by Nanette Londeree, Marin County Rose Society, Master Rosarian

Syrphid fly by Garrett Scales

The world is filled with insects – it’s estimated that there are more than a million different kinds. Most go about their daily business nearly invisible to us – pollinating plants, breaking down dead material and being served up as meals for birds, fish and other creatures. Some of them provide us gardeners with the invaluable service of keeping pest populations in check – the good bugs battling the bad ones.

Good bugs, also known as beneficial insects and natural enemies, are predators and parasites that control pests by eating them. Predators attack, kill and feed on their prey like the spider that ensnares the fly. Parasites are like the vampires of the insect world, seeking out victims for their blood or body fluids and living on (or in) their host. Most parasites, like fleas and mosquitos, are certainly not good bugs. However, the young version of some parasites, called parasitoids, are beneficial when they devour their host while they grow.

A predator will dispatch many individuals over the course of its life and is usually bigger than its prey. Parasitoids are much, much smaller than their prey, and have only one host in their lifetime. Parasitoids often complete their life cycle more quickly and increase their numbers much faster than many predators. They are so efficient at pest control that their cumulative impact often outweighs that of predators.

Your garden may be home to a variety of predatory insects. A familiar one, the lady bug, consumes many insects, especially aphids and other sap feeders. Their alligator-looking larvae is equally aggressive with an enormous appetite. Assassin bugs are black, brown or brightly-colored slender insects with an extended needle-like beak and enlarged bristly front legs. Ethereal-looking green lacewings have slender pale green bodies, delicate gossamer wings and immense golden eyes. Adults feed on pollen and nectar while their larvae are the predators. Minute pirate bugs are about the same to twice the size of an aphid. These fierce, generalist predators are somewhat oval shaped, black to purplish in color with a characteristic X-shape on their back. Soldier beetles are about one-half inch long, straight-sided with a red, orange, or yellow head and abdomen and prey on a wide range of bad bugs. Often referred to as flower or hover flies, syrphid flies resemble bees. The brightly colored adults are adorned with yellow banded abdomens and body markings. Again, it’s the larvae that are the predators while adults feast on pollen and nectar.

Types of wasps and tachinid flies are the most common parasitoid insects. The nearly invisible, non-stinging wasps with their trademark narrow wasp-waist, attack caterpillars, flies, true bugs and beetles. The immature forms do the damage, getting their nutrition by feeding in or on the body of another insect, while the mature forms are free-living and most often feed on pollen and nectar. Tachinid flies resemble houseflies and are covered with stiff hairs. They are endoparasitoids, developing inside their victims that include the larvae of moths, beetles, sawflies, stink bugs and other insects. ABOVE: Tachinid Fly by Nanette Londeree

To attract the good guys to inhabit your garden, provide them with food, water and shelter. Diverse plant types encourages a range of beneficials. Some favorites are members of the carrot family – dill, fennel and parsley; the daisy family – coneflowers, daisies and yarrow, and herbs like rosemary and thyme. Use local native flowering plants, trees, and shrubs to best meet the needs of local parasitoids. Include plants with different flowering times to provide nectar and pollen all season long. Avoid toxic chemicals and tolerate low populations of insect pests to ensure that food is available for the hungry garden helpers. ABOVE: Cocoons of a parasitoid wasp are attached to a caterpillar by UC ANR

by Pat Hamilton, Humboldt Rose Society, Master Rosarian until 2011

This is a 2006 AOM article

This year seems to be a continuation of one rainstorm after another; according to the weather bureau we have had 153 percent of normal rainfall. In our own garden December through the first week of February we had only six days that were free of some type of precipitation. This was followed by ten wonderfully warm spring days, hallelujah!!! We waited a couple of days until the ground didn’t suck at our shoes when we walked on it and then we finally planted our bare root roses that were setting in pots of potting soil because we had despaired of ever getting enough dry weather to put them in the ground. Needless to say, by then we were way behind on our pruning so we got at it as fast as we could go. Fortune smiled on us and we finished 350 roses before the rain made a three day return engagement. Next we were hit by a couple of weeks of hard freezes every night, this took care of a lot of new tender growth and some total classes of my perennials. Now we are on the next to the last day of February and we are being deluged with rain again.

There are benefits to having lots of rain, we don’t have to water at all yet….. I did get all the roses sprayed with Banner Maxx and Aliette so that should protect them against the worse fungi, mainly Downy mildew. We will just enjoy the sound of the rain hitting the windows and the porch roof, and think of the “HEROES” that will benefit from all this water. I am talking about the beneficial amphibians and insects which help us control the aphids, leaf hoppers and other chewing insects.

