Friend or Foe #4

You found it! Funny website too. **grin** I hope I don't see another one though, they certainly are creepy! Thanks

What an awesome thread! I am going to have to go back and read all the others! My insect knowledge is soo limited so this is a plus!

Why didn't anyone tell me about this thread earlier??? :))

Nicole

I felt the same way. It's great to learn about all these critters and what they're doing in my garden!

:)

sorry nicole, sometimes my mouth just isn't big enough LOL

Hey guys! Here I am again. I have a garden talk this evening that I've been preparing for, so that's why I haven't been here so often. As soon as it's done, things should return to normal.

A quick picture for you guys. Here's one I used on my handouts I made for those coming to my talk tonight. This is a damsel bug nymph (family Nabidae). Like so many predators, it is a true bug, and so therefor stabs the prey with its "beak" and sucks the juices out. The damsel bug doesn't have the fat beak of the predatory stink bugs, so it generally gets small prey. In this case, this damsel bug has a small leaf hopper. If you look carefully, you can see it bewteen its front legs. Notice also how "fat" the front legs are - somewhat similar to some of the assassin bugs that have big, tough front legs to use for grabbing prey.

cnswift: that was me who posted that original link to the potato bug website, I just wanted to write to commiserate with you. They are just about the ugliest things I have ever seen! And they live underground in the garden, so I'm always digging them up in the spring when I plant....they are also called "Jerusalem Crickets", and they do make a scraping sound. If one gets in your house, you'll know it! But they are harmless. Just darned ugly and scary looking. Here is a picture I made to send to friends who aren't lucky enough to live in California....

Wow, Those are big bugs!

Hilarious! I love the surfing potato bug! That was great. Gosh, I've only come across one of these this one time and it was in my garage. I sure hope I don't dig them up too! I get squeemish with worms, let alone this bad boy!

cnswift: I call him "surfin' potato". If you found one in your garage, you'll probably eventually dig one (or more ;->) up in your garden. I always make sure I have gloves on now, and I always use a tool of some sort, never my fingers, cause I never know when I'm going to run into one of these hideous creatures. I guess that they can clamp onto you if you bother them, plus, I REALLY don't want to touch one! I guess that they just live underground and eat decomposing things.....but one wonders why the heck they look the way they do....

my son loved that picture!

He'd have to pretty tough to live in my clay soil. lol

Ok, I have a new creature in my bed. He was so strange looking so I let him live. He didn't move very fast and his front little legs moved sort of like a Praying Mantis (sp?) My camera just could not focus on him, but maybe you can see him enough.

Look at this guy! He's not disguised very well.

That's a gorgeous pic of whatever it is, konkreteblonde! :)

konkreteblonde: The first guy, I believe, is an ambush bug (family Phymatidae). They use those powerful legs to grab onto their prey. You are right about them not moving much, because as you can probably tell by their name, they basically wait around, camouflaged, for other insects to come to them and then pounce.

And of course your second one is a great picture of a wheel bug.

Both are predators, though the wheel bug is the more beneficial one. But both might bite if they feel threatened (as in squashed, harassed etc). Otherwise they shouldn't harm you.

I sure hope that first guy ambushes aphids!! I'm sure he probably doesn't or he would have been busy when I found him.

I have had wheel bug's before. Don't they fly too? I'm sure I remember the ones I had a few years ago would fly. ? I didn't get too close to him, believe me! He must think that flower makes him look less scary, but it doesn't.

Yup they fly, and they are often quite noisy when they do fly - making a loud buzz.

And your ambush bugs would rather ambush moths and flies - it likes bigger "fish" than aphids. It might also ambush the occasiional small bee or wasp as well. Not all predators "behave" all the time and only catch the good bugs. When they are hungry, they'll take whatever they can get.

Love the thread and I will never ever dig in the dirt bare handed again after reading this! The bugs are uuhhhh gross! I love the potato bugs web sites explanation of how to get rid of them! :)

I have a question about bugs, kinda... My kids just love earthworms and will stand waiting for me to find them one when I am digging and planting in the garden. They actually want more, but one is plenty and I prefer them in the soil. The problem is that they think they can just go up to any crawling thing that resembles a worm and pick it up and I am concerned about them getting stung or bit. Should I be? Are my fears unfounded about things which I have no knowledge of?? Thanks

Susan

I think millepedes will bite/sting, and you may find little scorpions in your area as well. You can probably teach them to recognize those (I'm not sure how much either "resembles a worm") and handle them accordingly. Grubs and so forth are not a problem to handle. Our neighborhood kids have learned to identify and squish grubs!

I'd like to know why earthworms occassionally just start committing suicide and throw themselves out on the hot cement?!

Thanks Critter.

Blond- Maybe your not feeding them well! :) give them coffee grounds :)

I have no idea :)

Susan

Actually it's the centipedes that will bite. Millipedes are fairly harmless as long as they aren't eaten - some have compounds in them that are related to cyanide - but I can't expect that that many millipedes (or hopefully any - hee) would be eaten.

It's just about time for me to start a new thread, so I'll have to do that soon.

I believe somewhere on one of these threads I posted a millipede, but I'll post another and a centipede and how to tell the difference when I start a new thread.

Ah, that's right! Some critterologist, can't even keep straight which ones are which! I know which ones not to pick up when I see them, though... Centipedes generally have larger, more discernable body segments and shorter legs. Millepedes have so many long legs they almost look fringed. I'm sure Night_bloom will have better descriptions for us -- thanks!

Susan, you must be one that's going around collecting coffee grounds?! lol I still have not done that!

Really, it's not just my yard, but everyone around here has earthworms that just throw themselves out on the concrete and die. ????

Night Bloom, thanks. I woudl like to know and see the difference when you restart a thread.

Blond, yes, that's me :)

Susan

Link to the new thread... http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/536309/ .