Climate Crisis

Climate Crisis

Recurring record breaking weather events such as fires, hurricanes, and flooding have become common news. Pollinators like monarch butterflies and honey bees are in decline. Research now indicates that North America's bird population has decreased by 30% in 40 years. And NEWSFLASH! You can be part of the solution.

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Sunday, September 13, 2015

Yellow and Orange Bugs in my Wildflowers

For the last two summers my wildflowers have been covered in some brightly colored insects. One is orange and found mostly on my Butterfly Milkweed. The other is yellow and found mostly on my Black Eyed Susans and Prairie Coneflower. I don't do anything to control either.

The orange bug is Milkweed Bug. It shows up about the time my Milkweed of seed pods and covers the seed pods almost entirely. The bug is interested in eating the nutrients stored in the seeds. No apparent damage is done to the plants themselves although this may prevent them from spreading. I'm not particular concerned by this as my garden is quite full, and my existing plants have come back each year. I haven't observed any birds eating them and suspect that may not much of in the way of natural predator. Much the like monarchs, they essentially become inedible as they store toxins from the milkweed.

My Black Eyed Susans attract a number of a yellow and black bugs most of which are bees. However some time in August, there is another yellow and black bug I find zipping around from flower to flower. The Soldier Beetle or Leatherwing Beetle seems particularly interested in my yellow flowers. After running some searches on "soldier beetle" and "Black eyed susan" it appears that these guys are feeding on the pollen. It also appears that unlike the Milkweed Bugs, the Soldier Beetles are food for predators in my backyard ecosystem, and they don't really do any damage to my plants. Perhaps they are the reason for my encounter with a Common Yellowthroat who seemed to foraging in my flowers and grasses.

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