The Wildlife Garden Fashionista

Lots of paper wasps scouring the plants these days for critters to provision their nests.  Thought it was a good time to republish my lost post on my relocation efforts.

Dateline:  June 24, 2011*

So, I notice a small paper wasp nest (Polistes spp.) being built at the only bush that is close to the house…I mean, what’s up with them? They have nearly an acre of other areas to set up shop, but noooooooooo, they pick the one shrub that is next to the patio, a groundsel (Baccharis halimifolia). I didn’t want to kill them, they are pollinators, after all and it is National Pollinators Week. So, I headed into the computer to see what I might do. I knew to wait until dusk, but not much else. I put “pesticide-free paper wasp removal” into the search engine. I got a list of entries, but after looking at one or two, I discovered they were still about killing wasps, just being more eco-friendly by luring them into a container with sweets where they would slip and drown in soapy water. Not exactly what I had in mind.

It’s all about teamwork when paper wasps build

Take two. I put “paper wasp nest relocation” into the search engine. Hurrah…there is an Ehow entry entitled “How to Relocate a Wasp Nest Safely”.

1. Find a new location for the nest. 2. Splash the nest with a bucket of water and the wasps will fall down and be unable to fly because their wings will be wet. 3. Remove the nest and tack it up at its new location. When the wasps dry out they will find their nest. 4. Let the wasps do their job and just leave them alone.

The usual caveats were there: wear protective clothing; if you have allergy to bees or wasps find someone else to do this, etc.

So, I don my protective gear: mosquito head net that I purchased for “I don’t know what reason”. Good! face covered. Double layer nylon jacket (which must have been designed with wasp relocation in mind), long pants, socks to stick the long pants into, double layer of garden gloves.

Only the most fashionable outfit will do!

I head out onto the patio with a bucket of water obtained from a rain collector. I walk slowly over to the bush, splash the bucket all at once over the nest and step away, prepared to grab the nest and run before the wasps have time to get up. GUESS WHAT? Not a single wasp moved, why they didn’t even miss a beat in working on their home.

Ok, since I am already dressed like a fool, let me try this one more time. Another bucket, SPLASH…ah, this one got their attention, but still one or two were too busy fashioning the most beautiful nest in the world to even notice. Next, it’s time to try the age-old method of shooting them with a force of water and let them do their own da*n nest relocation.

I head over to the main hose bib that is located down at the well pump. I go to take the sprayhead off so I can use it at the coil hose I keep up at the patio bib. Of course, Murphy’s law…I can’t budge the sprayhead so I find a plastic one that probably should have been placed in the trash 2 years ago. I attach it to the hose on the patio. Well, those coil hoses are not even 1/2-inch tubing and couple that with the sprayhead that was virtually useless, I got a dribble of water that barely reached a foot in front of me, let alone forcefully all the way to the nest. I pulled the sprayhead off, stuck my finger into the hole of the tube and got a more forceful flow of water which I aimed at the poor wasps, who were probably so doubled over laughing that they dispersed long enough for me to knock the nest off with a long stick.

I was extremely satisfied that I escaped unscathed so I coiled the hose back next to the bib and headed in to remove my gear since it really wasn’t attire conducive to the 83-degree temperature. I passed by the window to see the wasps back at the same spot, reassessing their housing location.

Their nest gone, they just start to rebuild

Tomorrow is another day and I suspect I’ll be doing a repeat of today. It’s tough being a beautiful wildlife garden steward, it might just be easier to get the HotShot! NOT!

During National Pollinator Week and at all other times, please take the high road and avoid pesticides.  They don’t differentiate between the unwanted and the beneficials in our gardens.  Explore alternative means to redirect those who might not fit into a certain situation.

*This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on June 24, 2011 at the defunct national blog beautifulwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

Pondering New Residents in the Garden

Small Bass swimming through the Florida native Combleaf Mermaidweed

Tis the season for fish to spawn and there has been a whole lot of jumping going on in my backyard pond.  I spotted some small bass by the water’s edge so I thought it was a good time to republish my lost article telling the tale of how I first discovered this species in my wildlife garden.

Dateline: May 10, 2013 *

Just when I think my home wildlife experiences can’t get any better, THEY DO!!!!

