Meet the Beetles

Dateline:  December 7, 2013*

There are a variety of insects in the order Coleoptera commonly known as beetles.  While some beetles are destructive, others are nice and can play a role in responsible pest control or perform other beneficial duties.

I thought, to start, I’d focus on some shiny blue beetles.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

First up is a Flea Beetle (Altica spp.)

Hard to get this genus down to species. There is one that is called a primrose beetle, so these may be A. litigata given that these were found on Primrosewillow (Ludwigia octovalvis), a Florida Native Plant.

It may give a lacey look to the leaves of your Ludwigia spp.

Altica spp. may be a pest of crape myrtle, but the usual host is Ludwigia spp., which can benefit from a little control. Some species of Ludwigia can be a tad aggressive in the wrong situation. I have never seen any of the flea beetles on the two crape myrtles I planted “before I knew”, and, given a choice, I would request they eat the exotic crape myrtle over my pretty Primrosewillows.

This Fruit and Flower Chafer (Trichiotinus spp.) has very long legs

Next up are Fruit and Flower Chafers such as this Trichiotinus spp.  Flower Chafers are a subfamily of Scarab Beetles.  Beneficial in that larvae break down rotten wood.  Adults take pollen and/or nectar so have a hand in pollination duties, but may also munch on the plant.  I didn’t notice any particular damage on this Thoroughwort.  This guy may be T. lunulatus based on a Florida Entomologist key I found online. perhaps more black than blue in color, but the reflection of the sun made it look blue enough to me to call it a “shiny blue beetle”.  😉

This particular species of Flower Chafers is a little hairy underneath. You can see it coming out from under the elytra

Moving on.  This Colorful Foliage Ground Beetle (Lebia viridis) was enjoying nectar and/or pollen of a goldenrod.  They are beneficial in that they feed on the larvae of a pest, the Apple Flea Beetle (Altica foliaceae). It isn’t a stretch to think that they may also keep my friends the flea beetles discussed above in check.

Colorful Foliage Ground Beetle (Lebia viridis)

Further, this ground beetle eats eggs of corn earworm (Heliothis spp.) which is a destructive pest, and adults have been found feeding on the immature stages of grape vine flea beetles.  Obviously given the photograph above, they also play a part in pollination.

OK, moving beyond our shiny blue friends, Lady beetles  (or ladybugs if you prefer) are often discussed. Up until now I haven’t seen any mention of a particular species I found this week.

Mealy bug Destroyer (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri)

Meet the Mealybug Destroyer (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri). This is a lady beetle that can be as small as 3.4mm (for the metrically challenged such as myself, that is less than 1/8 inch). It is not native to the United States. It was introduced from Australia in 1891 as IPM control on citrus.  This guy (or gal) was on Dogfennel (Eupatorium capillifolium) and was so minute that I’m surprised I saw it.  The little flash of red gave it away. Predatory on mealy bugs which is where it gets its common name.

Despite being the size of a pin head, the bright red gives its location away

So, that’s my bit on a few species of beetles. It was a hard day’s night to figure out what they all do in our beautiful wildlife gardens.

*This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on December 7, 2013 at the defunct national blog beautifulwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

War on Aphids

When most people see aphids on their plants they immediately seek help on how to eliminate them often grabbing a bottle of soapy water or some other recommended concoction. Me? I get positively giddy with delight.

You see, aphids are on one of the low rungs on the web of life partner’s ladder. They serve as a feast for others, growing a variety of pollinators and ultimately reptiles, amphibians and birds. Where there are aphids, critters on the next link in the food chain are sure to follow.

I’ve written before how aphids are much like butterflies in that they flock to particular host plants. You can often identify the species by using the aphid host database although you might only narrow things down to genus.

Honey, this looks like a great spot to raise our young. Look at all the aphids! (Dioprosopa clavata)

This week I got giddy…VERY giddy. I spotted some aphids on the Bidens alba, my all-time favorite Florida native plant. You would be hard-pressed to find any aphid damage on the B. alba…it grows quickly and any chewing or sucking damage is quickly covered by new leaf growth. More importantly, what followed my spotting of the aphids was a parade of critters and the benefits abound.

