Keep An Eye Out For Bugs In White Hats

They’re out there. The predators of the insect kingdom, the allies of the gardener - the beneficial bugs. I’ve seen them marching up stems of roses, rapelling down arbors and tunneling into flowers. They’re hungry and looking for prey.

When confronted by creepy-crawlers, can you identify the good guys from the bad guys? The following are a few regulars in the garden that would appreciate you getting to know them before you unleash the bug spray.

Ladybird beetles (better known as ladybugs): These insects are probably the most well-known of all the beneficial insects. They are easily identified by their orange wings dotted with black spots or blotches.

The larvae look very much like tiny alligators, only quite colorful with orange and blue bands around the body. Being able to recognize the larvae is very important, for they are voracious feeders.

Both the adult and the larvae feed on white cottony mealybugs, scale insects, spider mites and their meal of choice, aphids. The female lays eggs only after she’s been feeding on prey. The number of eggs she lays depends upon the availability of her food source.

Predacious ground beetle: You may have encountered this large, shiny black fellow turned upside down in the garden with its legs going a mile a minute. Flip him over and let him go on his way. He and his larvae are the caretakers of the soil. They are night feeders, feasting on such delicacies as cutworms, maggots and SLUGS. The larva is quite easy to spot. It looks like a shiny, black, thin worm, about an inch long and very fast.

Green lacewing: It’s difficult to spot these delicate creatures during the day. Look for them at night around the porch lights. Their bodies and sheer netting-like wings are lime green. Though the adults feed on nectar and aphid honeydew, the light-brown, alligator-like larvae capture and devour aphid by the hundreds. They will also feed on spider mites, other small insects and insect eggs.

Occasionally, you may run across the lacewing eggs. They are quite interesting. The eggs are usually found atop long silken stalks which are attached to leaves. They match the gracefulness of the adult.

Spiders: All spiders are beneficial. The only problem is, they aren’t discriminating. They don’t care if they make a meal out of the good guys or the bad guys (or our skin for that matter). We can’t overlook the value, though, of spiders in the garden. According to W.S. Bristowe, a British authority on spiders, “these maligned creatures consume far more insects than birds do.”

Some spiders attack their prey, while others spin webs to capture it. For example, the crab spider lies in wait for its prey, pouncing on it when it gets close.

The crab spider may go unnoticed in the flowers since it has the capability of matching the color of the blossom, a camouflage. The orb spider, on the other hand, spins a gorgeous round net-like web to capture its victims.

Because spiders are predators, they all have the capability of biting. However, only two that we know of, the black widow and the aggressive house spider, deliver serious bites. Serious, of course, is a relative word depending upon your reaction to insect bites. All indications are the brown recluse spider (a very serious biter) cannot overwinter in our area.

Parasitic wasps: Ichneumon, chalcids and braconid wasps, to name a few, are small wasps that parasitize the caterpillars or pupae of moths or butterflies. Some also attack aphids and whiteflies. I won’t go into the gory details of how they accomplish this task, but be assured, their technique does work.

Syrphid flies: Often referred to as hover flies, these buzzing creatures produce young maggots, that “are one of the largest aphid-feeding species found throughout much of the world.” The fly resembles a small yellowjacket. You can tell the difference by the way they fly, or don’t fly. Hover flies do just that - they hover in one spot.

Other beneficials are big-eyed bugs, damsel bugs, pirate bugs, predator mites (yes, there are some good-guy mites), and sometimes even stink bugs. We could add praying mantis, but they, like spiders, are not discriminating concerning their prey.

Become acquainted with the creatures in your garden. They just might be a friend.