What a week it was with the pond.  Four new entries on my wildlife life list.  Okay, aside from my Audubon checklist booklet, I don’t have a formal list that I write on. I pretty much keep track via my blog posts and a notepad file where I put all the common and scientific names of the fauna and native plants before I transfer them into an actual post.

Black Dancer Damselfly

I spotted the slow flight of a damselfly that had black wings.  I immediately thought it was a Jewelwing.  I checked pictures on bugguide.net and was pretty satisfied that I had a good I.D., but something was nagging at me about the blue coloring being limited to the very end of the abdomen, whereas those in other photos seemed to have mostly blue abdomens.

They’ve accepted me as their own

The next day I was walking around the pond again and this time, the damselfly landed on my SOCK!  I truly have become one with nature.  🙂  I snapped a few shots before it flew away when I turned my foot to get better lighting.

Ornate Pennant has a rather attractive pattern

I wandered further around the end of the pond when I saw a dragonfly with a hint of bright yellow gold.  It landed in the margin of the pond so I crawled down the bank and got a few shots.  When compared to bug guide entries, this one turns out to be an Ornate Pennant** (Celithemis ornata).  And, while trying to locate an ID for this dragonfly, I ran across one of the Florida insects sites and there, in full color was a picture of my DAMSELfly…not a Jewelwing, but a Black Dancer Damselfly (Argia fumipennis atra).  Funny how things work out.

Beautiful, glistening wings on the Ornate Pennant Dragonfly

I noticed some water movement while I was busy photographing the odonata and I turned to see some larger fish doing “the dance”.  I automatically figured they were Bluegills, a fish that lives toward the bottom of the pond.  They come out to the edges during breeding season to lay eggs.

Wait, those aren’t Bluegills

I thought I’d take a photo of this year’s fish as one turned on its side.  I was perplexed because the shape was wrong for a bluegill.  I zeroed the camera in to get some photos, desperately hoping that the sun glare wouldn’t prevent a photo for identification.  About 20 shots and I was lucky enough to get two where you could clearly see the fish.  I went to my favorite fish I.D. site, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and started scrolling through the various photos in the “freshwater fish” section.

I guessed correctly

They looked a little like bass to me, but nothing seemed to match up exactly.  I went and used a search engine for photographs but still didn’t turn up a match. My next step was to fill out the form at the “Ask FWC” section.  It’s a great website that allows you to send a photo along.  I’ve used them in the past when I had mosquito fish that were an odd color.

Merely a day after submission, a response came back:

“I had our fish biologist look at your great pictures and he says that those are Largemouth Bass. He says that they can vary in color/ markings it’s just according to the type of water that they are in. Yes, they are a native fish. The NE Regional Customer Service.”

WOO HOO!  Native and EDIBLE.  I’m headed to the Pro Shop to get me a troller and plan the tournament!  Get the cornmeal and cast iron pan and stoke that fire.

Nice size!

So, how did the fish come to live in my pond?  I didn’t add them but then again, I didn’t put the bluegills in there either. Spontaneous Generation?

We’ll be polite and not talk about your big mouth

Although there is a lot of debate about whether or not birds transport fish to interior ponds, I want to believe it is true.  Most say either fish who appear in unstocked lakes swam from upstream…not a possibility since my pond isn’t attached to any streams…or arrived there by means of flood.  Flood is a possibility as I remember my neighbors a couple of lots down saying that several years back they caught bass locally and put them in their pond.  Perhaps they did “swim” over the couple of acres…portions of the property between us does become inundated during rainy season, so anything is possible.  The culvert water also can rise up meeting the pond during rainy season, so fish would have a possible avenue to get back to the pond, but it still seems an enormous task.  I still want to go with some birds bringing in fish eggs on their legs, although their remembering to bring both a boy and a girl fish may be a stretch. 😀

My, my, who have we here?

Next on the list of newbies is an aquatic turtle.  I’ve had box turtles for years, but always was disappointed that no turtles ever took up residence in my rather large pond.  To me it looks so inviting.

Definitely “a looker”

Years back, I had one soft-shell turtle that the dogs scoped out walking in the front yard, but that one was looking for a way out.  I obliged and opened the gate for him (her?).  I’m sure it’s no fun being an only turtle.  In the wildlife kingdom love is always in the air.

