Tag: beneficial insects
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Question of the Week – Mantidfly

This week, the question was: What is the critter sitting on this eggplant leaf? This may look a lot like a paper wasp, but it is actually a mantidfly. If you look carefully, you’ll notice the front pair of legs is different from the two back pairs. The front legs look like those of a…
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Question of the Week – Lady Beetle Pupa

This week, the question was: What is this odd-looking critter on this strawberry leaf? This is a lady beetle pupa. A few weeks ago, in our question of the week, we saw lady beetle eggs. Since then, the eggs have hatched, the larvae have grown, and are now ready to become adults. The pupal stage…
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Question of the Week – Assassin Bug Nymph

This week, the question was: What is the little critter on these mint leaves? This is an assassin bug nymph (juvenile). Assassin bugs are beneficial, predatory insects. They have stout piercing/sucking mouthparts that they use to insert into their prey, inject digestive enzymes, and then suck out the bodily fluids. Most assassin bugs actively search…