Praying Mantis

[flowerbug]

in disguise. blending in very well with the eaves of the house the other day. probably a male (very skinny).

 

[digitS']

Yeah, just hanging out ... because when he finally shows up at home, his wife is gonna bite his head off.

We have so, so many ladybugs this year! Bug populations are tremendously variable, year to year. Two grasshoppers. I saw 2 more lacewings yesterday morning, early. That's 3.They can really torment us going and coming thru the backdoor with the light so close. But, I've learned to appreciate them. No slapping !

I couldn't be an entomologist. There are too many species!

The aphids this year are tiny things. I don't think that I have ever noticed them as such small creatures. We had black aphids one year and only that year! They were on everything. Yuck.

Steve

 

[Zeedman]

The aphids this year are tiny things. I don't think that I have ever noticed them as such small creatures. We had black aphids one year and only that year! They were on everything. Yuck.

It sounds like you have plenty of aphid predators, which is a good thing.

This year I allowed some milkweed to grow in the yard - away from the gardens! - to feed monarch butterflies. I thought that maybe there would be a caterpillar to show the Grandson too... but that has become unlikely. I noticed swarms of black Mud Dauber wasps swarming around the milkweed, which is unusual behavior for the normally solitary wasps. It turns out that there were a lot of aphids on the underside of the leaves, and the wasps were feeding on them. There were so many that it looked like an angry hornet nest. Never seen such a thing, it was fascinating to watch. In my gardens, normally Yellow Jacket wasps are the ones feeding on aphids.

 

[flowerbug]

Yeah, just hanging out ... because when he finally shows up at home, his wife is gonna bite his head off.

"But honey I was just hanging out with the guys and the flies were so tasty!"

(butt honey is what aphids excrete)

We have so, so many ladybugs this year! Bug populations are tremendously variable, year to year. Two grasshoppers. I saw 2 more lacewings yesterday morning, early. That's 3.They can really torment us going and coming thru the backdoor with the light so close. But, I've learned to appreciate them. No slapping !

I couldn't be an entomologist. There are too many species!

The aphids this year are tiny things. I don't think that I have ever noticed them as such small creatures. We had black aphids one year and only that year! They were on everything. Yuck.

we normally have plenty of lady bugs of both kinds (the natives and the imported ones). the only time i've ever seen black aphids here was the one time i grew some okra. they were all loaded with those once they reached about 3ft tall until the frost took them out. i didn't watch them very closely to see if any of the ladybugs tried to eat them or not and i don't now recall seeing any ants herding them.

 

[flowerbug]

It sounds like you have plenty of aphid predators, which is a good thing.

This year I allowed some milkweed to grow in the yard - away from the gardens! - to feed monarch butterflies. I thought that maybe there would be a caterpillar to show the Grandson too... but that has become unlikely. I noticed swarms of black Mud Dauber wasps swarming around the milkweed, which is unusual behavior for the normally solitary wasps. It turns out that there were a lot of aphids on the underside of the leaves, and the wasps were feeding on them. There were so many that it looked like an angry hornet nest. Never seen such a thing, it was fascinating to watch. In my gardens, normally Yellow Jacket wasps are the ones feeding on aphids.

the things to watch here for Monarchs are the butterfly bushes (those things are very willing and able to spread and Mom wants to transplant about a dozen starts that have shown up along a pathway growing in the gravel, do i want more of them? noway!) we have Joepye, Milkweed and Butterfly Weed and some years i have seen larvea on them and have even got pictures. one year there were so many larvae on the Butterfly Weed out front that i tried to move some of them to the Butterfly Weed out back, but i don't think they liked that. Mom decided she was going to mow closer around the lilac tree so now those Butterfly Weeds are gone. i'll have some seeds this year so i can replant some more someplace.

 

[ducks4you]

Haven't noticed any praying mantis this year. In the past I spooked a 4 inch one that flew up right in my face!
We have Plenty of mud dauber wasps here. i am always finding their nests in the barn loft in the winter.

 

[flowerbug]

we get the mud daubers in the garage door hollow metal parts and along the tops of the stone wall out front. it's kinda fun to have them fly in your face when you raise and lower the garage door.

it is common here for me to see the green praying mantis out in the gardens when i'm weeding or whatever. the brown ones are not as common.