Turtle hangs out on the tussock

So, my new turtle is a young Peninsula Cooter (Pseudemys peninsularis) Synonym/s: Pseudemys floridana subspecies peninsularis. (S)he was positioned on the tussock catching the rays.  There are several species of cooters in Florida and I received a positive identification* from some Master Naturalist gurus.  Luckily, I captured enough detail through the zoom shot.  Identification of turtles is easier if you can see their belly.  Despite my commands, this cooter refused to roll over.

With all my newfound residents, I’m sure the wading bird population will increase.  I mean, who wouldn’t want to chow down on those nice plump bass?

*This is an update of a tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on May 10, 2013 at the defunct national blog
beautifulwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

**In the original 2013 post the dragonfly was misidentified as Amanda’s Pennant.

Love is In the Garden Air: Valentine’s 2019

It’s that time of year! ♥Happy Valentine’s Day 2019♥. Throughout the years I have shared various tales of the lovefest that occurs in my garden.  I attribute my many reproducing critters to having the host plants they need to survive. Naturally-occurring native plants grace my wildlife garden providing for a wide variety of fauna.  Sometimes the lovefest involves the predators who enjoy the prey that feed on those plants. And, year after year, reproductive love abounds at my place.

In recent times the trend continues as is evident in the featured photo above of White Peacock Butterflies (Anartia jatrophae) taken in January 2019.  So, I bring you the continuing lovefest, some with links so you can learn a little more about the species:

Fall Webworm Moths (Hyphantria cunea)

 

Southern Two-striped Walkingstick (Anisomorpha buprestoides)

 

Stiletto Flies (Penniverpa sp. possibly festina)

 

Syrphid Fly (Dioprosopa clavata)

 

BLISTER BEETLE (Nemognatha sp. likely nemorensis)

 

Pearl Crescent Butterfly (Phyciodes tharos)

 

Ocola Skipper Butterfly (Panoquina ocola)

 

Happy Valentine’s Day.  May you show the love of nature by planting your own native plant and wildlife garden.

Even winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) shows it has heart

 

 

Night of the Living Dead, Part II: Carpenters and Soldiers

Back in 2014 I found a grasshopper that seemed quite willing to provide a never-ending pose for the camera. Ultimately I learned that this poor creature didn’t have much say in the matter. He was infected with “summit disease” caused by Entomophaga grylli, a grasshopper specific fungus. In writing my article at that time, I put two and two together and realized that a planthopper I had encountered was inflicted by a similar phenomenon.

Margined Soldier Beetle a.k.a. Margined Leatherwing (Chauliognathus marginatus) infected by fungus

Fast forward to 2018.  I recently encountered two more insects that met the same fate as said grasshopper and planthopper. While photographing leatherwing soldier beetles, I saw that one had slightly outspread wings…an unusual stance for this pollinator. When I brought up the photos to edit I saw that he was clamped on to the plant and also that there was the appearance of a fungus beginning to take over. I immediately thought back to my grasshopper/planthopper article and did some research. Lo’ and behold, my little soldier had succumbed to Eryniopsis lampyridarum (syn. Entomophthora lampyridarum) fungus, a pathogen of soldier beetles.

The beetle latches on tightly to a flower where it will slowly be killed from the inside by the entomopathogenic fungus

Some entomologists believe that fungi are the primary regulatory agents of insect outbreaks worldwide.

The wings continue to expand open until the fungus fully develops to finally release its spores starting the cycle anew

Less than a week later I found a carpenter ant that also was afflicted by some sort of summit disease caused by Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, a cordycep specific to ants. Latched on to the fallen needle of a Long Leaf Pine Tree which had caught itself in a Live Oak, I photographed him (her?) over the next few weeks after learning that it takes that long for the true affects to be become evident.

Carpenter Ant (Camponotus sp. likely floridanus)

A couple of days after my first encounter with the zombie ant, I got to observe a wand-type projection emanating from the ant’s head. Apparently it will produce a small sphere that will ultimately burst to send forth spores and begin the process anew.  The anatomy of this lifecycle is fascinating.

As the fungus takes over the ant, a fruiting wand-shaped body grows from the back of the head

…there are thousands of different varieties of the cordyceps fungus. Each one specializes in a single insect species that it can control with its zombie-making abilities.

