A Jewel Of A Friend!

  Since finding that the garlic chives are blooming and that those blossoms attract numerous insects, the herb garden is first on my early morning hikes.  I find it interesting to see just who comes to visit and in the wee hours of the morn, I am able to see a mishmash of nocturnal and diurnal critters.  This morning, the blossoms were literally buzzing with insects but a lone critter on the turmeric leaf caught my eye.  A gorgeous Long-legged Fly was lounging in the first sunbeams to reach the garden plot. The green and coppery colors of the fly shimmered in the sunlight making the insect look a lot like some misplaced jewel. 

  The Long-legged fly (Condylostylus spp.) is an often maltreated critter since it so greatly resembles something that should bite.  Many folks think this is a weird type of mosquito or biting fly (esp. yellowfly) when actually it is a mild mannered critter that is quite helpful to gardeners.  The adult fly dines upon smaller garden pests such as plant mites and aphids while its larvae feasts upon other insect larvae and rotting leaf matter.  Neither have a propensity of biting humans nor pets. They really just want to flit about the plants and keep them pest free.  It is not often that you find such a grand helper and folks really need to stop spraying them!  So...look carefully and learn to recognize this fine friend...big eyes, long legs and a beautiful coppery/green coloring!