A tiny juvenile praying mantis stalks prey on a gloriosa lily. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
The gloriosa lilies have been in full glory, so to speak, in our garden at the Extension office the last few weeks. While photographing them, I noticed a tiny visitor hidden in plain sight among the flower’s frilly petals and stamen. A bright green juvenile praying mantis, no more than an inch long and the same shade of green as the plant, stood still directly in front of me.
A Larger Florida Mantis perches on blazing star flowers in Sarasota. Photo credit: chaseyb via iNaturalist
Praying mantids are often recognizable and well-known due to their interesting body shape and posture. They have other wild features, too, like gigantic folding “raptorial” (grasping/predatory) front legs and the ability to swivel their big-eyed, alien heads 180°. The large European mantid’s Latin name, Mantis religiosa, comes from the insect’s posture when hunting. It sits or stands with its forelegs folded up as if in prayer, before deploying them rapidly for a meal. All mantid species are ambush predators, capturing prey by sitting in wait, camouflaged in color and shape. They’ve even been observed swaying gently to appear like leaves in the breeze. But when they spring to attack, they are deadly accurate.
The charismatic praying mantis, in stealth attack position. Photo credit: University of Wisconsin Extension
The insects are known for their infamous (but rare in the wild) post-mating male beheading. Mantids are not alone in that cannibalistic behavior—many insects and spiders exhibit this conduct to boost the energy of females as they produce the next generation. Most mantid species are tropical, but of the 2400 known worldwide, only about 20 live in the United States (11 in Florida).
Mantids are considered natural pest control in a garden, although they are generalists and will prey on both beneficial and pest insects. With those spiky front legs raised in the air, they drop down and grasp prey ranging in size from aphids to—rarely—hummingbirds. Their effective predatory behavior doesn’t make them immune from becoming prey themselves, however. Mantids are a food source for many species, including bats, birds, spiders, and fish.
During the summer months, we can’t seem to get away from insects. Whether it’s a fly circling your food, those pesky aphids in your garden, or a mosquito out for blood, they make their presence known. But when winter rolls around and temperatures drop, they seem to disappear. But where do they go?
Unlike humans, insects are exothermic or cold blooded. They cannot regulate their own body temperature and must rely on the heat of the environment. Each insect species has its own developmental threshold, a temperature below which no development takes place. For many insects, that threshold is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that when temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, consecutively, the insect is not active, and no development is occurring. Typically, the warmer the temperature is (as long as it is above the development threshold), the more insect activity we see.
Insects may also enter a state called diapause, which is similar to hibernation. During diapause, an insect’s metabolism slows dramatically, and the insect stops feeding, growing, or reproducing. This allows the insect to survive through cold winter conditions, conserving energy until temperatures warm up again.
Another insect survival technique during the winter is migration. Many species of insects migrate to warmer climates to escape the cold. A well-known example of this is with the infamous Monarch butterfly migration. Monarchs migrate south to Mexico to overwinter and survive the cold weather. Some other insects migrate in smaller, less noticeable ways such as moving to different micro-climates. For example, beetle grubs may move down deep within the leaf litter to stay warm. Insects like lady beetles may congregate in large numbers inside homes, barns, or buildings during the winter.
Some insect species can produce glycerol, a type of anti-freeze, that prevents their body from freezing even when temperatures drop below freezing.
While many insects seem to disappear during the winter, they’re actually using their time wisely and although, cooler temperatures may slow down their activity, they won’t necessarily change insect populations drastically. Insects are well adapted for survival, and they are here to stay. They’re just enjoying a break until the warmth of spring brings them back!
Doodlebugs create pitfall traps in dry, sandy areas to lure unsuspecting ants. Their “doodles” in the sand are visible as well. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
It’s been years since I ran across doodlebugs. But when I saw a stretch of their pitfall traps at a campsite near Coldwater Creek in MIlton, I knew it was time to write about them. Lore says their silly name came from Southern kids like me, who watched the larvae drag their bodies around in the sand, leaving patterns (or doodles) etched behind them. These insects have long fascinated children and creative writers, with some of my favorite authors–Twain, Steinbeck, Thoreau–referencing doodlebugs in their books.