A good example of an amphibian is the Pacific Tree Frog. These little guys only grow to about two inches long and can vary in color from grey green, bronze to shades of brown. The one marking that they all have is a dark band running through their eyes and toward their front legs and a light underbelly. You can often hear their mating call or “rain call” on rainy days, or during mating season. Most people think of the ‘ribbit’ used by Hollywood as the standard frog call, it is however really the call of the Pacific Tree Frog. He is little but he is loud! These “HEROES” search out small insect pests in your garden and eat them. Adult frogs feed on flying and crawling insects and other invertebrates, they will stuff creatures almost as long as themselves in their mouths. ABOVE: Pacific Tree Frog.

These frogs like to lay their eggs in early March to May, in temporary ponds where predators such as Brown Salamanders and Bull Frogs do not live or lay their eggs. By choosing temporary ponds they reduce the number of predators that eat their tadpoles. Newly hatched tadpoles are about 1 cm long and grow quickly on a diet of algae and other water plants. Tree Frog tadpoles are grey green and their intestines can be seen through the skin on their stomach. Their tail fins are well-developed and set high on their body. Tadpoles eat a huge amount of food and leave a large amount of fertilizer.

When the tadpoles are about 4.5cm long they begin to grow back legs then front legs, and lose their tail. This is when they transform from a plant-eater to an insect-eater. At this stage they are only about the size of an adult’s “baby fingernail” but they are eating gnats, flies and mosquitoes.

Tree Frogs are mature adults at about one year old. They have sticky toe pads and can climb bark, leaves, and even glass. Here they like to climb in our roses and are found quite often residing within an over mature flower. We are always very careful not to accidentally toss one in the deadheading buckets. They also frequent the perennial and mixed gardens. The reason we have so many frogs around is that we have available wild areas (our old garden beds) as we never are caught up enough to tame that section and it seems to do all right without us. There is water available in low areas and our barrels that we sometimes use as fountains. The only drawback to the barrels is that when we see a bunch of frog eggs and tadpoles we know it will be pretty late in the summer before we can start our pump and fountain.

The Pacific Tree Frog really likes our rainy weather. Judging from the amount of “rain calls” we have been hearing, we will really have to be careful when we deadhead. These frogs are just one of the many reasons we don’t have to spray with Orthene 97W, however I keep it in my arsenal just in case!

Another “HERO” that is an insect which needs water is the Dragonfly. They deposit their eggs directly onto the surface of the water or into mud at the water’s edge. Their larvae are aquatic and breathe through gills. Their chief predators are fish and frogs while their main source of food is fish-spawn, tadpoles and the larvae of smaller insects. The larval stage can vary in duration from about three months to four or more years.

Dragonflies are fast-flying, four-winged insects with long bodies and enormous eyes. The adult dragonfly has the biggest eyes in the insect world and they are capable of detecting movement up to 15m away! These fascinating and colorful creatures are among the fastest and oldest insects in the world. Their fossilized remains show that they were already here on earth 300 million years ago! Dragonflies are not difficult to separate from other orders of insects: adults have a pair of prominent compound eyes that take up most of the head, a contracted thorax bearing, as well as the usual three pairs of legs, two pairs of large, delicate, membranous wings, and a long, slender abdomen. Dragonflies exhibit voracious appetites, feeding exclusively on small animal matter. Contrary to general belief, they CANNOT sting – nor can they harm humans in any other way! Adult dragonflies that survive the vulnerable period between commencement of emergence and successful maiden flight have an average life expectancy of 4-6 weeks.

We count ourselves very lucky to be blessed with numerous amounts of these. We have Dragonflies who are among the most beautiful insects we have ever seen. They have all the colors of the rainbow, we usually see bright red, blue, yellow and green ones on our bushes, or hovering above waiting to dart upon some unsuspecting flying insect. Dragonflies are formidable hunters as they are very well aerodynamically designed. I love to watch the way they hover and dart.

We must attribute our many Dragonflies to our deep water tank which has been converted to a fish pond, and the many spring-fed ponds in our wooded acre along Strawberry Creek on the back of our property.

I would be remiss if I did not include one more insect which is very common around here and is very helpful in controlling soft bodied insects and caterpillars! For many years I killed these insects every time I saw them as I thought they were ugly and therefore bad. I am talking about ground beetles.

