Millipede Mouth

Milli End

Apheloria virginiensis

So, I’ve been neglecting this blog for a bit. Here’s the thing, when it’s warm I’m outside finding neat critters. I’ll do more to post all my summer photos during the colder months when I’m stuck inside. So, with winter around the corner I thought I’d get back into posting-mode.

North American Millipede

And she was quite flashy. She was attempting to come and hang out in our garage, but generally we gently encourage bugs to rule the yard, and not hang out where we spend out time. So she was promptly release in the shrubs next to the porch.

So, in general – millis eat dead leaves and plant matter (known as detritivores). They juice the decaying matter with secretions and then scrape it up with their jaws. They don’t often go after live plants, so they aren’t too much of a garden nuisance; however they can strip little seedlings down on occasion.

Millipedes v. Centipedes
I’ve always had trouble figuring out which is which, and remembering how to tell. But generally, millipedes are slow and centipedes can move pretty quickly. Centipedes also have only a single pair of legs for each body segment and are skilled predators.  In summary – want a pet with lots of legs? Millipedes make the better companion. And remember: ‘Millipedes meander like molasses, Centipedes are swift little creepies!’. Now perfect alliteration but now you’ll never mix them up!

The Feetsies!
So… how many feet does a millipede have? It varies. Commonly they have between 36 – 400, according to Wikipedia. Some species can have as many as 750, which although impressive is a bit deceptive as milli+pede means ‘thousand foot’. For those of you that find it a tad frustrating when descriptive naming conventions are not actually descriptive: me too friend, me too.

Millipede Sex
Oh yea, I went there. First things first, how do you tell who is the boy and who is the girl? These millipedes are not sexually dimorphic so you have to look closely. Boys have one or two pairs of modified legs. Modified into what, you ask? Into gonopods that are used to romantically transfer sperm packets to the female during that magic moment. The sexual areas/openings are located generally on the 3rd segment. Fun fact – males may have one, or two penises. The girl’s sexual opening is a little less exciting – revealing a small vulva and cover with which they use to store the sperm. But, after this whole process the lady will lay her eggs (anywhere from 10 – 300) and then fertilize them herself with the sperm she had stored. Some even make cozy little nests lined with dried poo. And while this traditional family arrangement I’m sure is pulling at your heartchords, some millipede species are nearly all asexual females as they are parthenogenetic meaning they can reproduce asexually.

Are Millipedes Dangerous?
Some are, some aren’t. A lot of them can secret or emit poison out of little pores on the side of their bodies. Generally these are caustic and help to ward off predators like ants or even larger ones by affecting the skin and eyes. One of the gasses they can secrete is hydrogen cyanide. But, it’s not as deathly as it sounds. For us big hulking humans, their particular secretions aren’t that bad. They can make your skin itch and burn and maybe cause blisters, but if you try not to handle them and wash immediately afterward you are generally ok. However, what stings the hand always stings the eyes – so don’t wipe your eyes after playing with these! Be smart. Insects have pretty savvy defenses, even against us giants.

Stink Bug Nymphs

nymphal stink bugs (family Pentatomidae)

These lovelies are from last spring. They’ve been sitting in my box and for the life of me I cannot identify the exact species of nymph bugs they are. None of the nymph identification guides I have found have matched the markings perfectly. So – they are unidentified stink bug nymphs, with one (the red one) being at a more advanced instar stage. $1 to anyone who can figure out the species!

Baby Grasshopper on Lily

Two Baby Hoppers

I don’t have much to say about these, other than +awwww+. 

Last summer, just a few months after we moved into our house, the lilies by the porch were overtaken with hundreds of teeny tiny little green hoppers for a day. I have no idea what species they are, but since the weather has been in the 80’s and the bulbs are up and the pear tree is blooming – I’m getting excited for Spring and little bug babies = Spring time awesomeness.

Happy warm-weather-to-come, everyone!

Tarnished Plant Bug

Lygus lineolaris

I only snapped one shot of this super small tarnished plant bug hanging out on a wild snapdragon in my yard, so I sort of forgot about him until I was going through photos. But, what a good looking true bug indeed!

This little bug tears up plants like nothing else. In fact, half of the cultivated plants in the US are listed as host plants for this nasty dude and the tarnished plant bug has a range that includes all of the US, parts of Canada and most of Mexico. They generally attack the plant and cause limpy leaves, lack of budding and “bushines” (hey you! no laughing!). They like to suck out the sap of the plant for food and are thought to inject the plants with an ingestive juice to help speed up damage. The youngin’s hang out on the plants and cause damage, but the adults (like the one above) have wings and freely hop all about feeding and destroying, and eluding your pest control tactics. The bug destroys fruits, vegetables, flowers and trees and likes to feed especially on conifer seeds. The Tarnished Plant Bug is on the notorious list of one of the most damaging true bugs and is known to be a transmitter of plant diseases.

