth water. Crunchy, salty, savory – there definitely won’t be any leftovers tonight. These Chicken Avocado Egg Rolls will keep your guests coming back for more. Guy Fieri’s famous recipe puts an American spin on a traditionally Asian cuisine – how Patriotic (wink wink). This recipe, which makes about 12 egg rolls, takes a little time so have fun with it! You can dip the eggrolls in sweet and sour sauce, sweet chili sauce, or just savor the flavors of the eggroll alone.

Avocado Truffles - Photo belongs to whatscookingamerica.net

For those lovely ladies reading this blog or for those men who also adore a bit of something sweet, this treat is sure to win your approval: Avocado Chocolate Truffle. These bite-size morsels are rich with chocolate but are packed with the nutritional value of Florida grown avocados. A coat of powdered sugar to top them off and your guests will be sneaking these bad boys left and right!

Here is how you make delicious guacamole with Fresh from Florida avocados. And don’t forget Avocado Spinach Dip and Potato Skins with Guac. Yummy! They all sound delicious, right?

Unfortunately, avocado growers are on the defense, attempting to protect this Florida commodity from a harmful disease which is threatening avocado trees across the state: Laurel wilt. This disease is caused by a fungus that infects the sapwood of host trees, restricting the flow of water, causing the leaves to wilt and the trees to die. The fungus is carried into trees by the non-native redbay ambrosia beetle, which was first detected in the U.S. near Savannah, Georgia in 2002 and subsequently found in Duval County, Florida in 2005. The redbay ambrosia beetle usually attack stressed, dead or dying woody plants. However, some will attack seemingly healthy trees and shrubs as well. Laurel wilt not only affects avocados, but also affects the redbay, sassafrass and other trees in the laurel family. This disease can also be spread by moving trees which host the redbay ambrosia beetle. When camping or building a bonfire, don’t move firewood. Purchase local firewood only and burn it all on-site.

This small, elongate, cylindrical beetle is only about 2 mm in length but has the potential to cause significant damage to the Florida avocado industry. Florida avocado production is a significant component to Florida’s agricultural economy, ranking second only to citrus production according to UF-IFAS. The Florida avocado industry wholesale market is worth upwards of $30 million per year. But considering the fact that 85 percent of the crop is sold outside of the state, avocado production brings in a substantial amount of “new dollars” to the state, resulting in an overall economic impact of approximately $54 million per annum, according to UF-IFAS. Click here for UF-IFAS’s article detailing the economics of avocado production.

FDACS-DPI works hard to protect the 7,400 acres of avocados in the state of Florida. The Save the Guac program was launched to educate consumers about this plant disease, laurel wilt, and its potentially devastating effect on Florida avocados. To help spread the word, get your very own Save the Guac bumper sticker from DPI right here! Or, watch and share this video about laurel wilt in Florida.

Enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday with some Fresh from Florida avocado treats and remember, Save the Guac and Don’t Move Firewood!

Monsters Inc.

“Behind every tree there’s a new monster.” – Todd Rundgren

More like – behind every tree, under every rock, in every body of water, on every plant and in every beehive – there’s a new monster. Well, at least that’s how it often seems here at DPI.

Monsters are not just goblins, vampires and aliens. In fact, there are probably several monsters in your backyard alone – and no, not your in-laws. These monsters are invasive species – pests and diseases that entered our country or state from elsewhere and have no natural predators here, enabling them to take over and destroy many of our native plant and animal species.

Giant African land snail

Jaws, King Kong, Godzilla – Giant animals have been viewed as monsters since the post World War II era. Many link the genre of “giant animal vs. scientific elite humans” to the development of nuclear weapons – a connection? Possibly. But here is a giant animal that has not only made it to the big screen, but has also landed on the front pages of major news organizations across the world and may be slithering around in your backyard – the giant African land snail. Hiding in the bushes, crawling on walls, and eating your houses this pest will not blow your house down like the big bad wolf in the classic tale of the three little pigs, but it could certainly snack on it. The snails grow up to 8 inches in length and 4 inches in diameter eating up to 500 different plant species and can carry a form of meningitis.

Swarms of monsters in the air, violently attacking people below – what does this remind you of? Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” Little did you know, this nightmare could very easily become a reality. Africanized honey bees are a non-native, invasive species which is detrimental to the apiary industry in Florida – an industry which has a significant economic impact. These super defensive bees will attack for ordinary occurrences, such as vibrations from equipment and pedestrians straying into their territory. They will continue to attack for up to 24 hours within ¼ mile from their hive. Africanized honey bees can be found in hollow trees, walls, porches, sheds, attics, garbage cans and abandoned cars. Take Velma’s advice to Scooby Doo, “Beware who enters the monster hive. Inside, your fears will come alive.”

Mikania micrantha

Audrey II from the Little Shop of Horrors doesn’t have anything on this monster. Mikania micrantha is an extremely fast growing vine. In fact, it grows up to ½ meter per week. This alien species tends to smother other plants and trees as it expands across not only abandoned disturbed areas, but also agricultural and natural areas. It pulls you in with its attractive flowers, and then ZAP – it strangles the life out of surrounding plants. Mile-a-minute, as it is commonly referred to, has the ability to take over disturbed areas in only a few months. It is considered globally one of the top 100 most invasive species.

