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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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From:
randy oliver <[log in to unmask]>
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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 2 Dec 2018 09:19:24 -0800
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> it occurs to me that the thing that makes things pests is what allows
them to survive despite our efforts to control them. Traits make certain
species invasive, while others are extremely fragile.


Certainly some insect species are more susceptible to certain insecticides,
but insects tend to be able to multiply rapidly, so there is strong
selection benefit to those bloodlines that confer resistance to low levels
of insecticide exposure (such as that found away from agricultural lands).


And as far as invasiveness, corn and sunflower are native to North America,
as are many of their insect pests (so their pests can't necessarily be
considered as being "invasive").  I haven't researched, but would be
curious to compare the diversity of herbivorous insects that feed upon
these plant species in a "natural" situation (I fully realize that corn is
hardly natural), as opposed to those that do under conditions of pesticide
exposure.  Such a comparison would help to get a feel for the proportion of
insect species completely eliminated in managed croplands by xenobiotic
(synthetic) pesticide exposure.  Do any of you growers have an idea?


I've listed some of the insect pests of three major agricultural crops
below.  Note how many different species there are--yet all have survived
decades of being drowned in pesticides.  Again, I'm not saying that
pesticides are not affecting other insect species, just that a wide variety
of insects (many native and noninvasive) clearly demonstrate that their
populations can remain robust despite frequent exposure to human-applied
xenobiotic  pesticides.


CORN (MAIZE)

Armyworms

Cutworms

European Corn Borer

Northern and Western Corn Rootworms

Seed Corn Maggot

Potato Stem Borer and

Hopvine Borer

Wireworms and White Grubs


SUNFLOWER
Banded Sunflower Moth
Cutworms
Headclipper Weevil
Longhorned Beetle
Midge
Palestriped Flea Beetle
Red & Gray Seed Weevils
Sunflower Beetle
Sunflower Bud Moth
Sunflower Moth
Sunflower Seed Maggot
Sunflower Stem Weevil
Thistle Caterpillar
Wire Worms


SOYBEAN
Bean Leaf Beetle
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Dectes Stem Borer
Gall Midge
Green Stink Bug
Japanese Beetle
Kudzu Bug
Lepidopteran Worms
Mexican Bean Beetle
Soybean Aphid
Whitefly


-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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