{"id":177,"date":"2024-05-06T15:15:11","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T22:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/?page_id=177"},"modified":"2024-05-06T15:27:18","modified_gmt":"2024-05-06T22:27:18","slug":"insect-habitat-survey","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/insect-habitat-survey\/","title":{"rendered":"Insect Habitat Survey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Insect habitat is any space, biological or non-living, which allows insects to flourish. This project examines wildflower strips planted next to apple orchards in the Columbia River Basin to improve habitat for pollinating insects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Native sage brush pockets between apple orchards in full bloom, with rolling hills of conservation land in the distance. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bees and other insects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The primary focus of this study is how these flower strips impact wild bee populations, but wildflowers provide habitat for other beneficial organisms as well. Below are some of the most common species found in and around apple orchards during 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPinned Bee with Pollen\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tThis pinned Megachile<\/em> bee has her tongue out, showing the mechanisms for lapping up nectar from flowers. The hairy underside of her abdomen, known as the scopa, is full of pollen she worked hard to collect. Researchers pin the specimens they collect in the field so they can identify them in the lab. \t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBumble bee visiting flower\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tThis Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis<\/em>) can be seen visiting a Royal Beardtounge (Penstemon speciosus<\/em>). \t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWasp on flower\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tThis wasp is likely in the Braconidae family, and can be seen visiting an Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare<\/em>). Braconids often parasitize the larvae\u00a0of pests like aphids, beetles, leaf miners, flies, <\/strong>and sawflies<\/strong>. The adults depend on flowers, while their young feed on the larvae of harmful apple pests. \t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGreen lacewing eggs\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tLacewings, in the family Chrysopidae, lay their eggs in and around apple orchards. The adults feed on honeydew from aphids, and the aphids themselves. Lacewing larvae have hearty apetites, and feed on aphids, thrips, white flies, spider mites, and caterpillars.\u00a0\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGreen soldier fly\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tGreen soldier flies (Hermetia illucens<\/em>) are important pollinators as adults, and composters as larvae. Seen through the lense of one of our microscopes, this pinned specimen was caught in a wildflower planting at one of the commercial orcahrds we study.\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWasp on thistle\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tThis Crioscolia alcione<\/em><\/em>, seen feeding from a creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense<\/em>), depend on wildflowers to survive as adults. Their larvae parasitize scarab beetle larvae that live in the soil.\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Flowers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wildflower plantings adjacent to apple orchards are carefully maintained by growers. These strips provide key habitat for pollinators and line roadways with lush sprays of flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tApples in bloom\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tApple trees provide vast numbers of flowers early in the spring, and keeping the grass longer in between them can provide small amounts of clover, dandelions, and chickweed as well.\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFlax filled wildflower strip\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tThis perennial flax (Linum perenne<\/em>) is visted by dozens of pollinators throughout the summer months. As you can see, it fills in nicely and keeps out weeds while other important flowers wait to bloom later in the year. \t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTickseed filled wildflower strip\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tShown later in the season than the photo before it, the perennial flax in it has mostly finished blooming and been replaced by tickseed (Coreopsis<\/em>). A researcher can be seen using an aerial net to catch bees in the distance. \t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tResearcher in flowers\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tHere you can see one of our researchers sampling for bees in a dense planting of yarrow (Achillea millefolium<\/em>) and black mustard (Rhamphospermum nigrum<\/em>). Dense plantings like this one provide ample resources, and this location had the most beneficial insects of any in our study in 2023. \t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDiverse wildflower planting\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tApple growers often plant in strips that run the length of their orchards, but occasionally also plant adjacent fields as well. This site boasts black eye’d susans, yarrow, black medick, purple coneflower, wild bergamont, and blanketflower. \t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBlanket flower\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tEasily one of the most visited flower in our study, blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata<\/em>) is beloved by bumble bees, mining bees, and honey bees alike. \t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Insect habitat is any space, biological or non-living, which allows insects to flourish. This project examines wildflower strips planted next to apple orchards in the Columbia River Basin to improve habitat for pollinating insects. Bees and other insects The primary focus of this study is how these flower strips impact wild bee populations, but wildflowers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7048,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"wsuwp_university_category":[],"wsuwp_university_location":[],"wsuwp_university_org":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/177"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7048"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/177\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":214,"href":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/177\/revisions\/214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_category?post=177"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_location?post=177"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_org","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/tfrec-orpet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_org?post=177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}