There are now many studies to see if this may be a natural solution to pest control in agriculture.

the fungal projection continues to grow daily.

So, why all this sudden activity at my place?  According to the University of Maryland Extension, it might have something to do with how high the relative humidity is.(1)  Florida is synonymous with high humidity.

Why don’t others see more of this natural control?

Chemical sprays can have a negative impact on IPF [insect-pathogenic fungi] by killing or inhibiting fungal spores. (ibid.)

Yet another indication that man-made chemicals defeat built-in balances of our natural environment and have no place in a home garden.

While I’m not thrilled by the beetle being infected since beetles are a good thing in my book, I can say that I hope the spores from the ant find their mark on a good many more carpenter ants…always a problem child at my place.

Yes, ants have their purpose in the circle of life aerating soil and as decomposers, but they do tend to invade my house from time to time so any type of non-toxic control gets a big thumbs up from me.

Still no signs of the Perthecial plate, but I’m still monitoring it.

 

Select resources and additional reading:

(1) Nicole Rusconi and Cerruti R Hooks, University of Maryland Extension, Fungal Entomopathogens: An Enigmatic Pest Control Alternative

National Science Foundation, PEET: A monographic study of Cordyceps and related fungi

Night of the Living Dead

Dateline: October 31, 2014*

Petrified Bird Grasshopper (Schistocerca sp.) high atop some Bluestem grass (Andropogon sp.)

How does one control pest species such as grasshoppers and plant hoppers?  Often Mother Nature takes over control TO control.  Grasshoppers and other pests have some natural predators besides birds, and it isn’t just fauna.

grasshoppers infected with Entomophaga grylli have lifeless eyes

Think PATHOGENS… disease-causing agents!  All natural, no chemicals involved.   In recent times I ran into two examples of this phenomenon in the form of fungi.

I always knew that a fungus had an important role in the web of life, but in my mind it had more to do with the ability to break down organic materials and provide nutrients rather than helping in our quest to control pest species.

They pose for hours on end

My knowledge base was expanded when I found a grasshopper that seemed content to vogue for hours on end for my camera.  Then I realized that the poor thing clinging to the top of some tall dried grasses was actually petrified, as in dead, not merely scared.  I didn’t think that some ghost had snuck up and scared the life out of it, so I investigated a bit further.

There is a fungus that belongs to the Entomophaga grylli species complex, which is grasshopper-specific.  Often called “summit disease”,

The name is derived from the fact that infected individuals climb to an elevated location (summit) where they die. This elevated location helps the pathogen to spread because it is more likely to drip or blow unto foliage below, where it can be contacted by healthy individuals as they feed on foliage. Entomophaga grylliis not evident because the spores develop inside the body of the grasshopper. However, the dead grasshopper eventually disintegrates, allowing the fungal spores to be dispersed. The principal evidence of infection of E. grylliis the peculiar behavior of the dying and dead grasshoppers: they grasp vegetation.”

crawling up to the “summit” on Goldenrod (Solidago sp.)

As you can see in the photographs, it is very effective.

Another day I was back by the Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) shrubs and I noticed some type of plant bug sitting motionless.  This is not all that unusual as there is even one particular insect that has a common name based on the fact that it favors palms…the Palm Flatid Planthopper (Ormenaria rufifascia).  Although called a plantHOPPER, most of the time when I see them they are stationary, and don’t’ seemed concerned with moving all that much.

Palm Flatid Planthoppers have rather attractive, bright colored markings

This pale green looker seems benign enough, as I have never noticed major damage cause by this species. This may also be because I have many saw palmettos sprinkled among a great diversity of other Florida native plants…no monocultures here.

I was taken by a new observation and what I thought was a new type of Planthopper.  On closer inspection, I realized that this indeed was one of the Palm Flatids, it just appeared to be in a costume of sorts.

Is the planthopper dressing up for Halloween? The coloring seems ghostly

It reminded me of emerald moth caterpillars that don bits of foliage in an attempt to disguise themselves.  I figured this was a similar situation.  I quickly found out that this creature was not gathering the adornment on it’s own.  Something was growing on it.Seems this is one of the Cordyceps species, an entomopathogenic fungus (a fancy way of saying a fungus that parasitizes and kills insects/spiders).  While often a beneficial fungus used in medicinal applications, this one does a job in the garden by disabling the planthopper.  Natural, environmentally friendly and interesting to observe.