Doodlebug larvae are pretty terrifying, with those giant killer mandibles. Photo credit: UF IFAS
Doodlebugs, aka ant lions (Myrmeleon immaculatus—although we have 22 species in Florida!), are fascinating little insects that prey upon ants by creating slippery funnels in the sand. They wait underground below the funnel opening as unsuspecting ants march along the surface and slide down in the ensuing “mini avalanche.” If an ant or other prey item manages to get away, the ant lion can sling sand at it to try and knock it back down into the pit. Doodlebug larvae are the stuff of cartoon nightmares. They possess a pair of giant clawed mandibles, capable of grabbing and injecting prey with a toxin. The poison paralyzes the victim and contains digestive fluids which liquify its insides. At this point, the ant lion goes in for the kill by sucking out the prey’s juices through its deadly mandibles.
An adult doodlebug/ant lion bears no resemblance to its larval stage! Photo credit: Campbell Vaughn, UGA
Ant lions may stay in this frightening larval stage for up to 3 years. After this they undergo metamorphosis, spending 3 weeks in a cocoon. As adults, their transformation is dramatic; they are closely related to lacewings and dobsonflies, with long, thin bodies and large translucent wings.
A doodlebug captures its prey. Photo credit: UF IFAS
As kids, we always found doodlebugs under my best friend’s treehouse. In Milton, they were in a sandy area beneath a cabin roof overhang. These dry, protected sand areas are their preferred habitat and the best place to find them. We used to stick pine needles down into the openings, and watch as a flutter of insect mouthparts tried to grab it from us. Because of their fascinating life cycle and dramatic hunting technique, doodlebugs can be a captivating addition to a science classroom. In fact, there’s a reference to doodlebugs on the NASA website, due to an Apollo 16 astronaut’s mention of them. When landing on the moon, the craters reminded Charlie Duke of doodlebug pits, prompting him to recite an old children’s rhyme, “Doodlebug, doodlebug, are you at home?”
You may recognize the arrival of summer because of the intense buzzing sound coming from the trees. It can last all day long, with changes in the pitch and pattern of the screaming.
Dusk-calling cicada, Tibicen auletes (Germar). Total length (head to tips of forewings) is 64 mm (about 2 1/2 inches). Photograph by Lyle J. Buss, University of Florida.
Cicadas are large (3/4” – 2 ½”) winged insects with stocky bodies and bulging eyes. They spend the vast majority of their lives underground, emerging in massive numbers for just a few weeks to mate and lay eggs. This behavior often earns them the name “locusts,” which entomologically they are not.
In much of the eastern United States, periodical cicada (Magicicada spp.) broods rise up out of the ground every 13 or 17 years. In the summer of 2024, two different broods (one group of 13-year cicadas and one group of 17-year cicadas) will arrive at the same time across 16 states. The closest to us will be mid-lower Alabama. Approximately one trillion insects are anticipated. This only happens once every 221 years.
By emerging in large numbers, the cicadas are able to reduce the potential of being eaten by predators. Though many will be lost to birds and killer wasps, enough will survive to be able to reproduce.
Unlike the broods of periodical cicadas, populations of Florida’s 19 cicada species produce adults every year. However, the nymphs still spend several years developing underground. The nymphs use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on the xylem sap in the roots of trees. The feeding can weaken already stressed trees. Most trees tolerate the damage quite well. After gaining enough nutrients, the nymphs wait for the soil to warm enough (approximately 64° F. at six inches deep) before crawling out of the ground, climbing up the tree trunk, and molting into adults with wings. You can often find the empty shed exoskeleton still hanging on the tree trunk.
The adult male spends all day being as loud as possible in order to attract the girls. Each species has its own song. Large numbers of insects create more noise. Male cicadas have a pair of tymbals located on the sides of their abdomen. Tymbals are corrugated regions of the cicada’s exoskeleton that can be vibrated so rapidly that the clicking sound becomes a high-pitched buzz. Cicadas with the best abs get the girls and reminds all the humans that summer is here.
Cicada (Tibicen sp.) escaping its nymphal skeleton. The cast skeleton will remain attached to the tree. Once free, the adult will expand its wings, darken, and fly away. Photograph by Lyle J. Buss, University of Florida.
