Cankerworm larva are a type of inchworm. They are brown, green & grey and about 1.5 cm long. Fully grown they can reach up to 2.5 cm.
Cankerworm-Insect Control Branch, Parks & Recreation, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada (left), Cankerworm-Kansas State University (right)
Ant lions are small (1.5cm) insets that devour ants! They are brown and have huge jaws. They are also called Doodlebugs. I have even seen these guys walk backwards! This bug is the coolest bug I have ever witnessed!
Nitrogen-N, Phosphorous and Potash (phosphate)-P, Potassium-K, if a plant is deficient in any of these, they will eventually die. See the table below which shows several organic products and their NPK ratings: (numbers are approximate and may vary depending on brands)
Nitrogen-N
(Nitrogen deficiency on maple)
Nitrogen is the first letter N on a bag of fertilizer. Nitrogen is required for vigorous green tissue growth. This is what makes plants green. Yellowing leaves on plants is an indication of nitrogen deficiency, plants will eventually die.
Phosphorous & Potash (phosphate)-P
(Phosphorous deficiency on sugar beet)
Phosphate is the 2nd letter on a bag of fertilizer. Plants need this to stimulate good strong roots. It also aids in the production of fruits and flowers. Symptoms include stunted growth and extremely slow growth rates.
Potassium-K
(Potassium deficiency on tomato plant)
Potassium is the 3rd letter on a bag of fertilizer. It helps promote less water loss in plants and helps thier roots take more water into the plant. It also aids in making plants more disease and insect resistant. Symptoms include dry leathery leaves and brown curly edges.
Cabbageworms are around 3 cm long and velvety green. The lopers are green and move like inchworms.
Blister beetles do not have a toxic bite or sting, but if you crush one of these pests you can wind up with small blisters on your skin several hours after contact due to the secretion of cantharidin (a toxic compound in their bodies).
Grey blister beetle (top left), Black bister beetle (top right)-photos United Agri Products
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There are several thousand species of assassin bugs found worldwide. They range in colour from brown, black and orange and measuring 2-4 cm long. Their bodies are usually long and thin.
Assassin bug (left), Brown Assassin bug (right)-photo Midwest Biological Control News
Armyworms can be classed into two groups, fall armyworms and true armyworms. There are many different species of true armyworms, rice armyworms, beet armyworms, and corn armyworms just to name a few.
Fall armyworm (left), True armyworm-Ohio State University (right)
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Crawfish (Crayfish, Crawdads) have a long segmented tail with 4 or 5 pairs of walking legs, antenae and two large pincers, and look like mini lobsters. They can range in colour from green, yellow, pink and sometimes red.
Photo Purdue U-Peggy Sellers(left), photo marsbunny (right)
Crab spiders are small, (about 5mm) white, yellowy or gray and have crablike legs. They blend in with the environment they choose to patrol. They are not insects but arachnids.
Crab Spider-Ed Nieuwenhuys (left), Crab Spider-University of Minnesota (right)
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