Syrphid flies are beneficial garden insects. Their larvae eat both insects and fungi, depending on the species. And adult hover flies are proficient pollinators around the earth. You will commonly see this tiny fly collecting nectar on flowers in your garden. Adult hover flies collect both pollen and nectar. And hover flies are one of …
Bug Identifier
What are those bugs in your milkweed garden? Are milkweed bugs ‘good’ or ‘bad’ bugs? Why are they only on milkweed? If you found long red and black bugs, then you probably found one of two types of milkweed bugs. There are two types of milkweed bugs: Large Milkweed Bug (LMB for short) and Small …
The tachinid fly is one of many beneficial insect predators in your garden. But they are also harmful to monarchs. But if you are raising monarch caterpillars, the tachinid fly is an enemy. Tachinid flies lay their eggs on monarch eggs and caterpillars. Once the egg is laid, that monarch is as good as dead. …
Ladybug larva has often been confused as a harmful pest, especially when spotted on a milkweed plant. Sometimes the furry ladybug caterpillar gets squished, thinking that it is dangerous to garden plants. Monarch eggs are distinctive from ladybug eggs. Monarch eggs are white in color and laid one at a time. Ladybug eggs, in contrast, …
How long does the metamorphosis from monarch egg to adult butterfly take? In this guide, you’ll learn about the four stages and the five instars of the monarch life cycle. The images and descriptions will help determining the instar of each monarch caterpillar you discover. The five stages (instars) of a Monarch butterfly take roughly …
You may be surprised to learn that most bugs and other arthropods living in your yard do not feed on nor harm plants. Most insects pass by on a pilgrimage or simply have innocuous behaviors. Other insects will even eat and destroy whatever species of pest you have. The are many insect predators. They include …
No one likes tiny black bugs in their home, but before you grab a broom or a bottle of bug spray, it pays to know what you’re fighting. Different species have different eradication methods. Let’s talk about small, black pests and what they could be. There are many tiny black bugs that could invade your …
When you see a bug flying around near you, you might worry about it stinging you. Wasps, bees, and hornets are similar, it’s often hard to figure out which ones are around your home. An easy way to tell the type of bug plaguing you is with a look at bee vs wasp vs hornet …
How many legs do insects have? Do all insects have 6 legs? Knowing how many legs is an important step to identifying the animal you’ve discovered. In this post, you’ll learn about 6 legged insects, with examples and photos. Insects have 6 legs, as part of their morphology. If an animal has more (or less) …
If you thought bugs and insects were the same things, you’re not alone. A lot of people use the two words interchangeably, but they don’t have the same meaning. You may even hear a scientist using the word bug as a generic term for an insect. However, in a technical sense, the two words have …