Do you have arachnophobia? Honestly, these are the “monsters” you should probably fear the least! Florida native spiders are beneficial to our environment. They reduce local disease-carrying insects by consuming them. Also, spider venom is used in neurological research and the silk produced by spiders is used in many optical devices including laboratory instruments. But these creatures do look scary! Check out some of our blog posts about spiders under the spider category. Here are a few links: ogre-faced, black widow, trapdoor, the wolf spider and the Mexican Red Rump Tarantula.  

Beware of monsters: Happy Halloween!

Oh, what a tangled web we weave: Ogre-faced

 

Photo Credit: Carl Moller

 

I was working in the lab late one night

When my eyes beheld an eerie sight.

For a monster with fangs and protruding eyes

Cast a net over me, then much to my surprise…

 

The monster slowly moved in the dark of night

With a hump on his back and a fear of the light.

Those eyes, those fangs – but eight pairs of legs…

“Are you an ogre, a spider? Please tell!” I begged.

 

 

The monster seemed to be having fun,

As if a party had just begun.

He opened his mouth and said to me,

“Just listen and you will see.”

 

 

“My eyes subdue my prey at night.

I’ve thorns on my legs for more than just fright.

I hide among twigs and sticks and vines.

You’ll never see me, until its time.”

 

 

“But that is not why I’m here tonight

It is the day that spirits take flight.

All Hallow’s Eve is among us now…

Join my fellows and I for our nightly prowl.”

 

 

We did the mash

We did the monster mash

The monster mash

It was a graveyard smash

We did the mash

It caught on in a flash

We did the mash

We did the monster mash

 

 

Now everything is cool, I’m part of the crew.

Ogre-faced spiders are no threat to me and you.

For insects, well thats another story…

For those who enjoy horror and gory.

 

 

We did the monster mash.

Please share your favorite Halloween monster! And check out this invasive species from DPI’s YouTube channel: the Mexican Red Rump Tarantula. Happy Halloween!

Oh, what a tangled web we weave: Trapdoors

Photo credit: floridapest.com

There’s no way out.

As smaller, less hairy relatives of the tarantula, trapdoor spiders definitely leave many humans in fear – that is, if a human is lucky enough to see one. These spiders are cunning and sly. There’s no denying that these large, terrestrial spiders are out for blood – large arthropod and lizard blood, that is.

Trapdoor spiders build tube-like tunnels in undisturbed areas. They build them along natural insect walkways – a prime location for capturing their prey. They build a “trapdoor” at the top of the tunnel, which they use to surprise their “dinner guests.” As arthropods and small lizards travel down the insect walkways, the trapdoor spider waits in its tunnel below, anticipating vibrations which signal that their guest has arrived – somewhat like a doorbell. When they receive this signal, the spiders are nothing less than supreme hosts. In fact, they welcome their guests in themselves – swiftly, I might add. Sorry Lurch, no need for you here.

These spiders’ bodies are equipped with tools to build their dwelling entirely on their own. Their mouth parts have digging rakes on them which are used to loosen soil. Then their spined, hind legs – which are mighty shiny – are used to roll the soil and toss it from the construction site. The doors to their dwellings vary. Some trapdoor spiders build “cork”-type doors, which are very thick and designed to fill the opening entirely. “Wafer”-type doors are merely silk and soil. Both door types have silk hinges which allows the host to open and close the door with ease.

Trapdoor spiders thoroughly enjoy their dinner guests. However, they sometimes receive guests which are unwelcome. Parasitic wasps occasionally attempt to break into the spiders’ home. In fact, they can chew right through the trapdoors. These wasps don’t just stop by for a bite – they’re interested in a full-course meal. In these times, the spiders use their tunnels as shelters. Sometimes they branch out or have multiple entry-points. The tunnels are also used by female trapdoor spiders as nurseries, raising babies in until they are about eight months old.

Welcome to the house of horrors. Sit back and relax…there’s no way out of here. 

Oh, what a tangled web we weave: The big, bad wolf

All fairytales have a happy ending, right?

This big, bad wolf is just as sneaky as the one who blew those pigs’ houses down. In fact, the wolf spider’s mottled brown coloring camouflages the creature entirely as it sneaks up on its prey. Wolf spiders are large and hairy, usually a half an inch to two inches long. These critters are sometimes mistaken as tarantulas. Stout bodies and long, thick legs keep the spider very low to the ground, even if it is walking or running. Wolf spiders are ground dwellers for the most part. However, they have very diverse hunting strategies. Wolf spiders mostly hunt at night on the ground and remain in silk-lined retreats during the day. Others live underground in burrows from which they ambush passing insects. A few make a funnel sheet web, but most don’t waste their time with webs – they simply overpower their prey. No matter where they are, wolf spiders prefer covered, hidden areas. This creates the element of surprise for their victims – something that wolf spiders enjoy. These predators have two large forward looking eyes – the better to see you with, my dear. They have excellent eyesight (they can see in ultraviolet) and are sensitive to vibrations. Although they are relentless hunters, wolf spiders do have a heart. They give their children piggy-back rides for a solid week after they are born – pigs, the irony.