As it deteriorates further, it releases spores to find living insects and start the process over

So, if you find an insect that seems to be overly willing to hold a pose, consider that maybe you are observing another interesting phenomenon in which Mother Nature keeps things in balance in your beautiful wildlife garden.  Natural biocontrol.

Happy Halloween 2014!

*This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on October 31, 2014 at the defunct national blog beautifulwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

The Biodiversity of a Single Native Plant

My thistle is blooming this week so I thought it was a good time to dust off an old article about this great beneficial plant.

Dateline: April 19, 2013*

Nuttall’s Thistle (Cirsium nuttallii)

In my garden, I always savor the often unheralded plants.  Plants that many remove from their own landscapes because they are unattractive “weeds”.  If you remove Thistle (Cirsium spp.), you are missing out on experiences better than any action movie.

About 5 foot tall

Meet Nuttall’s Thistle (Cirsium nuttallii) a resident of my landscape.  This guy took forever to bloom, starting out with dirt hugging basal leaves about 12 inches in diameter.  Slowly it began reaching for the skies, eventually becoming eye to eye with me.  Five foot tall (or short depending on who’s doing the measuring).

A plethora of wasps were seen

I patiently waited as this larval host for Painted Lady Butterflies (Vanessa cardui)  and the little Metalmark butterfly (Calephelis virginiensis) slowly grew to produce one of the most abundant food provider of any Florida Native Plant I have encountered in my garden.  I’m still searching daily for caterpillars, but they are elusive at this point, that or with the way this plant can stick you, I’m reluctant to get stabbed in the search.

A delicate native meadow flower, but watch out, the spines hurt!

What I did find is somewhat awe-inspiring.   I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

Aphids

Some consider aphids pests, but they feed many up the food chain

Ladybugs eggs

Ladybugs lay their eggs where they know there will be an adequate supply of aphids to feed the young

lady bug larvae

The ladybug larvae have voracious appetites

ladybug pupa

Turning from larvae to adult is this ladybug pupa

small ladybugs

tiny ladybugs

big lady bugs

Big ladybugs

spotless lady bugs

Big spotless ladybugs (technically lady beetles)

Assassin bugs

Jagged Ambush Bugs (Phymata fasciata)

Jagged Ambush Bug (Phymata fasciata) munches on another tiny anthropod

Wasps of various shapes and sizes

Paper Wasp

Paper wasps

Ichneumon Wasp (Therion morio) use moth larvae as its host.

Ichneumon Wasp (Therion morio)

Cuckoo Wasps:

Cuckoo Wasps stand out with their pretty blue coloring

Some type of Diptera, likely a flesh fly whose Larvae parasitize bees, cicadas, termites, grasshoppers/locusts, millipedes, earthworms, and snails. Adults have a sweet tooth choosing nectar, sap, fruit juices and as this guy likely is, honeydew produced by the aphids.

Flies

Chalcidid Wasp (possibly Conura spp.) use butterfly and moth pupa as diet, but also will parasitize beetles and flies and some are secondary parasites of Ichneumon and Braconid Wasps.

Chalcid wasp

Velvet ants (Dasymutilla spp.) are not ants, they are wasps.

Leaf-footed Bugs (Leptoglossus phyllopus) are a common visitor to thistle, and while a pest, if it hangs out on the thistle, it isn’t sucking the life out of your citrus.

There are always some pests, but other beneficials keep them in check

Various stink bugs, both pests and predatory beneficials.

Pesty

predatory stink bugs GOOD GUYS!

There are sure to be more species to come and I’ll venture to guess that the birds are waiting in the wings, so to speak, too reap the benefits of this amazing provider.

*This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on April 19, 2013 at the defunct national blog beautifulwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

When Choosing Plants, Think Food Chain

Some years ago when I began writing for a national wildlife gardening blog, I wrote from the standpoint of my personal observations and over the years I have learned and evolved in my way of gardening based on those observations. Below is the very first article I wrote and one of which I am most proud.

It still holds true today as evidenced in the “featured photo” above taken in 2016 which shows the larva of a ladybug eating the pupa of a leaf eating beetle that had dined on the Florida native Goldenrod plant shown. Years ago I may have tossed the beetles in their active leaf-eating stage into soapy water, thinking they were ruining my plants. As I observe the food chain in action, I have learned the importance of leaving them to feed others higher up since if you break the chain at any point someone further up suffers.