There are about 2,500 known species of ground beetles in North America. These active insects are usually found on the ground under rocks, logs, leaves, bark, decomposing wood and other debris on the ground (mulch). When disturbed, beetles run rapidly but seldom fly. Most hide during the day and feed at night. Both adults and larvae are considered beneficial since they feed on larvae of many harmful insects. The life cycle of most species is usually completed within a year, although adults may live 2 to 3 years or longer. Some adults are attracted to lights and will feed on the crushed remains of their own kind that have been stepped on or run over. Many ground beetles exude or expel foul-smelling secretions that are used to repel their enemies. Some feed on snails and slugs. They will also climb plants to find prey, but because of their nocturnal habits most gardeners do not notice this activity.

I don’t know whether it is the wet weather or the new mulch (shredded redwood bark) that we added to most of the flower beds last year, but we have a plethora of ground beetles. I don’t expect to kill a one!

A partial list of other “Good Guys” in the garden that help you to grow roses with out insect sprays follows:

Lady beetles, one of the top daytime predators. Most gardeners are familiar with at least the adult stage. However the larvae are also predaceous and feed on pesky pests such as aphids, scales, mites and insect eggs. These are well worth protecting.

Next we have a couple of spiders, one a night predator and the other a day time hunter. The wolf spider is commonly found on the ground, where it feeds on numerous types of small insects – its population will increase if you provide it with plenty of cover such as mulch. Wolf spiders do bite so don’t handle them. The crab spider gets its name from the way it holds its legs…out to the side like crab legs. These spiders climb flowers and plants to find a good place to sit and wait for prey. Often these spiders are highly camouflaged looking like the flower they inhabit. These spiders eat various small insects and are quite capable of capturing flying insects that visit the flowers. You will see these in many light colors, we have them in white to shades of yellow and orange.

I would be remiss if I did not list the little wren in my list of predators. I know she is a bird but I have seen one with a beak full of aphids headed for her nest. I have watched one hopping down a climbing rose cane picking up every aphid as she hopped. The only thing I would like better than to see a wren nest in my yard would be to see two or three nest there.

With all the rain we have had already, one would think we were due for some more sunshine, but the weatherman says we are due for a week of rain and showers.

All photos by Pat Hamilton unless otherwise stated.

by Ryan Tilley, Fort Vancouver Rose Society, Consulting Rosarian

We had a very warm winter on both coasts in 2019-20 this past winter and you know what that means Bugs. It is a shame really that just about every bug known to man passes through our rose garden buffet and stuffs themselves silly before moving on. And there isn’t even a sneeze guard.

But fear not as there are many insect predators that eat the bad bugs. Unfortunately there are not enough good insects to in most cases to keep our buds, blooms, and leaves from being eaten and sucked dry. But they do help enough that you don’t have to worry about every single insect on your roses. Many insects are just passing by and will possibly be gone by the time you notice the damage and mix up a pesticide.

The main reason I always give for using as little insecticides as possible. You will be killing the good bugs as well as the bad bugs. This in turn screws up Mother Nature and makes the problem worse as you move forward and head into summer. Of course there are some occasions when spraying is a must to deal with an unholy hoard of thrips, mites, aphids, and/or cucumber beetles. Be kind by only spraying the tops of the bushes if possible because that is where most of the damage will be done.

Spider-mites are an exception as they must be controlled over the whole bush with a miticide like Avid, Tetra San, Floramite and others. Since you spray the undersides of the leaves to get rid of thrips, the whole bush will likely get wet. But no worries. Miticides are not supposed to kill beneficial insects.

So, here is a list of critters that you should welcome into your garden. If you see them on your roses, For God’s sake don’t kill them!

Assassin Bug

How to recognize :This aptly-named, vicious-looking bug is about 1/4 to one inch long, with a cone-shaped head and wide curving beak. They may cause a painful bite to a human if captured. Some species squeak if caught. Females lay single eggs in cracks, under rocks or in other sheltered spots in summer, and new adults emerge around the following June. There is only one generation per year.

Benefits : Assassin bugs are voracious predators of many garden pests including flies, mosquitoes, beetles and large caterpillars.

Fun fact : Adult and nymph assassin bugs stab their prey with long, pointed “beaks” that are held folded under their bodies while not feeding.

Bumble Bee

How to recognize Large and lumbering, black and yellow bumble bees measure up to one inch in length.

These fuzzy insects make a loud droning buzz as they fly somewhat awkwardly from flower to flower. Bumble bees nest in soil or leaf litter where a single queen lays 8 to 12 eggs in spring and continues to lay eggs through the summer.

Benefits : Emerging workers are able to fly in very cool weather, making them a very valuable pollinator of a variety of plants.

How to attract As these bees nest in soil and leaf litter, try to leave a section of your yard undisturbed. A little “wild” place in your yard can offer a haven for many other beneficial insects that would otherwise be killed by tilling and mowing. Provide native flowers, as they are a primary food source.

