PCA INSECTS STUDY GUIDE 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A++
✔✔Where Leafhopper, Cicadas, Psyllids, Phylloxeans, Spittlebugs, Treehoppers are
Found - ✔✔landscapes, gardens, ag areas, rec areas, nurseries
✔✔Leafhopper, Cicadas, Psyllids, Phylloxeans, Spittlebugs, Treehoppers Damage -
✔✔vectors of viral and fungal diseases of plants, scarring on fruits and can discolor or
blacken leaves, honeydew left behind can result in black sooty mold
✔✔Beetles and Weevils Characteristics - ✔✔pair of hardened and often black
forewings, completely cover abdomen, chewing mouthparts
✔✔Beetle and Weevil Life Cycle - ✔✔complete metamorphosis; several instars before
pupattion in soil
✔✔Where Beetles and Weevils are Found - ✔✔plants, wood, furniture, food, some in
metal
✔✔Beetle and Weevil Damage - ✔✔damage or destroy ag products, forestry trees,
stored food, fabrics, furs, carpets, wood, landscape plants
✔✔Beetle and Weevil Benefits - ✔✔predatory and control aphids and mites
✔✔Butterflies, Moths, Skippers Characteristics - ✔✔big, bright wings, larvae are worms
with chewing mouthparts, moths have hairy antennae, moths nocturnal
✔✔Butterflies, Moths, Skippers, Life Cycle - ✔✔complete metamorphosis, pass through
several instars, pupal stage, winged adults, pupation takes place in the soil, produce 3-4
generations a year
✔✔Where Butterflies, Moths, Skippers are Found - ✔✔occur on plant parts, adult moths
attracted to lights
✔✔Butterflies, Moths, Skippers Damage - ✔✔moths cause the most damage to crops
and fabric
✔✔Flies, Mosquitos, Gnats, Midges Characteristics - ✔✔one pair of wings with second
for balance, larvae known as maggots, biting mouthparts, sucking, lapping, piercing
✔✔Flies, Mosquitos, Gnats, Midges Life Cycle - ✔✔complete metamorphosis; deposit
eggs into host, 3-4 days till full development, some are 2 or more years
, ✔✔Where Flies, Mosquitos, Gnats, Midges are Found - ✔✔internal parasites of
animals, invade plant tissue, water, garbage, feces
✔✔Flies, Mosquitos, Gnats, Midges Damage - ✔✔larvae invade living animal tissue,
adults feed on blood, transmit disease causing pathogens
✔✔Benefits of Flies, Mosquitos, Gnats, Midges - ✔✔predators, biological control agents
✔✔Flea Characteristics - ✔✔tiny, dark brown or black, wingless, can jump, larvae are
wormlike, piercing- sucking mouthparts
✔✔Flea Life Cycle - ✔✔complete metamorphosis, one cycle to adult takes 30-40 days
✔✔Where Fleas are Found - ✔✔on skin of host, larvae free living in soil, feed on skin
debris, blood of warm blooded animals, host specific
✔✔Flea Damage - ✔✔transmit diseases and tapeworms
✔✔Bees, Wasps, Ants, Sawflies, Horntails Characteristics - ✔✔abdomen joined by
thorax, two pairs of transparent wings, venomous with stinger, live in colonies, chewing
mouthparts
✔✔Bees, Wasps, Ants, Sawflies, Horntails Life Cycle - ✔✔complete metamorphosis,
feed on plants, external parasites, live 1-2 years, several populations a year
✔✔Where Bees, Wasps, Ants, Sawflies, Horntails are Found - ✔✔flowers, sweets and
meats, nests in ground, building, trees
✔✔Bees, Wasps, Ants, Sawflies, Horntails Damage - ✔✔painful, venomous sting,
cause galls on plants
✔✔Snails and Slugs Characteristics - ✔✔Mollusca, cool moist surroundings
✔✔Snail and Slug Life Cycle - ✔✔lay several masses of eggs from spring through fall
✔✔Where Snails and Slugs are Found - ✔✔damp areas, soil litter, foliage of plants,
nocturnal, hide in shrubs or damp refuse
✔✔Snail and Slug Damage - ✔✔feed on foliage, fruits, berries, vegetables, can transmit
diseases
✔✔ Invertebrates - ✔✔animals without backbones
✔✔What creatures are invertebrates? - ✔✔nematodes, snails, slugs, arthopods