Dateline:  October 8, 2010*

Caterpillars of Automeris io moth

I do outreach events for the local chapter of The Florida Native Plant Society. This is our busiest time of year as the weather turns cooler and delightfully breezy.

This past weekend we were at the local Home Depot, sharing our space with Audubon as we often do. I always bring a few live bugs or small garden critters to serve as a conversation starter in how to go about creating a beautiful wildlife garden. It gets kids interested in plants and keeps their attention while I talk to the parents about biodiversity.

I only had about five minutes to locate my “friends” in the early morning hours when things are wet and critters aren’t as plentiful, but I managed to gather a treefrog, a lynx spider and a white peacock butterfly, who was just emerging. Into their display cases they went with proper moisture and plant materials.

When things slowed down at the event, Larry, the president of the Kissimmee Audubon who is also a Native Plant Society member and I got to talking. He said that he was amazed at what I find in my yard to get the conversation flowing. He remarked that not many people could do as I did the week before and bring seven different species to an event without struggling to find them.

That hunt on a single area of Bidens Alba and some native mallow species took me about 15 minutes resulting in finding a praying mantis, two different butterflies, soldier beetles, a spider, and a treefrog. I added a grasshopper which I found on a citrus tree and I only stopped because I ran out of display containers.

Afternoon events are always easier to supply because the bugs are enjoying the sun and are plentiful. Our discussion continued in how planting for butterflies is good but having a lot of different plants in a garden to support all types of native insects is critical in being sustainable and providing for a more diverse array of wildlife.

Birds like all caterpillars, not just those of the butterflies. Consider planting some native plants that support moth caterpillars. You’ll feel less upset about the caterpillars being devoured. I don’t want to give the moths a complex by pointing out that some are not as pretty as a butterfly, but if I see a bird near my Cowbane (Tiedemannia filiformis), I get a little uneasy feeling that perhaps he is eating a potential Black Swallowtail Butterfly. Alternately, if I see a bird on a Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera) I enjoy the encounter without much concern that a possible looper moth is being digested. Ok, so I’m a little shallow.  😉

I guess the point is that not every critter is going to be something that you want to hug or photograph but they may be the food for something that you want to hug, photograph or observe in your own beautiful wildlife garden.

Clearly an onslaught of stinging caterpillars (Automeris io (shown above)) on an Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) can be a frightening encounter. But if you wait a day or two to see a fattened anole playfully running up and down the branches of the tree you’ll have expanded your wildlife viewing experience. And you’ll be relieved to observe that the majority of the leaves may still be intact. In the world of native plants, nature tends to keep a balance.

Loret is a retired, transplanted New Yorker. She resides on an acre of land in a rural central Florida community called Holopaw with her three sporting dogs. She is a member of The Pine Lily Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society which encourages others to plant native plants in order to reap the benefits of a beautiful wildlife garden and avoid spreading invasive exotics into our natural areas. 

*This is tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on October 8, 2010 at the defunct national blog beautifulwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

Ooops! Anatomy of a Potter Wasp Nest

Dateline:  June 28, 2013*

Potter Wasp (Eumenes fraternus)

I feel horrible.  I guess I will be up for only 2nd degree bugslaughter since I didn’t realize what I was doing.  There was no intent, I swear, Judge.

Potter Wasp Nests

Yesterday I noticed three potter wasp nests on the brick skirting around the bottom of the house.  They look like pots similar to what you would see at a ceramics store before the painting and firing of the clay, only in miniature. Without any thought I used the screwdriver in my hand to scrape these brood cells off the bricks since they were awfully close to the door.  All three “popped” open and I was shocked to see scads of caterpillars and what I thought was beetle or fly larvae.

Holy Mackerel!

Well, as research would reveal the larvae likely were young potter wasps in the Eumenes genus, probably E. fraternus based on the way the nests were constructed.  Just minding their own business, working through complete metamorphosis.  Unfortunately, I didn’t know that until today.