Adult Ladybugs and syrphid fly larva work side by side to clean up the aphids

Cornell reports:

“Although the impact of any one species of natural enemy may be minor, the combined impact of predators, parasitoids, and insect pathogens can be considerable.”

So, what infantrymen were on my Bidens battlefield?

Larva of a native spotless lady bug was on the job

Larva of Tribe Scymnini (Dusky Lady Beetle) was scouring stems

and you ocan see was having great success

Lady beetles. “A single lady beetle may eat as many as 5,000 aphids in its lifetime.”

Even the exotic ladybugs were showing up.

And this pupa shows that future generations are possible

Hover [syrphid] flies. “A single syrphid larva can consume hundreds of aphids in a month.”

eggs of Syrphid Fly (Dioprosopa clavata) were layed

and the larva began to grow

and grow

and GROW

 

The pupa forms and the next generation is secure

As the empty cocoon shows

Not to be outdone, the airmen showed up:

Long legged flies. As adults, Longlegged Flies (Dolichopodidae family) are predaceous on small insects such as aphids. And with their metallic colors they’re pretty too!

Long legged flies land to eat

They are small by easily spotted with their bright metallic coloring

Some of them downright bright and shiny

In my research I learned about a new-to-me aphid web of life partner. The Braconid wasp. While cropping photos I noticed an insect I was not familiar with. Turns out it was an “aphid mummy”. Braconid wasps in the subfamily Aphidiinae are parasitoids and oviposit their eggs in aphids. What I was seeing was an aphid that had been parasitized. Soon a tiny beneficial wasp will emerge.

This aphid was parasitized by a beneficial Braconid wasp from which offspring should soon emerge

 

This is a new syrphid fly player in the war for me. Ocyptamus cylindricus species group

The waste aphids produce is known as [honeydew]. I found the following of interest:

 Adult hover [syrphid] flies require honeydew or nectar and pollen to ensure reproduction, whereas larvae usually require aphid feeding to complete their development (Schneider 1969). However, there are exceptions: in the absence of aphids, larvae of some species can subsist and complete development on diets made up solely of plant materials such as pollen (e.g., Melanostoma and Allograpta obliqua [Schneider 1969] and To x o m e r u s [Mesograpta sp.] [Cole and Schlinger 1969])

One of the Toxomerus sp. of Syrphid Flies. The honeydew may be what attracts them

So, if you remove aphids from your plants you may defeat attracting future generations of beneficials. Given, I would treat aphids on a houseplant by wiping them off since natural predators won’t have ready access to perform pest control indoors and thus the plant would suffer. On the other hand, its seems that aphids on your outdoor plants can benefit your garden by attracting those wonderful pollinators, predators and parasitoids especially those whose larvae use aphids as hosts.

Spined soldier bugs (Podisus maculiventris) are predators who probably are lying in wait for those that feed on the aphids….or perhaps may nosh on an aphid or two themselves

Don’t spray the aphids and then buy commercial ladybugs in an attempt to keep them in check. Likely, you’ll only to have them fly off. If you already removed the aphids or discouraged them in any way, adult ladybugs will go to lay their eggs where there is an ample supply of the host for their young…like my house. 😉

Looks like the dusky lady beetle larva did a good job of cleaning up the aphids

While other branches of the Bidens had signs of aphids from time to time, the branch in the original photo was scoured clean within a day. Give natural control a chance to develop and hopefully you will see the circle of life perform beautifully at your place too.

Tip: Group different genera of plants native to your area using the “right plant, right place” theory and avoid monocultures. That way your garden will attract a mix of native insects and predators and never look overly chewed since it will have balance just like Mother Nature intended.

Select resources:

ENTFACT-105: Ladybugs by Ric Bessin, Extension Entomologist, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture

Hoffmann, M.P. and Frodsham, A.C. (1993) Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests. Cooperative Extension, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. 63 pp. (Anthony Shelton, editor). Accessed August 27, 2017, from http://www.biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu/

Aphids on the World’s Plants: an online identification and information guide.

