Oh, so close!

  Today, I headed to the garden to plant okra.  I had one spot left to dig a single row so that was going to have to do for the moment.  A few steps after entering the garden gate, something bright caught my eye.  Of course, I whipped the camera in action and proceeded to photograph a critter in the middle of the pathway.  Since I had broken my glasses a few days back, I thought I had found a lovely moth!  In fact, the colors were so similar to the Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth, I figured that the thing was another critter that would not do major damage in the garden.  Wow.  Was I wrong!  Without those spectacles, I making a huge mistake.

  The critter that I so patiently photographed was the bane of most gardeners (at least those who refuse to douse their plants with harmful chemicals!).  The "pretty" critter was a moth alright but not the one I thought.  I had just spent ten minutes photographing a Squash Vine Borer Moth!!!!  Yep!  This was one of those critters that insists on laying its eggs inside the stalk of squash plants.  There, the egg hatches and the larva munches on the inside of the stalk while being hidden away from all predators.  Ugh!.  And to think...I just lifted the critter up and put it on the jasmine vine!

Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth

Squash Vine Borer Moth

  After the photo session, I realized my mistake.  Looking at the photos, I could clearly see the critter was not one that I wanted in the garden.  Out I raced to hunt down that Squash Vine Borer Moth!  I searched and searched the jasmine vine to no avail.  I was just about to resign to the fact that there would be no healthy squash plants after today when I spied that critter on a rose bush!  

  I am happy to say that at least one Squash Vine Borer Moth will not be laying eggs in the garden.  Goodbye, Garden Pest!  Your mimicking trick did not work this time!  Those fuzzy legs gave away your true identity!  (Just so you will know, folks, under those top wings, the Squash Vine Borer Moth has the clear "window-pane" wings like the other moth.  Blue thorax and fuzzy back legs...dead giveaway!....Oh, and make sure to have glasses handy if you wear them!)