Posts Tagged: aphids
Aphids--It's What's for Dinner!
"Well, yes, I would like some aphids for dinner," said every lady beetle (aka ladybug)...
A multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis, chows down on an aphid while other aphids suck juices from the rosebud. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A multicolored Asian lady beetle on a rain-soaked rose leaf on the first day of spring, March 20, in Vacaville, Calif. Note the aphids below the beetle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Rain-soaked lady beetle eggs on the first day of spring, March 20, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Aphids? Bring on the Beetle Mania!
They're back! Have you checked your rose bushes lately? Along with the lush new growth, you'll...
Dorsal view of a multicolored Asian lady beetle on a rose bush. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A lady beetle gobbling an aphid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Peek-a-boo! A lady beetle peers between a folded rose leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Lady beetles, where are you? Here's dinner! Aphids use their long slender mouthparts to pierce plant parts and suck the juices. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Wash Their Mouths Out With Soap
We're not the only ones "celebrating" the first week of spring. The oleander aphids are doing a...
Oleander aphids absolutely love tender milkweed plants. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of an army of aphids on milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Aphid Eater
The circle of life... Monarch caterpillars feast on milkweed, their host plant. Oleander...
A lady beetle munching on an aphid while another aphid (far right) looks on. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of a lady beetle eating an aphid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Guess What Other Insects Like Milkweed!
Monarch butterflies aren't the only insects that like milkweed. Honey bees, lady beetles and...
Labor Day activity: A honey bee and a lady beetle (see center of blossoms) forage on a scarlet milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Oleander aphids also like the scarlet milkweed (along with honey bees and monarch butterflies). The milkweed is the host plant of the monarch butterfly but this plant "hosts" other insects, too. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A monarch butterfly laying eggs on a scarlet milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)