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LinkedInPosts Tagged: assassin bug
No 'Assassination' Today!
No assassinations today! But an "assassination attempt." There it was, a leafhopper assassin bug, Zelus renardii, waiting for prey atop a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola in a Vacaville pollinator garden. Yes, it's native to North America. The assassin bugs, family...
An assassin bug, Zelus renardii,waits to ambush prey on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A longhorned bee arrives for some nectar while the assassin bug watches in apparent anticipation. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The longhorned bee leaves only its shadow behind. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This assassin bug had more luck--or better ambushing skills. It nails a pest, a spotted cucumber beetle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Let's Hear It for Biocontrol, Integrated Pest Management
Let's hear it for biocontrol. You've seen lady beetles, aka ladybugs, preying on aphids. But have you seen an assassin bug attack a spotted cucumber beetle? No? How about a crab spider munching on a stink bug? All biocontrol, part of integrated pest management (IPM). If you access the...
An assassin bug drills a pest, a spotted cucumber beetle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A lady beetle, aka ladybug, snares an aphid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A crab spider munches on a stink bug. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A great blue heron engages in a little pest management: it catches a rodent, a meadow vole, at Bodega Bay. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The great blue heron gets its prey, a meadow vole, in position before swallowing it whole. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Assassins in The Garden
A pollinator garden is a study in diversity--and of inclusion and exclusion. The residents, the immigrants, the fly-bys, the crawlers, the wigglers, the jumpers. The big, bad and bugly. The prey and the predators. The vegetarians and carnivores. The nectar-rich flowers attract honey bees,...
Lying in Wait--An assassin bug, Zelus renardii, lies in wait on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Gotcha! An assassin bug, Zelus renardii, sucking the juices from prey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Caught in the act! An assassin bug, Zelus renardii, stabbing a lady beetle, aka lady bug. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Who's next? The assassin bug, Zelus renardii, appears to be looking at the camera after killing a lady beetle, aka ladybug. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Meet Some Crafty Insects at Bohart Museum of Entomology
Talk about "crafty"--as in cunning or sneaky--insects. Ever seen a praying mantis ambushing a cabbage white butterfly? Or an assassin bug targeting a spotted cucumber beetle? Or European paper wasps attacking a Gulf Fritillary butterfly? And, how about the other kind of "crafty" insects--like...
A praying mantis dining on a cabbage white butterfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
An assassin bug targeting prey: a spotted cucumber beetle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
European paper wasps attacking a newly eclosed Gulf Fritillary butterfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
These "crafty" European paper wasps are making their nest. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A feral honey bee colony is a work of art. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
There's an Assassin in Your Garden
Ever seen assassination attempts in your garden? They are not pretty if you're the prey. Neither are the successful attempts. Take the Zelus renardii, aka the leafhopper assassin bug. They've been hanging out in our nectarine tree, cosmos, passionflower vine and Cleveland sage. They stalk or lie...
Can you find the nymph assassin bug on this Cleveland sage? This bug belongs to the genus Zelus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A nymph assassin bug strikes a pose on Cleveland sage. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This adult assassin bug, Zelus renardii, is ready to ambush prey on a double cosmos blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This adult assassin bug lurks almost unnoticed on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The predator: the assassin bug. This one is lying in wait on a nectarine leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Gotcha! An assassin bug spears a male metallic sweat bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