Dragon Fly (above)

How to recognize : There are more than 80 species in Washington. They can be identified by their long narrow body, their large compound eyes and the four transparent wings. There is variation in color. Sizes range from one to two inches. The larvae are found in water.

Benefits : They eat mosquitoes, aphids and other bad bugs. I had a pool in Atlanta as well as here in Vancouver and if you take the time to notice you may often see Dragon Flies zipping in the airspace above the pool blissfully eating their fill of bugs, hopefully just the bad guys.

Green Lacewing

How to recognize : Adult green lacewings have delicate, light green bodies; large clear wings; and bright golden or copper colored eyes. They are 1/2 to 3/4 inch long. The larvae are small, grayish brown, and narrow and they have pincerlike mandibles. Eggs are found on plant stems and foliage; they are laid singly or in small groups on top of fine, silken stalks.

Benefits : Lacewing larvae and adults feed voraciously upon aphids and other small insects, insect eggs, and spider mites. They also eat leafhopper nymphs, whiteflies and small caterpillars.

How to attract Plant flowers that produce pollen and nectar. Adults are mobile, but lay eggs where they stop to eat.

Ground Beetle

How to recognize : While shapes and colors may vary widely, they are usually shiny. Some are very ferocious-looking, but they are not known to bite people. Black is a common color, sometimes with a metallic sheen of another color on their wing covers. Most ground beetles feed at night and hide in the soil or under debris during the day. Adult beetles range from 1/8 to one inch long.

Benefits: These very common garden insects feed on many soil-inhabiting pests such as cutworms and root maggots. Some types eat slugs and snails.

Parasitic Wasp

The mere mention of wasps makes me cringe as I remember running from huge paper nests as big as watermelons that I stumbled onto while pruning the inside large shrubs. But these wasps will not harm you.

How to recognize : Too small to be noticeable, these mini-wasps don’t sting people or pets. They range in size from the smallest insect known (about 1/50 inch) to about one inch, although most are on the small side. These parasites reproduce by laying their eggs in a pest host (adult or egg). The immature wasp feeds inside and kills its host. A round hole can be often seen where the adult parasite has chewed its way out.

Benefits : Different species may attack aphids, whiteflies, and butterflies or moths, such as cabbage loopers and hornworms.

Predatory Mite

How to recognize : Adult mites are tiny, about half a millimeter in length, and are beige to reddish tan. They resemble pest mites but are faster moving and have fewer hairs.

Benefits : Predatory mites are valuable predators of pest mites such as spider mites.

Honey Bee

How to recognize – Adults measure 2/3 inch long and are fuzzy, with gold-and-black striped bodies and transparent wings. Honey bees can often be identified by the balls of yellow pollen they carry on the backs of their legs.

Benefits Honeybees are important pollinators of many plants.

How to attract Grow flowering plants. Encourage wild honey bees. Because the spread of mites has seriously reduced honey bee populations, the wild honey bees that are left are even more important.

Spiders.

How to recognize Spiders aren’t insects at all. They can be identified by their eight legs and two-part body. Although there are hundreds of species of spider in Washington, they all share this trait. Spiders are far more beneficial than they are dangerous. Most spiders are shy and harmless to humans.

Benefits Spiders are the most important predators on insects, killing more than all other predators combined. They feed on a broad variety of pest insects year-round.

Soldier Beetle (above)

How to recognize : Approximately 1/2 inch in length, the adult soldier beetle has a narrow, black abdomen and bright red head or thorax. The soldier beetle larva is various shades of orange with black markings.

Benefits : Soldier beetles prey upon aphids, caterpillars, grasshopper eggs and beetle larvae, among other insects around the garden.

How to attract Since some soldier beetles feed on nectar, you may be able to attract them with flowering plants.

Fun fact Soldier beetles are nicknamed leatherwings because of their soft, cloth-like wing covers.

Yellow Jacket

Another bee that will swarm over if you stumble onto one of their nests. These guys will sting you in a heartbeat so be careful.

How to recognize : Adult wasps are 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, with characteristic yellow and black stripes and transparent wings.

Benefits Yellow jackets and other wasps are predators of caterpillars, flies and beetle grubs.

Concerns Yellow jackets are often feared for their sting, which is a hazard to people who are allergic. Some yellow jacket species are more likely to sting and scavenge at picnics than others. The scent of pears is a sting signal for yellow jackets. Scent of pears! You mean I should stop eating pears as I stroll the garden? What about pear flavored congac? Yes, pear flavored cognac is a real thing and also delicious.

