Tag: predator
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Question of the Week – Brown Lacewing
What is this critter that was found resting on the wall inside of a garage? This is another beneficial insect: a brown lacewing. Brown lacewings are smaller than the more common green lacewings, though both are voracious predators of soft-bodied insects, particularly aphids, mealybugs, small caterpillars, and mites. Whereas green lacewings lay their eggs at…
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Question of the Week – Hover Fly Larva
What is this maggot-looking insect on the bottom of this strawberry leaf? This is a hover fly larva. Hover flies (Syrphidae), also called syrphid flies, are common bee-mimicking flies that are often seen hovering around flowers and landing on your sweaty skin on a hot day (they’re attracted to the salt in your sweat). Not…
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Question of the Week – Assassin Bug
This week, the question was: What is going on here, and which one of these is the good guy? Here we see an assassin bug that has caught and is feeding on a lady beetle. Normally, both of these insects are good guys, though when assassin bugs get hungry, they will eat just about anything…
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Question of the Week – Predatory Stink Bug
This week, the question was: What is going on here? This is a Florida predatory stink bug (Euthyrhynchus floridanus) feeding on a species of plant-feeding stink bug. The photo shows the predator’s piercing/sucking mouthparts inserted into its prey. Predatory stink bugs have much more robust mouthparts than their plant-feeding counterparts because they must be strong…
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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 – Paper Wasp
This week, the question was: What is going on here? A friendly game of tag? This sulphur butterfly caterpillar probably wishes this was just a game of tag, but this predaceous paper wasp is going to use it to feed its larvae. Paper wasps are common insects in the garden and around structures, where they…
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Question of the Week – Mantid Ootheca
This week, the question was: What is this on the underside of this crepe myrtle limb? This is a praying mantid ootheca. An ootheca is a protective structure in which the adult female lays her eggs. It is constructed out of a frothy secretion from her ovipositor that dries into a hard, foam-like material. The…
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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…
The South Carolina Grower 