They do have some natural enemies (other true bugs, some beetles, parasitic wasps, spiders, etc) but none of these have been effective at controlling the population. Generally you need to rely on chemicals to quell an uprising in your garden, which is a total bummer.

The Tarnished Plant Bug above is likely an overwintered adult as they appear much darker than the younger summer bugs. The aphids are usually light green with dark spots and sometimes yellow. But, (har har) I actually thought this was just a pretty cockroach when I snapped the photo. Hey, I’m new around these parts and even after my stint in Miami cockroaches still aren’t familiar territory for me.

Orange Harvestman

Harvestman Back View

Leiobunum politum

Also known as Daddy Long Legs, this dude is not a spider at all! This one was hanging around my tent in New River, WV. 

The Harvestmen Fam

Daddy Long Legs (Harvestmen) occupy their own order: Opiliones (spiders = order Araneae). There are true spiders, known as Cellar Spiders, that Harvestmen are confused with though. Harvestmen have been around for-ev-er. 400 million year old fossils have been found in Scotland that are remarkably similar to their structure currently indicating that the group hasn’t changed too much over the years (including their worth-mentioning modern-for-millenia penis and ovipositors!). Their closest relatives are thought to be the much bigger, uber creepy camel “spider” (made famous by a hoax email from soldiers in Iraq claiming them to be giant predators that would inject you to make you numb while they ate off your limbs while you sleep – mwhahahaa!), scorpions and pseudo scorpions. There are well over 6.4K species worldwide and over 60 known species that inhabit the US. Generally they like cool, damp places. 

Neat Harvestmen Features
I guess now that I know that they aren’t technically spiders it makes perfect sense that Harvestmen cannot make webs and do not make silk at all. Their eyes are fairly rudimentary. In the top photo, the black turret (knob) on the back of the “head” actually contains two tiny eyes (one on each side). Totally not where I expected their eyes to be… Underneath the head they have pedipalps or pincers. These aren’t used to pinch or bite us, but to clean their long legs, grab and tear food and stuff it into their mouths and in fanciful shows of machismo they are also used to fight other Harvestmen. These guys are omnivores and eat a variety of items but many of them act like scavengers eating dead and decaying plant and insect matter. Harvestmen have scent glands that they can use to emit a foul smelling substance (some equipped with quinones!) to ward off predators. 

The Legs Make The Beast!
If we had legs in the same proportion as Harvestmen do – our legs would be 40 feet long. The first pair of legs are generally the shortest and the tips of which are sensitive and are used for exploring and being aware of potential dangers. When their legs are ripped off (or dropped) they can continue to twitch for up to an hour in some species! It is hypothesized that this is an effort to confuse predators and keep their attention while the Harvestman limps to their grand escape. Their legs also allow many species to walk on water. Jeebs be Jealous! 

But Can A Harvestman Bite Kill Me?!?!
No ways! The tall tale that these “spiders” are most venomous in the world but that their mouths are too small to allow them to bite through human skin is mega-bunk. First, bigger species can bite us. They generally won’t though – even when harassed. Pacifistic behavior is great in the wild world, eh? But second and most important, they don’t make venom and they don’t have the fangs necessary for delivering venom. They can’t hurt you whatsoever.

So, be friendly when you see ‘em in your garden.

Spanworm

Itsy bitsy cutest little spanworm and I haven’t the slightest idea what kind of spanworm/inchworm it is or what lovely moth it will grow into. Just liked him and I thought I would share.

This little dude was living on Pilot Mountain in NC. The Bruce Spanworm in particular is known as quite the pest, but I’m partial to the one above. He seemed quite nice.

Aphids on African Milkweed

Oleander Aphid and Parasitic Wasps

Aphis nerii

Oleander Aphids are colorful aphids that are common on Oleander and Milkweed plants. The photos above also capture the seed pod of the African Milkweed and  (if you look close) Parasitic Wasps that attack the aphids.

Oleander Aphids

Originated from the Mediterranean, these aphids now cover most of North America. Like the Monarch Butterflies that feed on milkweed, these aphids also pick up the deadly cardiac glucosides. They can secret this compound when harassed. Their bright orange color then is a warning to predators. Nasty taste, nasty side effects. DO NOT EAT. Predators that eat and survive Oleander Aphids that have low levels of cartenolides can have lasting effects. Not so glamorous as spidey powers, but spiders will spin wonky webs and ladybugs can grow deformed wings.

Aphids don’t have sex. In fact, in natural colonies there are no male aphids. The females reproduce by cloning themselves (pathenogenesis). They also give birth to live nymphs, rather than lay eggs. When a colony lands on a host their population explodes. When it gets a little crowded, some of they aphids will develop wings so that they can fly to new host plants. If you have an aphid infestation the best way to get rid of them is soapy water or certain kinds of oils. Generally if you give them a good spray down with the soapy water they won’t be back.