Eumenes fraternus nest has a distinct pottery shape like a little jug

I’ll probably get a stay of execution because, as luck would have it, a hungry green anole showed up almost immediately upon the caterpillars being scattered.  He ate the evidence.  That potter nest must have rung like a dinner bell when I disturbed it.  At least my mistake made for a happy critter next up the food chain.  Hopefully it will be seen that way and I will avoid being fed to the mosquitoes.

Had I known the larva was a wasp, I would have moved it to a rearing box (or in my case, a screened Beanie Baby box) and tried to see it into adulthood.  Having now had this educational experience, in the future I’ll be a lot more careful about removing the little pots and will place them somewhere safe rather than attacking them with a screwdriver.

Put down the screwdriver lady! The larger green larva on the left is the wasp larva, others are various caterpillars

Although I doubt there would ever be a next time since it appears that momma potter wasps aren’t protective of the nest, so you don’t have to worry about some angry, aggressive insect with the stinger coming after you if you walk by.  They are capable of stinging; they just don’t really bother.  Now that I know that, I’d just leave the little pots alone.  One can never have too many wasps to help with pollination.  The adults are nectar feeders.

The wasp larvae was at the top of the pot until the crazy human came along and flipped open it’s housing

When I see how many caterpillars were provisioned in those three tiny pots, I’m amazed.  The potter wasp lays an egg suspended from the “ceiling” of the cell by a filament. She then gathers a bunch of caterpillars that she paralyzes and puts them into the brood cell so her larva will have something to feed off.  Then she seals up the entry with mud.

A different species shows how to capture and disable a caterpillar

This is an example of how nature stays in check.  Had all those caterpillars remained on a shrub or plant, there surely would have been noticeable chewing damage.  Had someone come along and treated the shrub with pesticides, there would be less pollinators, both butterflies and wasps, and fewer baby birds because there would be no caterpillars as food.   My mistake also destroyed a potential home for others, as older mud cavities are reused by Leafcutter Bees.

Luckily, if you create habitat as Mother Nature intended, the food chain works like it is suppose to work.  There are enough caterpillars to turn into moths or butterflies, but there are also enough to grow wasps, birds and whatever other critters find the squiggly things tasty, such as my anole buddy, who probably thought he died and went to heaven.

Another beneficial lesson about a beneficial in my beautiful wildlife garden.

*This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on June 28, 2013 at the defunct national blog beautifulwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

Mistaken Mosquito

Dateline: January 11, 2013*

I remember when I first moved to Florida I saw what I thought was a HUGE mosquito, thinking that there were mutant bugs down here, big enough to drain a body of blood in one gulp.  They certainly look like mosquitoes, but the poor critters are swatted and squished all due to a case of mistaken identity.  The flying mimics are actually crane flies and they don’t bite.

Some are reflective. You can see how they may be mistaken for a giant mosquito

Crane flies are beneficial in our gardens.   Some species’ larvae are aquatic while others spend their youth in the soil.  Both break down organic matter, returning nutrients to their respective habitats.  As with most of nature, occasionally too much of a good thing can pose a problem.  Some crane fly species can be a pest to agriculture.  That’s why it is so important to have a balanced garden.  Avoid pesticide use as chemicals kill the good bugs as well as the bad, and often kill those bugs that will control others to avoid them becoming pests.

They have extremely long legs as shown by the Colorful Tiger Crane Fly (Nephrotoma spp.)

Both larval and adult crane flies provide an important food source for birds, reptiles, spiders, fish and other insects such as dragonflies, mantids, centipedes and beetles.  Fishermen have been known to use the larval stage of members of the family Tipulidae (Large Crane Flies) as bait. As you can see, there are plenty of predators to keep the population in order.

Some seem acrobatic such as Brachypremna dispellens

Tipulidae is the largest family in the Order Diptera. Given this, identification can be mind-boggling. You can find out everything you ever wanted to know about the anatomy of a crane fly at that identification key link.  Suffice to say I was unable (or unwilling) to crawl around counting wing lines or antenna segments…that and I really don’t wear my reading glasses when I am walking around the property calling on critters for a photo shoot.  Old eyes can’t see tiny nuances.

Brachypremna dispellens have white legs

Crane flies undergo complete metamorphosis.  Some species have an elongated rostrum (think Pinocchio), a straw-like appendage used to draw nectar from flowers.  Thus, we can conclude that they also perform pollination duties.

wake up and smell the Bidens alba

I noticed that most of the time when I see the adults fly it is when it is slightly damp or overcast, so if it is daytime and you see a mutant mosquito, take a good look before you swat.  You may be saving the life of an insect that will help your wildlife garden grow more beautiful.