 

The Mydas Touch

Dateline: May 13, 2011*

Lynx spider eating stink bug (a good thing)

I’m always excited when I find a new species to add to my “Florida buggy life-list”. Yes, I maintain a sort of life list of the insects and spiders that I am able to identify in my beautiful wildlife garden. I then try to determine whether of not they can prove to be beneficial in the garden. Some are a mixed bag, such as the Green Lynx spider. It is a spider, so it eats destructive bugs and is a food source for birds, but it also has a habit of eating pollinators. I tend to like them having observed grasshoppers in their clutches. I just hope that the pollinators are smart enough to avoid their grasp. At any rate, I suppose it is Mother Nature keeping us in balance. If a certain insect seems destructive, I learn how to control them without resorting to chemicals, much as I did with the Cottonwood Leaf Beetle where I used handpicking as my method of control. (Editor’s note:  as I have evolved and learned more about wildlife gardening, I would not put handpicked insects into soapy water, I would merely squish them and place them in the compost pile to be recycled back into the earth.)

Lynx eating pollinator (not such a good thing)

Amazingly, I find new insect species all the time, despite having lived in this location 5 years. This week was no exception. I was outside with the dogs having an afternoon stroll in record high heat when I saw a VERY LARGE insect land on the wood chip mulch pile. I was excited because it was something I had never seen before. I had to race to get a camera and unfortunately, the one that was “loaded” was my zoom camera which I generally don’t use for the insect pictures since I’m not good at getting close-up detail with it (thus the less-than-quality photo). I zeroed in as best I could and snapped a few shots. My initial thought was that it was some sort of robberfly.

When “new bug” flew off, I headed to the computer to do some research. “Black orange robberfly Florida” was what I put into my Goodsearch search engine that is powered by Yahoo (not a Google fan). I scanned the results and saw there was a listing from whatsthatbug.com, a favorite insect ID site of mine. Sure enough, there was a picture of my finding, Mydas Fly (Mydas clavatus). Then, as I always do, I headed on over to bugguide.net to confirm my findings and to see what information I could learn:

Adults sometimes found on flowers, presumably taking nectar. Some sources say adults take caterpillars, flies, bees, and true bugs. Others are skeptical of this. Bugguide further expands, “Eggs are laid singly in soil or rotting wood. … Mydas larvae prey on beetle larvae, esp. those of June beetles. Larvae pupate close to soil (or wood?) surface… Adults are active only in mid-summer. Mating system in this species unknown.”

Mydas Fly

Since the University of Florida didn’t have it listed as a “Featured Creature”, I turned to the University of Arkansas who, in addition to behavioral data, stated:

“…Adults were long presumed to be predaceous, but the lack of mandibles along with other features of mouthpart morphology and observations of flower feeding tend to indicate that they consume nectar.”… Larvae are associated with decaying stumps and logs, where they feed on scarab beetle larvae.

Bottom line: I vote beneficial. Flower feeding always produces some pollination ability. Got grubs? Mydas Fly larvae will help in control, although the birds might not want to share those delectables.

What are your favorite insects?

*This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on May 13, 2011 at the defunct national blog beautifulwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

 

Pollinator Playground: Carolina Redroot

Dateline: August 23, 2013*

Gulf Fritillary Butterflies (Agraulis vanillae) couldn’t get enough of the Carolina Redroot this weekcaroliana)

The redroot is in full blooming swing and the arthropods are showing their appreciation with their mass flocking to this pollinator magnet.

Gray Hairstreak Butterflies (Strymon melinus) love it

Carolina redroot (Lachnanthes caroliana) is a member of the Bloodwort family and an indicator of wetlands. Native to the coastal areas of the eastern US, in the northeast it is listed as threatened and endangered in much of the area, which may account for the fact that I wasn’t aware of this beauty until I got to Florida.

