Includes: Introduction - Distribution - Description and Life Cycle - Management - Selected References Also available on the Featured Cretures website at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/URBAN/FLIES/drain_fly.html

Most commonly known as the yellow garden spider, Argiope aurantia Lucas is a large orb-weaving spider. It is also known as the writing spider due to the trademark vertical zig zag pattern they construct in their webs (Enders 1973). The yellow garden spider is a very common species and has captured many gardener’s attention due to their zig zag web, striking black and white pattern, and relatively large size. Although their appearance may cause alarm, the species is relatively harmless and will generally leave its web to flee rather than attack when disturbed (Enders 1973).https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1273

Olives are a potential emerging crop for the state of Florida, USA, and the pest arthropods in commercial groves in the state are under-studied. Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are an almost ubiquitous concern among specialty crop growers in Florida. Yellow and blue sticky card traps were used to survey the canopies of trees in 4 North Central Florida olive groves to determine thrips abundance and distribution over 2 growing seasons. Of the 16 species of thrips identified, most were Frankliniella spp., with Florida flower thrips, Frankliniella bispinosa (Morgan) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), being the most abundant species for both yr. Yellow traps were more effective for most species of thrips, although several species were more abundant on blue traps. No consistent differences between yr existed. Although overall abundance of flower feeding thrips species coincided with flowering events in the olive orchards, there was insufficient flowering to make statistical correlations between the peak of thrips abundance and flowering events in the olive groves. The results of this study will be useful in informing future economic threshold analyses of Thysanoptera in Florida olive groves.

No abstract

Notonecta glauca, the common backswimmer, is an aquatic insect most easily recognizable by their long hind legs. Insects in the family Notonectidae are commonly referred to as backswimmers or greater water boatman. They propel themselves through the water on their dorsal side with their abdomen facing upwards, this is how they acquired their common name. Insects commonly referred to as lesser water boatman are in the family Corixidae, not Notonectidae, like common backswimmers. They can inflict wounds to humans with their proboscis (mouthpart), but this is very rare and often is a result of rough handling.