Fall’s Occasional Invaders
Occasional invaders – those pests that don’t live indoors permanently, but will move inside periodically.
There are two types of occasional invaders:
- Those that live around the outside perimeter of structures and migrate inside to escape undesirable conditions.
- Those that move indoors at the end of the season to spend the winter.
The most common invaders are:
Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle – Found throughout the U. S. and southern Canada. Predator on plant-feeding insects. Size 1/4-3/8 inch. Color variable; usually mustard yellow to dark reddish orange, with variable number of black spots and a black “M” shape on thorax.
Boxelder bug – Both eastern and western species found in most of U. S. and into Canada. Feeds on female boxelder trees or silver maple trees. Size: ½ inch. Color black with red-orange markings along sides, on back, and along wing borders, and red eyes
Cluster fly – Found throughout Canada and the U. S., except states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Larvae are parasites on earthworms in the soil. Size: 3/8 inch. Color dull dark gray, abdomen splotchy gray, golden hairs on body.
Brown marmorated stink bug – Found in 41 U. S. states and two Canadian provinces. Feeds on fruit trees and field crops. Size: 1/2-5/8 inch. Color mottled brownish-gray with alternating
brown and white markings along outer edges of abdomen, and white bands on antennae.
Kudzu bug – Found in at least 8 southeastern states. Feeds on kudzu and soybeans. Size: pea-size; 1/8-1/4 inch. Color shiny olive green with brown speckling.
Elm leaf beetle – Found throughout the U. S. Feeds on elm trees, especially Siberian elm. Size: 3/16-1/4 inch. Color dull yellow to olive green, edged on each side with a broad black str
ipe, 3 black dots on thorax.
Western conifer seed bug – Found across the northern U. S. and into Canada. Feeds on seeds and needles of conifers. Size: ¾ inch. Color dull brown with flattened leaf-like extensions on hind legs; orange and black abdominal patches seen in flight.