Limonia subgenus Geranomyia are drawn to flowers

*This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on January 11, 2013 at the defunct national blog beautifulwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

And in This Corner…Active Arachnids

Dateline: October 13, 2014*

Green Lynx Spiderlings start to make their way out of the egg sac

It is Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans) season at my place.  Every year at this time they set up shop…often you’ll find them hovering and protecting their egg sac for weeks.  Momma does tend to the little ones. While technically spiders are not insects as they have 8 legs (they are Arachnids), most of us refer to them as bugs since they hang out in plants and can be creepy crawlies.

They blend in with goldenrod to have the perfect hiding spot to hunt

In the past I’ve seen the Lynx spiders mostly on the Goldenrods (Solidago spp.) or Carolina Redroot (Lachnanthes caroliana)  Occasionally they’ll live and nest in the leaves of the American Beautyberry Shrubs (Callicarpa americana). All of these plants are native here in Florida.

This chunky gal shown on the Redroot is pregnant

This year I found they are expanding their choice of flora, perhaps it is because they have expanded their taste palate.  Tasty morsels in various forms appear all over the garden.

She slimmed down once the egg sac was constructed

The Green Lynx Spiders are hunting spiders that  live on a diet of insects. While it often partakes in pest species such as leaf-footed or stink bugs, it may just as easily grab pollinators, making it a mixed bag of beneficial depending on your view in the wildlife garden.

A pair of Green Lynx Spiders begin to tussle over prey

This week I had a fun encounter in that I saw two Green Lynx Spiders wrestling over a pollinator.  I’m guessing a syrphid fly.  The spiders were lurking for a few days on the Water Cowbane (Tiedemannia filiformis), an emersed plant at the edge of my pond.   The larger of the two spiders had the insect in its grasp.  They started a sort of boxing match as the small one headed down the plant taking a swipe at the larger.  As they were bobbing and weaving they each swatted at each other while the other flinched.

The smaller puts up his dukes and leans in for a punch

Water Cowbane, a member of the carrot family, is a Florida Native larval host for the Black Swallowtail Butterfly.  I did notice some missing caterpillars, but didn’t actually catch the lynx spiders in the act.  Since there were Longjawed Orbweaver Spiders (Tetragnatha spp.) and Arabesque Orbweaver Spiders (Neoscona arabesca) nesting nearby, I’m not going to place the blame unless I see with my own eyes.  It could have been any of the lurkers, some with their fancy webs and quick movements.

The lady would have none of it and slapped him back

I didn’t hang around long enough to observe which of the two Lynx won the battle of the bug, but both spiders were there the next day and the formerly-flying insect was gone.  Perhaps they decided on a truce and to share dinner.

They can be very agile

The Green Lynx Spider uses a silk line, but doesn’t actually construct a web.  It captures its prey by pouncing on the unsuspecting victim, likely when the victims are getting drunk from feeding on nectar and not paying attention.

A little hard to watch if they snag a pretty dragonfly

I was a bit dismayed that on one particular day, I saw one Lynx with a pretty little dragonfly in its grasp. Alas, I’ve learned that nature has its ways and we shouldn’t place a higher value on the life of one native species over another.

Sad when the prey is a wasp

At any rate, there is plenty of Spider activity throughout the garden.  I am patiently waiting for the miracle of birth as there are many egg sacs in the various plants around my place.

Population EXPLOSION! How many can you count?

Past years has shown that a spider birth is an event not to be missed.  If you think that octets might be a handful, just imagine a hundred spiders all vying for sustenance.  It is a sight to behold. Of course you’ll probably get a bit itchy at the view.

High fives if it grabs a stink bug

The Green Lynx Spider is not considered harmful although as with most spiders, it can bite.  Of course if you are allergic to arachnids, you should be prudent in interacting with any spider.

A round of applause if the prey happens to be a leaf footed bug

With their eyecatching bright green coloring and their willingness to stand their ground while being observed, the green Lynx Spider is a welcome addition to my wildlife garden.

*This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on October 13, 2014 at the defunct national blog nativeplantwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.