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Pepper protection squad

Just thought I'd post a public thank you to the ladybugs/ladybirds that have taken up the job of keeping aphids off my plants. I'm also pleased to say that these seem to be a species native to the eastern - midwest United States (Cycloneda munda).There seems to be a single mating pair (or perhaps different random groups of 2 that I see), as the males have mostly cream colored heads and the females are mostly black with cream spots, and they are doing a great job. They move really quick; they seem to cover all ~16 plants in less than 30 minutes - a very systematic rotation.
 
I can only find a small group of aphids on one plant and conveniently located right by it are some ladybug eggs. :party:
 
I'll see if I can catch some pictures of the larva when they hatch.
 
 
Female 
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Eggs
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Male (left) and Female (right)
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On a pepper  :dance:
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Edmick said:
I wish i had more. This year has been terrible for bugs
Check your local nurseries. I bought live ones from mine 2 years ago. If not, you can get them on Amazon, delivered alive, right to your door ;)
 
We are having a strange year for bugs.  Seems the on again off again winter got rid of a lot of the ones that attack plants but left a bunch of the ones that bite me.  We are thick with ticks even though the chicken and ducks are getting fat from them.  I might break down and buy that really loud annoying bird.  Guinea maybe?  Something like that.
 
MikeUSMC said:
Check your local nurseries. I bought live ones from mine 2 years ago. If not, you can get them on Amazon, delivered alive, right to your door ;)
There aren't really any nurseries like that in my area anymore. The big box chains ran them all out. Even the hydri shops are mail order. Didn't think of amazon though. Thanks for the suggestion!
 
Muckyai said:
Very neat! Love those ladybugs. How could you tell these eggs were friendlies?
 
It's the right size and color for ladybug eggs, but I might be wrong. Potato beetle eggs (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) have a very similar appearance and they would potentially be eating foliage when they hatch. I'll keep a close eye out to make sure they end up being what I hope!
 
I haven't seen a potato beetle in our yard yet this year so my identification between these two was mostly based on proximity.
 
 
AJ Drew said:
We are having a strange year for bugs.  Seems the on again off again winter got rid of a lot of the ones that attack plants but left a bunch of the ones that bite me.  We are thick with ticks even though the chicken and ducks are getting fat from them.
 
Bad year for ticks in Minnesota as well. This is the first year I can remember getting them just from the short grass in our front yard.
 
Unfortunately no ladybug larvae were to be found, but I did find this little bug. My rough identification is a Soldier Bug (Podisus maculiventris) which I think is technically beneficial, but since it eats beetle larvae, it might kill ladybugs as well.
 
Since this probably gobbled up whatever hatched from those eggs I found, I don't think I'll have the answer. (Soldier Bug eggs look much different - brown and bumpy)
 
Stink Bug larvae look similar so an incorrect identification could lead to damage. Oh well, plants look healthy so I'm inclined to let nature take it's course for now. Hopefully the adult sticks around so I can confirm.
 
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If I find anything else interesting, I'll keep adding it here.  ;)
 
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