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What is it? And, is it bad?
- Thread starter RobbieWT
- Start date
http://www.drmcbug.com/predatoryflies.htm its a good bug follow the link
First one looks like a flea beetle. The one in the red box looks like an aphid, but it's hard to see clearly since it's blending in so well.
millworkman
eXtreme
Way to big to be a flea beetle, I think... Aren't flea beetle ridiculously small? It looks a lot like a japanese beetle to me. As for the second, no idea. But again, it seems way to big to be an aphid.
You might be right...initially I thought both looked a little big, but it's hard to tell without much context. The flea beetles I get are fairly small, but easy to see with the naked eye, and all black with smaller heads, but when I googled pictures of flea beetles I found some that look at lot like that.
On second thought I don't think the other one is an aphid. Body shape is a little off, it's probably too big, doesn't have the translucent look, and the antennae are pointing forward instead of backwards. I've been googling insects for a little while and I'm stumped, I can't find anything that looks like it.
On the other hand, I was able to identify an insect I've been finding on a lot of my plants. Fortunately these nasty looking things are beneficial insects.
I thought they looked like predatory insects, so I've been leaving them alone. Assassin bug:
Requiescat in Pace. Also been finding a ton of lightning bugs on my plants, apparently the larvae eat slugs.
On second thought I don't think the other one is an aphid. Body shape is a little off, it's probably too big, doesn't have the translucent look, and the antennae are pointing forward instead of backwards. I've been googling insects for a little while and I'm stumped, I can't find anything that looks like it.
On the other hand, I was able to identify an insect I've been finding on a lot of my plants. Fortunately these nasty looking things are beneficial insects.
I thought they looked like predatory insects, so I've been leaving them alone. Assassin bug:
Requiescat in Pace. Also been finding a ton of lightning bugs on my plants, apparently the larvae eat slugs.
Thanks for the replies.
The beetle in the first picture was about the size of my pinky nail. The bug in the second picture was about 5mm long. In fact, I was trying to get a picture of the partially eaten pod, and I didn't see it there when I took the picture.
I read that plants in the nightshade family are poisonous to aphids and some other insects. That might explain why my tomatoes haven't been touched. So I'm going to brew some tomato leaf tea and spray it on the peppers in the morning.
The beetle in the first picture was about the size of my pinky nail. The bug in the second picture was about 5mm long. In fact, I was trying to get a picture of the partially eaten pod, and I didn't see it there when I took the picture.
I read that plants in the nightshade family are poisonous to aphids and some other insects. That might explain why my tomatoes haven't been touched. So I'm going to brew some tomato leaf tea and spray it on the peppers in the morning.
Well, 5 mm is within the range for aphids, but I think most of the ones we see eating plants are about 1-2 mm.
Peppers are also members of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), and aphids definitely go after tomatoes as well as peppers. Supposedly tomato leaf spray is effective on aphids, yet they can eat the leaves and be fine, I'm not sure exactly how that works.
Also in my googleing I found that there are some types of fungi that kill aphids, whiteflies, mites, thrips, caterpillars, and just about every kind of pepper pest.
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/ipm/general/htms/bassiana.htm
Sounds pretty interesting and promising, but apparently is fairly expensive.
Peppers are also members of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), and aphids definitely go after tomatoes as well as peppers. Supposedly tomato leaf spray is effective on aphids, yet they can eat the leaves and be fine, I'm not sure exactly how that works.
Also in my googleing I found that there are some types of fungi that kill aphids, whiteflies, mites, thrips, caterpillars, and just about every kind of pepper pest.
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/ipm/general/htms/bassiana.htm
Sounds pretty interesting and promising, but apparently is fairly expensive.
millworkman
eXtreme
Shoulda left it. Those little eggs are parasitic wasps and once they hatch into the hornworm it stops eating. They would have protected your garden for weeks from other hornworms.
