Most people see insects in their garden and immediately think that they must take certain measures to get rid of them. But many of the insects that we may see can be extremely beneficial to the plants in our home gardens. Here are a few examples of beneficial insects and pests that can be spotted in the garden.
Beneficial Garden Bugs
Praying Mantis: (Predator)
Praying mantises have long necks and front arms, triangular heads, and elongated bodies that can resemble leaves or branches. They can camouflage themselves very well and can adapt to their surrounding colors. They are mostly known to eat insects like crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, frogs, and lizards.
Ladybugs: (Predator)
Ladybugs are rounded insects with shiny covered wings and their colors range from orange, red, yellow, and black. They can be seen with spots and without. Like the praying mantis, ladybugs are predators that feed on pest insects in the garden such as aphids and mites and other soft-bodied insects.
Butterflies: (Pollinator)
Butterflies are beautiful and elegant insects that are quite enjoyable to look at. There are many different species and they can have many different colors and some very interesting patterns. Besides being beautiful multi-colored insects, they can help our growing gardens. Butterflies are excellent pollinators. As butterflies move from flower to flower feeding on the nectar, pollen that has stuck to them is transported to the next flower they feed on.
Bees: (Pollinator)
Bees are another excellent pollinator. Honey is not the only benefit of bees. They are another extremely beneficial and necessary insect in the garden and crops. As they fly around in search of and feeding on the nectar of flowers, pollen gets attached to the hairs on their bodies and is transferred to another flower.
Pests
Pest insects can damage and even ruin our gardens. There are a variety of different pests that can feed on your home garden that you may have taken such diligent care of. These are just a few pests that you may encounter in some of your home gardens.
Aphids (Plant Lice):
This garden pest can be described as a small, soft bodied insect that is typically a yellowish-green color and can be both winged or wing-less. Aphids, which are a type of plant lice, can reproduce very quickly. You will see these garden pests dwelling on the underside of just about everything, but they tend to like vegetable plant leaves and stems such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and collard greens - typically, younger plants. Aphids are sucking insects that can wreak havoc on the leaves of your vegetable plants. They will feed on the leaves and can cause them to become curled and discolored.
Tomato Hornworm:
These insects affect tomato plants. The larva can be described as a long thick pale green worm with chalky streaks across its body. You will also notice small spots along the sides of their bodies and they have red or black spiky tails. The adult tomato hornworms are brownish gray moths that are decorated with orange spots on the abdomen. The eggs can be seen on the underneath of the tomato leaves and are greenish-yellow in color. The larvas of the tomato hornworm are fast eaters. They have been known to eat nearly an entire tomato plant in just a couple days.
Whiteflies:
Whiteflies can be a huge problem in late summer. They are very small, only a little bigger than a gnat and have small white wings. These pests tend to fly up and off of the plant when it is shaken or disturbed. These pests are also a sucking insect that will feed on the plant leaves, which can also cause the plant to look diseased. They can be seen on a wide variety of plants including Confederate roses and vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants, okra, beans, and sweet potatoes, just to name a few.
Resources:
LSU AgCenter Master Gardeners Publication: The Home Gardener Volume 8, No. 1
Click here to visit LSU AgCenter Website
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