August 2020 - 8

INDUSTRY NEWS
from americanhort to you
Wheel Bugs
BY JILL CALABRO, PH.D., RESEARCH AND
SCIENCE DIRECTOR, HORTICULTURAL
RESEARCH INSTITUTE
If ever there was an insect
to make me an entomology
enthusiast, this is it. Behold:
the wheel bug.
One afternoon last fall, I
found that pair of wheel bugs
on my front porch. For the next
two hours, I photographed them and researched
all about them. They are fascinating!
Wheel bugs are the largest type of assassin bug
(up to 1 ½ inches long) in the U.S., with a crazylooking
growth that resembles armor or a shield
sticking out of its back. It is the only animal in the
U.S. with this kind of crest.
Assassin bugs live up to their name - they
are predatory insects that capture and feed on
a number of other insects, such as bees, flies,
and caterpillars. They are quick and nimble
and capture prey with their powerful front legs.
The real threat, however, comes from their
mouthparts. They have a long beak that violently
and repeatedly stabs their victims and then sucks
out their body fluids.
Wheel bugs feed on large caterpillars, and
during my two-hour photo session, a wayward,
unsuspecting caterpillar just happened to
be nearby. That poor caterpillar didn't stand
a chance; the female wheel bug attacked it
immediately and enjoyed a good meal.
If you see a wheel bug in your garden, keep
a safe distance. They can bite humans, and it's
reportedly quite painful (more than a wasp sting).
No need to control them, though; wheel bugs are
known biocontrol agents of Japanese beetles and
tent caterpillars.
Mike Raupp, Ph.D., Extension entomologist at
University of Maryland, once commented about
wheel bugs, " They're the lion or the eagle in your
food web. They sit on top. When you have these
big, ferocious predators in your landscape, that
tells me this is a very healthy landscape, because
all these other levels in your food web are intact. "
CAST BECOMES CALIFORNIA
'SUMMER' TRIALS IN 2021
The California Spring Trials is set to
return in 2021, only this time it will be
officially known as the California Summer
Trials. Scheduled dates for the new
summer trade event are Wednesday, June
23 through Sunday, June 27, 2021.
Seeking to help stimulate attendance of
brokers, growers and retailers, the change
in date was a direct response to requests
from the broker community. Many
brokerage companies felt that a June
event more aligned with their schedules to
travel away from their territories to learn
about the new plant and programs.
CAST is the best opportunity for
breeders to showcase their full lineup of
new genetics. The early summer dates
also allow for a larger diversity of crops,
such as perennials and heat-loving
annuals, to be shown under more normal
growing climates.
Another major benefit to brokers is
that the later calendar occurrence will
allow breeders to have fully completed
programs for the following season and will
happen just before their extensive summer
travels to present new programs begin.
Breeding companies currently set to
participate in the new CAST next year
include:
8 AUGUST 2020 GPNMAG.COM
* American Takii
*
Ball FloraPlant
* Beekenkamp
* Cohen
* Danziger
* Darwin Perennials
* Dümmen Orange
* Green Fuse Botanicals
* Hem Genetics
*
*
Hishtil
Jaldety
* Kieft Seed
* Monrovia
* Nir Nurseries
* PAC Elsner
* Pacific Plug & Liner
* PanAmerican Seed
* PlantHaven
* Prudac
* Royal van Zanten
* Sakata
* Schoneveld Breeding
*
Selecta One
* Suntory Flowers
* Syngenta Flowers
* Think Plants
*
* Westhoff
NATIONAL GARDEN
BUREAU ANNOUNCES
2021 'YEAR OF' CROPS
National Garden Bureau has
announced the five plant classes
that will be featured in its 2021
" Year of " the program.
* For annuals, 2021
will be the Year of
the Sunflower.
* For perennials, 2021
will be the Year of
the Monarda.
* For flowering shrubs,
2021 will be the Year
of the Hardy Hibiscus.
* For the bulb crop, 2021
will be the Year of
the Hyacinth.
* For edibles, 2021 will
be the Year of the
Garden Bean.
Vivero International
The 'Year of' the program
chooses crops specifically for
the North American market that
are easy to grow, genetically
diverse, and with a lot of new
breeding to showcase. Breeders,
brokers, seed companies,
growers and garden centers
throughout the U.S. and Canada
are urged to highlight these
http://www.GPNMAG.COM
August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2020