Leaves of Carolina Redroot provide interesting textures in the garden while they expand

The sword-shaped leaves remind me of iris and I remember when I first got out here to my property I patiently waited for the “irises” to bloom.  I was a little perplexed as the inflorescence began to unfold.

Not showy in a traditional sense, Carolina Redroot has a beauty all its own

At first I thought them rather homely, but then they showed what they are made of, by being a virtual playground for butterflies, bees, wasps, spiders and more.

Scoliid Wasp (Campsomeris plumipes) drink in the nectar

They can be quite stately some reaching heights of three foot.  They look fabulous as a mass planting that they can achieve on their own as they spread by rhizomes as well as seed.

Pollinator Playground for this Sweat Bee

Tolerant and appreciative of flooding, they also stand up to drought so if you find some, might be a great addition to a rain garden.

This naturally restored redroot grouping will be the anchor of a new pollinator area

The seeds are a favorite of Sandhill Cranes, a threatened species here in Florida and the roots are sort after by feral hogs, who have been known to destroy areas to satisfy their cravings.

Dragonflies join the party in Carolina Redroot

The common name is based on the use of the roots as a dye that, when I experimented, produced an interesting tan leaning towards light rootbeer coloring.  Subtle and pretty.

Green Lynx Spiders (Peucetia viridans) find it a great place to dine and raise their young

Perhaps, in the traditional sense, not the showiest of flowers…that is until they attract all that wildlife.

This Delaware Skipper Butterfly (Anatrytone logan) gives Carolina Redroot a rave review

*This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on August 23, 2013 at the defunct national blog beautifulwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

Butterflies are Free

Dateline: March 6, 2015*

Planting beautiful and aromatic nectar sources is an easy way to attract adult pollinators. A flower garden will really draw them in. And everyone enjoys the beautiful colors of the flowers and the butterflies and bees that land.

Larval host plants may get them to STAY rather than just pass through your beautiful wildlife garden

But, it is equally important to provide for the next generation. This means planting larval host plants. Often insects are plant species specific when it comes to where they lay eggs or raise their young.
This of course involves accepting chewed plants or insect housing in the form of galls.

Insect Gall on Wax Myrtle…think pollinators…think bird food!

If you do some research into the butterflies and other beneficial insects that occur in your range, you may be surprised to learn that the plants you spend time yanking out or dousing with weed and feed are the very plants that our insect friends need to feed on. Those lumps you spray to prevent unslightly plant or tree “damage” may house some pretty important pollinators or pest control agents.

So, consider this: the lacier the leaves, the more young feeding which translates into a larger population of butterflies, moths, beetles, etc. which translates into more bird food.  Same with galls which may tarnish the pristine smooth look of a tree branch. Many provide housing for wasps or flies that are excellent pollinators as well as biocontrol for pest species. Think those chewed leaves or bumpy things are unsightly now? Have I given you something to think about?

The saying goes “You catch more flies with honey…”. Well, I say you can get more pollinators with “weeds”.

Fly gall (possibly Eurosta sp.) on Goldenrod

Unknown gall on Saltbush (Baccharis halimifolia)

Redbay Psyllid (Trioza magnoliae) gall on Swamp Redbay Tree

gall wasp (possibly Andricus sp.) on live oak tree

Galls come in all shapes and sizes providing interesting textures on plants

Some of my favorite flora volunteers in my Florida garden are:

1. Turkey Tangle Fogfruit (Phyla nodiflora), a native groundcover that hosts the White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae) butterfly
2. Virginia Pepperweed (Lepidium virginicum), a native edible that hosts the Great Southern White (Ascia monuste) butterfly
3. Cudweed (Gamochaeta spp.), a low growing nondescript flower that hosts the American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) butterfly
4. Southern Plantain (Plantago virginica) another low growing nondescript plant that hosts the Buckeye butterfly and provides seeds for numerous ground feeding birds.
5. Indian Hemp (Sida spp.) a woody shrub-like member of the mallow family that hosts the Checkered Skipper and Mallow Scrub Hairstreak butterflies
6. Southern Beeblossom (Gaura angustifolia) hosts the Clouded Crimson Moth (Schinia gaurae)…so pretty that it would give any butterfly a run for its money in the beauty department.