Florida beekeepers are on high alert as the invasive Vespa velutina hornet poses a threat to honey bees, prompting vigilant monitoring to safeguard against potential impacts. Photo by Danel Solabarrieta, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
A concerning discovery has emerged in Savannah, Georgia, regarding the yellow-legged hornet, commonly known as the “murder hornet’s cousin.” Officially identified as Vespa velutina by the Georgia Department of Agriculture in August 2023, it was first encountered by a beekeeper in the area.
The size of a nickel, Vespa velutina has distinctive black and yellow coloring with yellow/white legs. Photo by Gilles San Martin, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Although distinctive from the infamous “murder hornet,” the yellow-legged hornet, initially confirmed in Vancouver and the neighboring Whatcom County in Washington state, both hornet species pose threats to honey bee larvae and adults.
Approximately the size of a nickel, Vespa velutina features distinctive black and yellow coloring with yellow/white legs, earning it the nickname “yellow-legged hornet.” The discovery of the yellow-legged hornet has therefore spurred proactive measures to prevent its establishment in Florida and the rest of the United States.
The invasive nature of the yellow-legged hornet, originating from Southeast Asia and first appearing in Europe in 2004, poses a significant threat to beekeepers. This is due to its status as a generalist predator with honey bees as a primary target, intensifying concerns within the beekeeping industry.
The life cycle of the yellow-legged hornet begins with a single queen establishing a nest, laying eggs, and awaiting the emergence of workers. Nests can be found in various locations, growing to an average of 6,000 individuals. Predation on honey bee colonies increases during the summer months, with the hornets mating later in the year. The annual life cycle concludes with the death of all workers and males, and new nests are constructed in the following year.
Vespa velutina secondary nest, with adult hornets huddled together warming up in the sun. Photo by YVO-Photos, Adobe Stock.
Remarkably, a single mated female has the potential to initiate a new colony. Primary nests, starting as small as a tennis ball, undergo significant expansion. Secondary nests, reaching heights of up to one meter and containing over 17,000 cells, are typically situated at altitudes of 60 to 70 feet, making them challenging to access. A single hornet nest has a voracious appetite, as it can consume up to 25 pounds of insect biomass in a single season, underscoring the ecological impact of yellow-legged hornet colonies.
As a predatory wasp, the yellow-legged hornet feeds on a variety of arthropods, displaying opportunistic behavior, including feeding on decaying animals. While the ecological impact is not fully understood, DNA in the gut of hornets shows that they feed on other wasps, bees, butterflies, moths, and spiders. However, honey bees, particularly Apis mellifera, are preferred targets, posing a significant threat to the beekeeping industry. Reports from Europe suggest that up to 30 percent of honey bee hives are weakened by attacks, with approximately five percent facing complete destruction.
A male Vespa velutina, which exhibits longer, thicker antennae compared to females and, in line with all Hymenoptera males, lacks a stinger. Photo by Gilles San Martin, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Initially attracted to the honey bee hive by hive pheromones, yellow-legged hornets position themselves away from hive entrances, waiting for returning foragers, resulting in a “carpeting” of workers at the entrance. This term refers to the clustering or accumulation of honey bee workers near the hive entrance as they attempt to defend against the invading hornets. This behavior unfortunately leads to decreased colony production.
It’s essential to note that there are many domestic species, native to the United States, that closely resemble the invasive hornet but do not pose a threat to honey bees; in fact, many of them are valuable pollinators. The USDA has a photo gallery of these lookalikes, which can be accessed by visiting www.aphis.usda.gov and searching for ‘yellow-legged hornet.’
Vigilance from the public is crucial in minimizing the potential impact of Vespa velutina on honey bee populations in Florida and beyond. Photo by Danel Solabarrieta, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
While the yellow-legged hornet can easily be confused with other hornets that are not problematic to honey bees, residents who believe they have identified Vespa velutina are encouraged to call the FDACS hotline at 1-888-397-1517.
If a sample is collected or a clear photo of the suspected hornet is available, please email dpihelpline@fdacs.gov along with location information to facilitate monitoring efforts. Vigilance and cooperation from the public are crucial in minimizing the potential impact of the yellow-legged hornet on honey bee populations in Florida and beyond.
