Parsley and Milkweed: Assassins and Others

The flat-leaf parsley in the backyard has played host to a number of insects (and one tiny arachnid). No caterpillars, surprisingly. I know others have their parsely gnawed, but I've never had to compete with caterpillars for leaves. I think maybe once a long time ago I might've had one caterpillar on some parsley, but sweet fennel is a much more popular food for the caterpillars around here. But there's something attractive about the parsley to everyone else. I don't know if it's the scent, or the fact that this year it's gotten huge and bushy, but it's become something of a bug hotel. This morning I evicted one of the residents. I thought I was doing a good deed, but apparently I just freaked the bug out so much he/she didn't stick around for the sumptuous buffet I presented it with. I've been watching a milkweed assassin bug grow up in the parsley clump. Honestly, I've been a bit worried about it. As far as I can tell there's nothing to eat, and unlike other bugs that might just be passing through and using the parsley as a way station, the assassin bug stayed. I'm not sure what meals were available, but the bug got big. Then I found aphids all over my milkweed (Asclepias perennis) in the front yard (the parsley is in the back). So, I thought, well, okay I'll move the milkweed assassin bug to the milkweed and that will take care of the aphids and the bug will be happy to get this nice big juicy meal on its namesake plant. Catching the bug was a bit tricky because of the thickness of the parsley, but once I found it I plunged in with a old glass and managed after a couple of attempts to scoop it up. I carried it to the milkweed in the front yard, gently shook it out onto the area of the stem with aphids. It climbed up on the blooms waving its feet around, one aphid stuck to a foot. Then I realized my phone was in the house, so I went in to grab it and get a picture. When I came back out, just second later, there was no sign of the milkweed assassin bug, At least not that one which was full grown and had all the markings. But adjacent to the milkweed is the bindweed which I'm messing with (my bindweed experiment will have to be the subject of another post), and on the leaves of the bindweed was another milkweed assassin bug, who looked just like this one did when I first saw it, small and orange. Still not on the milkweed which is covered with aphids, but at least this bug managed to find a spot closer to a good meal. And it will grow big and strong like the ungrateful wretch which rejected my aphid offering this morning. LOL Attached pictures are of a few of the assorted residents of Hotel Parsley, including the ungrateful assassin bug when it was young, as well as the aphids on the milkweed and the new young assassin on the bindweed.

הועלה ב-יוני 4, 2018 03:44 אחה"צ על ידי gulfcoasttoad