FLORIDA INSECTS
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ORDER
TYPES
NO. OF SPECIES
HABITAT
NATIVE/NON-NATIVE
BENEFICIAL/PEST
Thysanura Silverfish 6 domesticated buildings, ant nests unknown pests: eats documents
Collembola Springtails 100+ soil native beneficial: feed on soil fungi
Ephemeroptera Mayflies 70+ fresh water native beneficial: important food for fish. Also their larvae stir and clean the sandy bottoms of lakes
Odonoto Dragonflies Damsel Flies
Darners
Skimmers

150+

 lakes, streams, ditches, ponds most are native

beneficial: eat mosquito larvae
Orthoptera Grasshoppers
Katydids
Crickets 		250+ - approx. 20 species are found only in Florida gardens, marshy fields, grassy fields most are native beneficial: important food for birds
  Mole crickets 4 species sandy areas non-native pests: $11.7 million has been spent in Florida on this insect whose only sin is that it leaves brown spots on lawns and golf courses.
Mantodeo Praying Mantids 75 gardens & marshy areas most are native beneficial: eat other insects
Phosmatodeo Walkingsticks 6 trees & shrubs most are native beneficial: eat other insects
Dermoptera Earwigs 10 flowers & shrubs several species were accidently imported from Europe & Russia beneficial: eat other insects such as aphids & scale insects
Isoptera

 

Termites

 

 

175

 

 

dead wood

 

both native and non-native

 

pests & beneficial:
Termites are decomposers of dead wood and litter, but also destroy structures. Florida spends millions of dollars each year on the chemical spraying of termites.
  Cockroaches 38

 

logs, native grasses, leaf litter, houses
both native and non-native		 Cockroaches are pests at this time but may turn out to have beneficial properties if or when they are studied fully.
Psocoptera

Booklice

Barklice

 80+

in old books

outdoors

 non-native pests: the booklice eats old books and the barklice eat plants
Hemiptera Burrower Bugs
Marsh Treaders
Stink Bugs
Milkweed Bugs
Water Bugs
Bed Bugs
Assassin Bugs
 800+ diverse habitat mostly native - some species are non-native pests & beneficial: Many of these "true bugs" feed on & destroy crops but others are beneficial because birds feed on them.

Homoptera

(probably about 1000 species total)

 Aphids 75+ vegetables, fruits, flowers unknown pests: can harm fruit & vegetable crops and sometimes carry plant diseases. However, they have many natural enemies such as: crickets, ladybugs, earwigs, wasps, flies.
 

Scale Insects
Mealybugs

 44+ perrenial plants most are non-native pests: but can usually be controlled by their natural enemies.
  White Flies unknown vegetables, fruit, flowers almost all are non-native pests: destroy crops, carry plant disease. many species have become immune to chemical spraying & must be controlled by natural enemies
  Cicadas 12+ underground, sucking sap from the roots of trees native possible pests: Florida species do not appear to harm the trees as there are not a sufficient number of them to do so.
  Plant Hoppers 220 plants most are native pests: carry plant disease
  Tree Hoppers 65 trees native beneficial: food for birds
Anoplura Sucking Lice unknown animals & humans non-native pests: carry diseases
Neuroptera Ant Lions
Lacewings
Mantisflies
Owlflies 		90+ diverse habitat most are native beneficial: eat insect pests

Coleoptera

(The beetles - of which there are well over 5000 species & many more not yet described. )

 Tiger Beetles 24

sand & soil
(several of these are becoming extinct because their habitats are disappearing)

 native beneficial: eat other insects
 

 

Ground Beetle

 370 - some found only in Florida litter native beneficial: eat other insects
  Scarab Beetle 250+ dung, carrion, decomposing plants native beneficial: eat other insects
  Metallic Woodborer Beetle 100 dead trees native beneficial: eat other insects
  Soldier Beetle 30 plants native pests: eat plants
  Net-winged Beetle 30+ plants native pests: eat plants
  Fireflies 57 forests, marshes, creeks native beneficial: eat other insects
  Blister Beetle 30 flowers most are native pests: can kill cattle & horses
  Predaceous Diving Beetle 100+ freshwater habitats native beneficial: eat mosquito larvae & sssmall crabs
  Whirlgig Beetle 17 freshwater ponds native beneficial: feed on other insects
  Leaf Beetle 375 leaves & grasses native pests & beneficial: some are crop pests but many others control weeds & are good prospects for natural control of imported plant pests.
  Longhorn Beetle 225+ dead wood native beneficial: eat dead wood
  Weevils 575+ plants, flour staples native & non-native pests & beneficial: most are agriculture pests, but several species have been imported for weed control
  Ladybird Beetle 100+ plants & flowers some native, most are non-native beneficial: feed on aphids & scale insects

Diptera

(flies, lovebugs
mosquitos)

Mosquitos 80+ standing water native pests: carry disease
  Lovebugs unknown open grasslands non-native pests & beneficial: eat pollen & may possibly be pollinators but are too numerous & have no natural enemies
  Crane Flies 200+ cool, damp ravines native beneficial: larvae feed on roots of dead vegetation
  Fruit Flies 50+ rotten fruit & vegetables 50 native, 4+ non-native pests: some varities lay their eggs in fruit that has just ripened, destroying the fruit. Most are not pests & eat only rotten fruit & vegetables
  House Flies unknown garbage, manure, houses non-native pests: may carry disease
  Parasitic Flies 200+ lay their eggs in insects, feed on nectar native beneficial: help control other insects as their larvae kills the host
  Horse Flies & Deer Flies 100+ aquatic habitats native/non-native pests: bloodsuckers
  Sand Flies 200+ sandy areas native/non-native pests: carry disease, bloodsuckers
  Midges unknown mud of lakes native pests: bloodsuckers
  Flower Flies 90+ flowers native beneficial: important pollinators
  Bee Flies 50-100 flowers native beneficial: pollinator of native plants through contact
  Gnats 75+ diverse native pests: carry eye disease
  Black Flies 5+ fresh water native pests: stinging insect
  Mydas Flies 8 each specie has a specific habitat native beneficial: feed on other insects
Siphonaptera Fleas unknown animals native pests: bloodsuckers, carry disease

Hymenoptera

(bees, wasps, ants, sawflies, parasitic wasps - probably between 3000-5000+ species in Florida)

 Ichneumon Wasps 500-600 plants & vegtation native beneficial: control crop-eating insects
  Braconid Wasps unknown diverse native beneficial: eat insect larvae
  Minute Parasitic Wasps 1000-2000 diverse native beneficial: control insect population
  Green Metallic Bees 55 deep burrows in the soil native beneficial: pollinators of small plants that may be overlooked by other pollinators
  Bumble Bees 7 diverse native beneficial: pollinators of wild plants
  Carpenter Ants 207 total species of ants in Florida* dead wood native minor pests
  Fungus-Growing Ants *(included in above total) uplands, in the dirt native minor pests
  Cone Ants * dirt, open areas native beneficial: fight with fire ants
  Harvester Ants * dirt native beneficial: feed on the larvae of other insects
  Pharoh's Ants * houses non-native pests: common house pest
  Fire Ant * dirt non-native pests: stinging insect

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