This list is not all-inclusive and a few butterflies mentioned are generalists who may use more than one species of plant.  It is just a sampling of what is available to grow butterflies if you just stand back and let it happen. Butterflies in your range may be different and may use completely different plants, so do your research.

These native plants are free in my beautiful wildlife garden…so that makes the butterflies free.  Moths too!

For addition tips on attracting butterflies to your beautiful wildlife garden, check out the archive of The Ultimate Guide to Butterfly Gardening.

*This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on March 6, 2015 at the defunct national blog beautifulwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

What’s in a day?

Dateline:  May 4, 2011*

Bella Moth nectaring on Bidens alba

Generally, if you are a moth, I suppose sleep! But there are some exceptions to that rule and some are mistaken for butterflies.One in particular is a favorite of mine. The bella moth, (Utetheisa ornatrix), is quite beautiful and I’m supposing that’s how it got its common name. Unlike most moths, which are nocturnal, the bella moth is diurnal and flies readily when disturbed. A regular visitor to my yard, it is always found fluttering around during the day, although mostly in the section of my garden shaded by pine trees.

Again on Bidens alba, one of it’s favorite nectar sources

This species is found from Connecticut westward to southeastern Nebraska, and southward to southern New Mexico and Florida. It is more common in southern part of its range.

Shown here on its larval host in Florida, Rabbitbells

Rabbitbells (Crotalaria rotundifolia) is the larval host for the bella moth. The caterpillars start off eating the foliage but bore their way into the seed containing pods. Because most of our common Crotalarias are introduced weedy species and toxic to cattle, the bella moth plays a beneficial role by eating their seeds and suppressing their reproduction. The toxic seeds of this plant, which is native to the southeastern United States, are laced with pyrrolizidine alkaloids that also offer the bella moth protection from predators.

After eating the foliage caterpillars bore into the pods of Rabbitbells

In flight and at first landing this moth displays it’s beautiful pink lower wings which I long to catch on the camera. Because they always “fold up” immediately upon landing, I can’t share that wonderful part of the encounter with these beautiful pollinators, but they do add beauty to my beautiful wildlife garden. What diurnal moths are at your place?

Another favorite landing spot is on the blades of grass

*This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on May 4, 2011 at the defunct beautifulwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

 

A Dozen Diurnal Moths

Dateline: August 13, 2015*

Bella Moth (Utetheisa ornatrix)

Diurnal moths fly during the day rather than at night like the majority of moths.  Some are quite pretty and are often mistaken for butterflies.  One way to differentiate between the butterflies and moths is to look at the antenna.  Moths have feathered antenna and butterflies have clubbed ends.

So, here is a dozen diurnal moths that have visited my Central Florida yard from time to time.

Bella Moth (Utetheisa ornatrix) uses Rabbitbells (Crotalaria rotundifolia) as a larval host in my garden:

Bella Moth nectaring on Bidens alba

Small Frosted Wave Moth (Scopula lautaria):

Frosted Wave Moth

Clouded Crimson Moth (Schinia gaurae) uses Southern Beeblossom  (Oenothera simulans) as a larval host at my place:

Clouded Crimson nectaring on Bidens alba

Red-waisted Florella Moth (Syngamia florella) uses Rubiaceae family of plants, including Buttonweed (Spermacoce spp) as larval hosts:

nectaring on Bidens alba

Diaphania Moth (Diaphania modialis) Host: Creeping Cucumber (Melothria pendula):

Diaphania Moth on Bidens alba (are you beginning to see a pattern?)