Don’t fear, you’re in the clear – this big, bad wolf isn’t poisonous.

Check out this couple’s story of their first supposed wolf encounter – click here.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave: Jumping spiders

Warning: The following may make you jump out of your skin.

Eyes like headlights help them focus on their prey as they prepare to leap up to 40 times their body length to capture their victim. Jumping spiders are named for their highly coordinated jumping ability which they also use to travel from plant to plant. Not only are they quick and volatile, but their vision is remarkable as well. Jumping spiders can see up to 320 degrees with their four pairs of eyes. The two large eyes in front can focus on objects and see in color – there is no hiding from these predators. Most are harmless but their bite can be painful.

These spiders are generally 5 to 10 mm long but some species can grow up to 23 mm. The females are usually larger. Most species are brightly colored or patterned and have stout bodies with short legs. But these short legs don’t keep them down. In fact, the males often dance for the females before mating – at least these females allow their counterpart to survive this ritual, unlike the black widow.

So if you find one of these critters in your home and you grab a tissue to remove it – gently of course – be prepared for the inevitable. Just as soon as you have built up your confidence to handle the situation and are close enough to scoop the spider, it will jump away! Unfortunately, you probably won’t know where “away” is and will frantically swat the air and your clothing until you are assured that the agile arachnid is not on your body. If you are rather squeamish, perhaps you should leave it as part of the festive décor. After all, it is Halloween.  

Share with us your favorite spider story!

Oh, what a tangled web we weave: Widows

Their red hourglass is world-renowned; along with their disturbing mating ritual. Females sometimes kill and eat their counterparts after mating. Beware: these man-eaters are on the prowl and the black widow’s bite is serious. It is reported to be 15 times stronger than that of a rattlesnake.

Widow spiders usually dwell under rocks or in logs and are found in every continent in the world, except Antarctica. They can be found in outdoor buildings like sheds or barns, in water meter holes and under any item or structure, like grills and sand boxes that have been undisturbed for a length of time. There are four species of widow spiders in Florida: the southern black widow, the northern black widow, the red widow and the brown widow. Female widow spiders range from 8-15 mm in body length. Males are much smaller, sometimes just 2 mm. Most have shiny abdomens that are predominantly black with red markings, although some may be pale and/or have lateral stripes. All widows have moderately long, slender legs.

Historically, the majority of bites by black widows occurred in outhouses and the biters were female. However, like the recluse, black widow bites now occur most frequently when the spider is trapped against human skin, either by reaching under objects where the spider is hiding or when putting on clothing, gloves or shoes containing the spider. “Oh here she comes, watch out boys, she’ll chew you up!”  

Oh, what a tangled web we weave: The Recluse

Chilean recluse

Withdrawn, estranged, hidden from society – these are the words that come to mind when thinking of someone or something recluse. However, hidden things can only stay masked for so long…right?

Recluse spiders can be seen worldwide – so to speak. They are present, but usually very well hidden. We may not see them but they are definitely aware of us as they have six eyes arranged in three pairs. Many recluse species have a violin-shaped pattern on their head, and they are often referred to as “fiddlebacks.” Recluse spiders hunt their prey, unlike some other spiders. They usually leave their flimsy web in search of their next victim. The bite of recluse spiders can be ugly. Human bites usually occur when people who are sleeping roll onto the spider or put on clothes into which the spider has crawled. Symptoms start 2-6 hours after the bite. Blisters frequently appear at the bite site, accompanied by severe pain, itching and swelling. The bite could possibly result in the death of skin cells with a sunken wound, leaving a scar. But keep in mind, almost all reported cases of brown recluse bites have not been confirmed. These estranged arachnids have no breeding population in Florida. However, they have been found a few times in Alachua, Bay, Duval, Jefferson and Leon counties. Be on the lookout for this masked creature. Remember – we may not see them, but they are watching.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave: Daddy-longlegs

Look closely, this is not just a photo of a pumpkin. (Click on photo to enlarge)

Enjoy the first of this spooky series: Learn all about spiders that may creep and crawl into your path this Halloween…

Nightmares? Don’t come running to this daddy. Most of you have seen this long-legged creature that is rumored to be the most poisonous in the world – if only its fangs were large enough to penetrate human skin: daddy-longlegs. As a child, their lengthy legs were intimidating and seemed to go on for miles. They popped up around logs and under rocks. Caution was encouraged as we were dealing with the most poisonous creature in the world. What if their mouth was large enough? Could we be bitten? WRONG! Daddy-longlegs do not even have venom glands, fangs or any other means of poisoning their victims. In fact, daddy-longlegs aren’t spiders at all. These Arachnids most commonly referred to as daddy-longlegs belong to the order Opiliones. They are also called harvestmen and opilionids. Daddy-longlegs have one body segment and only two eyes. They don’t produce silk, and are therefore only found in webs if they are being consumed by a spider. Some people say daddy knows best, but in this case, leave it to the experts. Daddy-longlegs are harmless.