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Garden Friends

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Category: Garden Wildlife | Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 4:40 pm

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I found this very large female Cuban Tree Frog the other day after a rain. She is quite enormous! Look, here she is in my hand for perspective:



It is incredible how many beetles and moths these frogs eat each night. This gal has obviously been eating well!

I've been having some aphid issues lately so I have been really wanting to have a some ladybugs visit. I found one sleeping on a palm frond and decided to take it to my problem areas. She did not want to wake up, but finally she noticed the aphids and got busy. While I was looking at the plant I noticed there were FIVE other ladybugs feeding!

Here is an Asian Ladybird Beetle feeding on pesky aphids:



This is an interesting ladybug that I found nearby, it is called the Twice-stabbed Ladybird Beetle (what a name!):



I noticed a very fat ladybug with no spots walking around. I am not 100% sure but she may be the Spotless Ladybird Beetle:



I was absolutely THRILLED to see that a ladybug has been laying eggs so soon we will have reinforcements! I have read that the larva eat even more aphids!


There are several clumps of eggs so I am really pleased! I can't wait to watch the cycle!

Another garden friend, a spiny soldier insect....he'll eat aphids too, but I'd rather NOT smell him....he stinks!



One of the most magical things about having a garden is being able to witness all the life it abundantly holds.





This blog entry has been viewed 313 times

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daff wrote on Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:56 pm:

I love all the different variety of bugs you have in your garden, keep taking the pictures xxx

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jaqkmq wrote on Sun Jun 10, 2007 7:14 am:

WOW! pictures are very detailed. what part of the country do you reside?

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Netty wrote on Sun Jun 10, 2007 10:38 am:

What a cool looking frog!

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hummingbird3172 wrote on Sun Jun 10, 2007 3:20 pm:

Thanks daff, jaqkmq, and Netty!

I live in Central Florida so we get a big variety of the creepy crawlies.

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aloes wrote on Sat Jul 21, 2007 7:38 pm:

I enjoy your photos !! That frog is so pretty. Pity they can not be cuddled like a cat :-D
I can not resist adding this info. As to the spiny soldier insect, there are quite a few bugs that look very much like it but they suck plants not the larvae. They are tasty and over here they slightly roasted and eaten by humans. ( I have not tried them) We know them as "stink bugs" (that is the plant sucking species).

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hummingbird3172 wrote on Sun Jul 22, 2007 3:06 am:

Thank you Aloes! I did find out later that this was likely to be a "plant sucker"...so much for being beneficial, but he hasn't seemed to negatively affect the plants--at least I don't have to worry about him slaughtering my caterpillars. :-)

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