Coffee-loving Pyrausta Moth (Pyrausta tyralis) host: Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa ) :

coffee moth nectaring on Tickseed (Coreopsis sp.), the state wildflower of Florida

Yellow-collared Scape Moth (Cisseps fulvicollis) Hosts: grasses, lichens, and spike-rushes (Eleocharis spp.):

scape moth nectaring on Saltbush; Look at those feathery antenna

Litter Moth (Idia americalis) larvae feed on lichens:

Litter moth

Milky Urola Moth  (Argyria lacteella):

Milky Urola nectaring on Saltbush

Snowy Urola Moth (Urola nivalis)  lavae feed on grasses; Ligustrum:

snowy urola moth

Yellow-Banded Wasp Moth (Syntomeida ipomoeae) Host: morning-glory (Ipomoea spp.):

wasp moth nectaring on Bidens alba

Black-dotted Spragueia Moth (Spragueia onagrus) hosts: Saltbush (Baccharis halimifolia), Castanea pumila, Zea mays:

Spragueia moth resting on leaf of Bidens alba

Add some native larval host plants to attract these beauties and increase their populations your garden.

Larval host Resources:
HOSTS – a Database of the World’s Lepidopteran Hostplants
Bugguide.net
Butterflies and Moths of North America

*This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on August 13, 2015 at the defunct national blog nativeplantwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

Five Minutes with Susan in the Garden

Dateline: May 25, 2012*

I have a lot of Blackeyed Susans (Rudbeckia Hirta) in my garden. The bright yellow flowers with the dark centers are cheery in the pollinator garden and sprinkled a few other places where they appeared on their own. They can be prolific since they spread by roots as well as by seed. Come spring you can divide them up to share or just add them to other areas of your garden.

Attractive to beneficial spiders

Donna Donabella of Gardens Eye View fame considers her local species of them one of the workhorses at her place. Fellow writer Ellen Sousa gives them a thumbs up because they last through fall, feeding not only pollinators but also birds. Since birds eat the seeds, they often get planted with birdies’ automatic fertilizer system along fence lines and under trees. Outside the garden, they also make a long lasting cut flower.

spittlebugs (on stems) don’t do any lasting damage and birds eat the nymphs

While out in my yard photographing nature as I do most days, I hovered over the pollinator section in the back section of my yard. As I clicked away, I didn’t think much about it, concentrating on capturing a shot when an insect stayed still long enough. As I sat down to crop the pictures, I noticed that the majority of these photos were of insects on Blackeyed Susans.

Talk about love of blackeyed susans!

They certainly can draw a crowd. Now depending on where you live, some species of Rudbeckia are called coneflowers, others Browneyed Susans. There is a native variety in nearly every U.S. State (click on the Subordinate Taxa tab to find those for your area), so get out there and add this beauty to your beautiful wildlife garden. Pollinators and other visitors everywhere will thank you.

a favorite with butterflies such as this crescent

*This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on May 25, 2012 at the defunct national blog beautifulwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.

Native Plant of Steel

This tale was originally published by Loret T. Setters on September 13, 2013 at the defunct national blog nativeplantwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments and find working links to other stories.

It is a joy to find butterflies such as this gray hairstreak enjoying the Giant Ironweed

Giant Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea), a member of Aster family  (Asteraceae) is a perennial native plant which can reach heights of 4-6 ft. With its showy purple flowers, it is a great addition as a backdrop in the pollinator garden.

Some time ago, I wrote a piece on The Biodiversity of a Single Native Plant.  That article featured Thistle (Cirsium spp.) and highlighted just how much one plant species provided for native fauna.

After much observation the same holds true for Ironweed.  Once again, the photos speak for themselves.

Brightly Colored Diptera in the form of this Longlegged Fly (Condylostylus mundus) contrast with the rich dark leaves:

Thorn Flatid Planthopper (Cyarda spp.)  disguise themselves giving the illusion that the Ironweed has thorns on the stems:

It serves as one of the larval hosts for Emerald Moth Caterpillar (Synchlora spp.) who makes its own attempt at disguise by covering itself with plant material:

Leaffooted Bugs and Grasshoppers alike hang out in the bright green leaves:

But not to worry…this Jagged Ambush Bug (Phymata fasciata) nymph will grow up to grab them and keep them in control

Gallinipper Mosquitoes (Psorophora ciliata) with their fancy headdress  may like emerging on fresh buds:

But treefrogs patiently wait to make a meal of them:

Ants are usually a sign that there are aphids since ants love the honeydew they provide:

But the larvae of a Syrphid fly is waiting in the wings to munch up the aphids, a favorite meal of this future pollinator:

This gang of leaffooted bugs may seem like a problem, but birds or anoles likely will come along to make short order of them as they feed on necessary protein:

Note the exuvia hanging on the bottom. As they grow into the next instars they shed

Bumblebees are drawn to this nectar source:

Skipper butterflies also appreciate all that ironweed has to offer:

In addition to our insect friends, I have also observed the hummingbirds stopping by for a taste of nectar.  Birds enjoy the prolific seeds in the fall.

Ironweed provides a good winter source of bird food with its prolific seeds

There is a native species of Ironweed (click on the “Subordinate Taxa” tab to bring up the maps of native species for your area). in just about every state east of the Rockies.  Find one appropriate for your conditions and add this workhorse to your garden.  The bees and their flying friends will thank you with a display of color all their own.

Winging It for Pollinators

Dateline:  July 13, 2012*

Wet location? consider Winged Loosestrife (Lythrum alatum var. lanceolatum)

Central Florida.  I guess most of my property would be considered a huge rain garden. During rainy season large sections are inundated with water, the pond spills out over the banks and the garden takes on a beauty all its own as nature provides endless amounts of native wetland offerings and the insects those natives provide for. As I sloshed around the other day in my clunky boots, I wandered toward a patch of Winged Loosestrife (Lythrum alatum var. lanceolatum) and was enthralled by the abundance of diversity contained within.

Bees seem to prefer the winged loosestrife over other flowers in the garden at this time of year.

I can always count of a bounty of honeybees at the Loosestrife and although bumblebees are few and far between these days in my neck of the woods, if they are around, you can be sure they will be hanging around close to the Loosestrife.

If I need to find a bumblebee in the garden, I just need to head to the patch of Winged Loosestrife

Now don’t get in a tizzy…it’s PURPLE, and it’s LOOSESTRIFE, but this isn’t the horrid exotic Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) which has invaded most of our country. Surprisingly, Florida is thus far unscathed.

Butterflies are attracted to this native beauty

While the maddening horticultural industry insists on creating “sterile” versions of invasives for some unknown reasons, they would do better to cultivate and get people to embrace the perfectly functional and beautiful species that are already NATIVE to our locales.

How sweet is the nectar? Must be pretty sweet with all these “takers”

L. alatum is a nice wetland plant native to most of the country east of the Rockies. Dainty, pretty and amazingly attractive to numerous creatures that hide within the pretty green foliage. Although it has a “weed” symbol on part of the USDA map, I don’t find it to be overly aggressive. I’ve moved some around my place and it seems to stay within the immediate confines of the new location. It also appears to be threatened in some parts of its range.

This Carolina Mantid knew exactly where to hang out for a free meal

I was eyeing a skipper butterfly, intent on getting a photo. He flitted around quickly and then I saw him rather sedate so I zeroed in for the snapshot. AHHHHHHAAAA! I found why he was so subdued. Caught in the clutches of a Carolina Mantis (Stagmomantis carolina). Well, a “man”tis has to eat, now don’t he?

Seems the green lynx spider took a page from the Mantis’ menu and captured a bee

I spotted a couple of Green Lynx Spiders (Peucetia viridans), one with a bee in a “doggie bag”. There was a bagworm munching away.

Larval host for moths in the Psychidae family

In a different section there was a Scoliid Wasp (Campsomeris plumipes) which is beneficial not only as a pollinator, but also as a parasite on grubs.

Scoliid Wasp

I’m not sure what is the main attraction of L. alatum but you can always be sure to find multiple pollinators…be they bees, flies, spiders, moth caterpillars or butterflies. A worthy addition to your rain garden sure to attract a crowd of arthropods which will in turn bring in a crowd of our avian and reptilian friends.

*This is an update from an article originally published by Loret T. Setters on July 13, 2012 at the defunct national blog nativeplantwildlifegarden[dot]com. Click the date to view reader comments.