Tachinnid Fly (above)

How to recognize : Resembling house flies, tachinid flies are 1/3 to 1/2 inch in length and may be brown, gray or black in color. Some species are very hairy.

Benefits There are many species of tachinid flies; many are parasites of pest caterpillars including cutworms, codling moths, tent caterpillars, cabbage loopers and gypsy moth larvae.

How to attract Adults feed on nectar, so plant flowers as well as herbs in the Umbelliferae family such as dill, parsley and Queen Anne’s Lace.

Creature Feature | Praying Mantis

The insect scientifically known as a mantis or mantid seems to charm even the most bug-hating of people. The “praying” modifier was added by the public over time. It has large, raptorial front legs folded as if in prayer and a triangular head with almost inquisitive, bulging eyes that swivel to watch passers-by.

Soon after mating, a female praying mantis deposits a mass of eggs on a twig or other suitable structure. She may lay just a few dozen eggs or as many as 400 at one time. Using special accessory glands on her abdomen, the mother mantis then covers her eggs with a frothy substance, which hardens quickly to a consistency similar to polystyrene. This egg case is called an ootheca. A single female mantis may produce several oothecae (the plural of ootheca) after mating just once.

Praying mantises typically lay their eggs in late summer or fall, and the young develop within the ootheca over the winter months. The foamy case insulates the offspring from the cold and provides them with some protection from predators. Tiny mantis nymphs hatch from their eggs while still inside the egg case.

A mantis has a mobile head that can turn around like humans can, large eyes, large front legs to grab prey and four legs meant for walking. Praying mantids vary in adult length between 1 and 16 cm. Praying mantids exclusively eat other insects by catching them with their forelegs. They do not use poison but eat the prey alive while they hold it firmly.

It has six legs, two wings and two antennae. The morphology, or body plan, of a praying mantis is similar to that of many insects. It has six legs, two wings and two antennae. However, they have some special features which makes them unique among insects. First they are able to turn their head around like humans can. All other insects cannot turn their heads, their neck is too rigid to allow it. Furthermore praying mantids have modified front legs; these front legs are especially designed to catch prey and hold them tightly. These arms are very strong and equipped with pointy spikes to keep a firm hold on the prey.

Most adult praying mantids have wings (some species do not). Females usually cannot fly with their wings, but males can. Some mantis species depend on good camouflage to prevent predators from eating them, while others keep a more simple look. Well camouflaged mantids have many projections on their body in the shape of dead leaves, branches, flower petals or even moss. Their colors can vary from brown, to green, white, pink, yellow or a mix of all colors. The more straightforwards looks are simply green, brown or sandy colored but without any special modifications.

Praying mantids are part of the hemimetabola group of insects; this means they do not undergo a complete metamorphosis. A complete metamorphosis is that of a butterfly or beetle; first you have a caterpillar or larvae, then a pupa (cocoon) and then the adult insect. This adult looks nothing like the first stage of the life cycle. In mantids and other hemimetabola, the newly born insects already resemble the adults.

In praying mantids, the newborn nymphs are almost the same as the parents except their size, color and their wings. These mantis nymphs shed their skin around 6 – 9 times before reaching adulthood. The number of molts depends on the species and the sex of the mantis. Every time the mantis sheds its skin, it will grow. Because of its rigid outer skeleton (skin) the mantis cannot grow in between molts.

Every nymph stage is indicated with a number; newborn nymphs are called L1. After they shed their skin for the first time, they are called L2. This goes on until the mantis is almost adult. When it has only one molt to go before reaching adulthood it is often called subadult, although you could still indicate its life stage by its L-number.

Praying mantis eggs are deposited in the form of an ootheca; this is a cluster of eggs enclosed by foam. This foam will quickly harder after the female has produced the ootheca, thereby protecting the eggs inside from cold, predators and from desiccation.

Natural habitat and natural behavior– Praying mantis occur on all continents except Antarctica, therefore their natural habitat is very diverse. There are praying mantis species that occur in trees, bushes, grassland and even rocky or sandy desert environments. They can occur in wet ecosystems or in very dry systems. Their way of life strongly depends on its habitat and the species, but generally a praying mantis is a sit-and-wait predator. This means it will stay in one place and scan the environment for potential prey. When it spots its prey, some species will actively walk towards it to catch it. Other species will continue to wait until the prey is close enough to be caught.

When praying mantises become adult, the female will generally remain at her position while the male will search for her. The male is able to fly, while most female praying mantids are not. The female will emit a pheromone when she is ready to mate. The male can smell this pheromone of his own species from miles away and will fly towards her. Check out bugguide.net for more interesting info on the praying mantis.

Photos submitted by Ryan Tilley