Everyone loves ladybugs, not only because they are so cute with their red with black spots, but because they are so beneficial for the garden. Their appearance belies the fact that they are predators, gobbling up insects that chomp on our plants.
There are other garden predators that eat "bad" bugs in our garden that perhaps do not have as good a reputation as the ladybug because they are not as cute, like wasps. Soldier beetles, such as the one pictured below, are rather scary looking when one comes upon them in the garden, with their long body and antennae. These beetles, however, are fierce hunters of insects like aphids that like to have a feast on new garden growth.
The bonus of garden predator insects is that they are accidental pollinators as well. As they climb all over flowering plants the pollen can stick to them. This can clearly be seen in the photo below. This soldier beetle was one of many on my flowering carrots. I hope this means that I will have lots of seeds to save come the end of the season.
I am linking up with The Green Bean Chronicles who is hosting the Spot the Pollinator segment. Pop on over and visit her.
Awesome photo! Our soldier beetles in California aren't quite so fierce looking. It's funny. We had dozens of them two years ago but now that you mention it, I've not seen one this year. Thanks for joining in Spot The Pollinator! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Green Bean! This soldier beetle looks slightly different than the reddish ones I'm used to seeing, but because the Internet is such a wonderful thing it was easy to identify it.
DeleteI love your spot the pollinator series! Thanks.