Parasitic Aphidiid Wasps
Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera Braconidae)

If you look at the second picture you can barely make out a few small white bugs with a narrow shape. These are parasitic aphidiid wasps lay eggs inside the aphids. When they baby wasps develop they eat the aphid from the inside out, turning it into a sort of aphid mummy. When they do mummify their bodies turn hard and brown and act as a protective case for the developing wasps. After the wasp has developed it will cut a hole in the back of the aphid mummy and crawl out.

African Milkweed
Gomphocarpus physocarpus

This plant is also know as the Bladderbush, Wild Cotton or the Swan Plant. In fact, I’m not entirely sure that the names all overlap with the same species so my identification could be slightly off – but they are in the African Milkweed family. This plant has beautiful creamy white small flowers but it does not produce the kind of cotton that we use in textile. It is normally found in Australia and in the southern regions of Africa. In many areas it is considered a weed, though it is impressive visually.

leaf footed bug

leaf footed bug with fly eggs

Leptoglossus oppositus

Though these bugs and their relatives are prolific, I never encountered them until we moved to North Carolina. These two were found in our yard in Holly Springs, hanging out near the magnolia tree. I poked at them a bit as they appeared harmless.

It turns out these guys can be pretty aggressive and they are nasty pests for certain trees. They suck the juices out of plants, especially conifers. They are a true bug and are one of the largest in the true bug family with some growing to about an inch.

Online I found countless horrific accounts from gardeners trying to rid them via by hand, using scissors to decapitate them or using chemicals/pesticides. When they try and spray them these bugs zero in on your face and fly right for it. Holy crazy. Apparently my mild poking and picture taking didn’t agitate these dudes too much because they sat on the leaf, mellow and as happy as clams. It could also be that they are easily confused with squash bugs (which can devastate tomato gardens) or even assassin bugs – which pack a nasty bite and are a bit more aggressive.

The leaf footed bugs generally won’t hurt common garden plants and they can’t hurt humans. They are fairly slow moving though they can fly. They also like to live outdoors, but may come inside during the winter if they are looking for a warm place to see the season through. The best way to remove them is by hand. Their nymphs (5 stages in total, and called Instars before they reach adulthood) do the most damage from feeding.

Parasite scare!

The second image shows 4 little white spots on the head of the leaf footed bug – those spots are likely Tachnid fly eggs. Tachnid flies are sort of like general house flies – but can get a little bigger. Some of them mimic wasps and bees as well. They are considered beneficial insects and do no damage to plants, though they do amazing and horrific damage to their host insect.

The eggs that are on the head of the leaf footed bug above will eventually hatch. From there the larva will burrow into the body of the bug where it will continue to develop. When it’s ready it chews its way out of the host insect and drops to the ground to pupate in the soil.

Hoverfly or Flower Fly

Toxomerus marginatus

This Flower Fly, Syrphid Fly or Hoverfly (whew names!) was found at the Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, NC. It wasn’t until I uploaded the photo and got a better look that I realized it was a fly, and not a bee!  From there the color patterns on its abdomen helped me attempt to make an identification though there are 200+ genera of hoverfly. 

Hoverflies, despite their clever mimicry, do not sting – they use their wasp-like looks to deter other predators. They are completely harmless to humans. But not at all harmless to other insects. These flower flies are actually considered beneficial insects because their larvae are so adept at munching the heck out of other garden pests like thrips, aphids & small caterpillars. Recap: looks awesome, does not sting, excellent at pest control/insectivores. W00t!

Syrphid flies are incredibly abundant, being found on every continent except Antarctica. The species above is plentiful over most of the US and southern Canada. The adults eat nectar and pollen and are often seem hovering near flowers on shrubs or other herbaceous plants. Gardeners often like to encourage them to visit their plants and control other pests by planting host plants such as chamomile, parsley, yarrow, buckwheat, alyssum, etc.

Leatherwing

Mating Leatherwings

Chauliognathus pensylvanicus

It’s not even hump day and I’m showing the insect love! Sometimes romance comes early, I suppose. These stellar looking beetles are also known as Goldenrod Soldier Beetles or Pensylvania Leatherwings. 

These were found at the Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, NC. 

When I was trying to identify these I came across two main similarities in almost every photo I found of this species. 1) They love the color yellow. Whether it was goldenrod, daisies, sunflowers or other bright yellow plants – it seems they were quite the fans. 2) They are prolific in their mating and seem to do so perched brazenly atop said yellow plants. It was really quite spectacular and nothing to blush at. Just bugs, doing what bugs do. Unabashedly nature at its finest!

Due to it’s bright color, fondness for bright yellow perches and it’s numbers across the eastern and central US, these are the easiest cantharid, or solider beetles, to spot. They eat pollen and such the adults can be considered pollinators. They look a lot like lightening bugs, but they appear in the late summer and early fall – a bit later than the lightening bug peak around here. 

The leatherwing beetles have 4 wings, with the outer two hardening to create a protective shell. However, in these beetles the wings are not totally hardened which is why they are called leatherwings.