Plant Bugs

[digitS']

Miridae:

Wikimedia commons picture

Any entomologist inclined to use the term "plant bug" should not be permitted to speak to laymen! (Of course, "Miridae" would have as little meaning ... )

I was just reading about this critter this year. Information on it was that the plant bug attacks mint fields. Here's a glimpse into how scientists work. Paramount is that no one realizes how little they know outside their very narrow specialty. So, if some specialist writes a paper and it goes viral in the scientific community, everyone quotes that information as gospel!

Someone wrote a paper on plant bugs in mint, other entomologists come across it - only thing that they tell you is that the plant bug is a pest in mint! Who can argue? What they don't know and cannot tell you is where else it's a pest!!

What if you are a lowly outdoor flower grower, do you think they'd tell you plant bugs suck the juices out of petals and leave them to die? No. Because nobody knows! (Except 1 or 2 who made the mistake of specializing in flower petal plant bugs, a field with zero financial support!)

Mint! And, I'd wager every 2nd plant species on the face of the Earth!

Miridae probably don't do a whole lot of damage, mostly cosmetic but ... is there some other value to a flower than cosmetic?

I've often wondered what they were up to. They usually flit away. I certainly would never have seen them creating their blisters then, returning to suck the plant juices out of them.

Plant bugs!

digitS'

 

[so lucky]

I guess the word specialist is rather self defining.

 

[journey11]

I remember a thread not far back on how they bespeckle the leaves of the mint when they suck on them. Little spots everywhere. I just pinch them the yucky ones.

 

[digitS']

An indication of what kind of people they are, take a look at those charged with actually communicating with the public: WS meteorologists.

Just look at the internal dialog that went into a local meteorologist trying to answer the question, "
Was this the hottest summer ever?" (Link) Disturbing that he or she doesn't even seem willing to agree with the general idea of when is summer! Shoot.

At least, there was an admission that answering the question of "Was this the hottest summer ever?" might have something to do with where they place their dang thermometer!!

I guess we shouldn't want them any other way. No one person can know it all or should crowd information down to answer big, bigger, biggest questions, in an offhand manner.

You folk with " the coldest on average" summers might want to look at those national maps on that WS blog ...

Steve

 

[bobm]

Or how about the " Global Warming caused by Man" ... didn't the earth have episodes of ice ages, followed by warming trends which melted the ice long before man came along... one of the latest published papers blames the wind patterns ...

 

[digitS']

I imagine that most climate scholars are in something of a defensive crouch these days. Since there is the potential for industry(ies) wide loss of profits with increased pollution controls, there is bound to be major and sustained pushback by shareholders. What's a scientist to do with prehistoric evidence and computer models?

I don't think I will do anything about the plant bugs. Cooling next week should bring an end to their merriment. It seems consistent that there are 2 on most every sunflower ... They also like the zinnias and a few are on the dahlias.

Oh well, it has almost been a year without thrips. Wonder what 2015 will bring.

Steve