ANSWERS GRADED A++
✔✔Where Leafhopper, Cicadas, Psyllids, Phylloxeans, Spittlebugs, Treehoppers are
Found - ✔✔landscapes, gardens, ag areas, rec areas, nurseries
✔✔Leafhopper, Cicadas, Psyllids, Phylloxeans, Spittlebugs, Treehoppers Damage -
✔✔vectors of viral and fungal diseases of plants, scarring on fruits and can discolor or
blacken leaves, honeydew left behind can result in black sooty mold
✔✔Beetles and Weevils Characteristics - ✔✔pair of hardened and often black
forewings, completely cover abdomen, chewing mouthparts
✔✔Beetle and Weevil Life Cycle - ✔✔complete metamorphosis; several instars before
pupattion in soil
✔✔Where Beetles and Weevils are Found - ✔✔plants, wood, furniture, food, some in
metal
✔✔Beetle and Weevil Damage - ✔✔damage or destroy ag products, forestry trees,
stored food, fabrics, furs, carpets, wood, landscape plants
✔✔Beetle and Weevil Benefits - ✔✔predatory and control aphids and mites
✔✔Butterflies, Moths, Skippers Characteristics - ✔✔big, bright wings, larvae are worms
with chewing mouthparts, moths have hairy antennae, moths nocturnal
✔✔Butterflies, Moths, Skippers, Life Cycle - ✔✔complete metamorphosis, pass through
several instars, pupal stage, winged adults, pupation takes place in the soil, produce 3-4
generations a year
✔✔Where Butterflies, Moths, Skippers are Found - ✔✔occur on plant parts, adult moths
attracted to lights
✔✔Butterflies, Moths, Skippers Damage - ✔✔moths cause the most damage to crops
and fabric
✔✔Flies, Mosquitos, Gnats, Midges Characteristics - ✔✔one pair of wings with second
for balance, larvae known as maggots, biting mouthparts, sucking, lapping, piercing
✔✔Flies, Mosquitos, Gnats, Midges Life Cycle - ✔✔complete metamorphosis; deposit
eggs into host, 3-4 days till full development, some are 2 or more years
, ✔✔Where Flies, Mosquitos, Gnats, Midges are Found - ✔✔internal parasites of
animals, invade plant tissue, water, garbage, feces
✔✔Flies, Mosquitos, Gnats, Midges Damage - ✔✔larvae invade living animal tissue,
adults feed on blood, transmit disease causing pathogens
✔✔Benefits of Flies, Mosquitos, Gnats, Midges - ✔✔predators, biological control agents
✔✔Flea Characteristics - ✔✔tiny, dark brown or black, wingless, can jump, larvae are
wormlike, piercing- sucking mouthparts
✔✔Flea Life Cycle - ✔✔complete metamorphosis, one cycle to adult takes 30-40 days
✔✔Where Fleas are Found - ✔✔on skin of host, larvae free living in soil, feed on skin
debris, blood of warm blooded animals, host specific
✔✔Flea Damage - ✔✔transmit diseases and tapeworms
✔✔Bees, Wasps, Ants, Sawflies, Horntails Characteristics - ✔✔abdomen joined by
thorax, two pairs of transparent wings, venomous with stinger, live in colonies, chewing
mouthparts
✔✔Bees, Wasps, Ants, Sawflies, Horntails Life Cycle - ✔✔complete metamorphosis,
feed on plants, external parasites, live 1-2 years, several populations a year
✔✔Where Bees, Wasps, Ants, Sawflies, Horntails are Found - ✔✔flowers, sweets and
meats, nests in ground, building, trees
✔✔Bees, Wasps, Ants, Sawflies, Horntails Damage - ✔✔painful, venomous sting,
cause galls on plants
✔✔Snails and Slugs Characteristics - ✔✔Mollusca, cool moist surroundings
✔✔Snail and Slug Life Cycle - ✔✔lay several masses of eggs from spring through fall
✔✔Where Snails and Slugs are Found - ✔✔damp areas, soil litter, foliage of plants,
nocturnal, hide in shrubs or damp refuse
✔✔Snail and Slug Damage - ✔✔feed on foliage, fruits, berries, vegetables, can transmit
diseases
✔✔ Invertebrates - ✔✔animals without backbones
✔✔What creatures are invertebrates? - ✔✔nematodes, snails, slugs, arthopods
