I admit to not being overly fond of caterpillars or larvae of any kind munching away on my garden plants but if they stick to wild plants, I am good. I will, occasionally, leave certain caterpillars on things like the fennel or parsley simply because I usually have a garden full of plants and I do like butterflies. However, if the larva turns into some ugly, biting bug, then it has got to go. Today's larvae do not turn into ugly, biting bugs but rather adorable, innocuous beetles.
After hearing the "neighborhood watch" clan throw out their uproar of calls, I decided that I had better check what was happening. Blue jays are notorious for finding snakes and these were near the pier. Well, I never found the snake. I was sidetracked by the beautiful larvae! The Groundsel bushes next to the pier were literally covered with the tiny caterpillar like things. The sunshiny day had caused hundreds of the critters to hatch and they were happily munching away on the leaves. These were the Groundsel Bush Beetle larvae. (Long name for a tiny critter!) Although, the larvae were about a half inch long, they were hard to miss. These are some of the most iridescently colored critters alive! My interest in photographing a cottonmouth or water snake soon disappeared as I became obsessed with the larvae.
You would think that a beetle would look a lot like its larva in color, at least. Not so. The Groundsel Bush Beetle larva is rainbow colored and quite shiny while the adult beetle is yellow with black stripes and dots. In fact, they are so different that it took me several seasons before I realized these were one and the same. Now, I seek out the larvae in early spring to admire their colors and then the beetles during midsummer to do likewise with them. Yes, they do eat the leaves of the bush but that is not of big concern. The bushes can grow out of control so I figure the critters are just doing me a favor.
Occasionally, a strange beetle or other creepy-crawly critter will catch my eye as I wander around the woods or creek bed. The fallen logs and leaf mulch are a haven for the critters and, if one has a keen eye or is just interested, one of the insects can be spied. This afternoon, I, once again, escaped the confines of the sick house and made my way down through the mire to the creek. Tomorrow, torrential rainstorms will pound the area making this particular hike inaccessible. Most of the area will be flooded making it unsafe to tread there as footing would be unsure. Once I found a sunny spot beneath the leaf canopy, my search for any critter life began. Most of the insects are still dormant but telltale signs of their past activities was rampant.
On a felled pine limb, the bark was crumbly and easily removed. Slowly peeling back the outer layer, a network of tunnels was revealed. A good bit of the sealed tunnels was intact. Sawdust ladened excrement "roofs" laid neatly above each burrow. This was the work of the woodborer larvae as they chewed their way through the wood. These larvae can ruin more of the pine wood forests than any other critter.
As I sat inspecting the damage done to this one piece of wood, it made me almost thankful that our woods are not heavy with pine trees. Hurricanes took their toll on the tall trees plus we have recently had a number of lightning strikes on the remaining few. Perhaps these particular beetles will find little to infest and die out on their own. Destructive little creatures!
First impressions can be deceiving. That old fable about the ugly duckling transforming into a beautiful swan rings true more oft than not. In the insect world, nymphs and larvae can be down right creepy looking. They usually have spines, markings that look like extra eyes or even mimic venomous critters. This is all a bit of self preservation designed by Mother Nature to make sure that the little squirts actually make it to maturity. Sometimes those critters don't get much prettier but with some, the transformation is incredible. Dragonfly larvae are about some of the creepiest looking critters alive but once they morph into adults, their looks change drastically. Caterpillars turning to lovely butterflies is another example of the "Ugly Duckling" miracle.
This morning, Son called my attention to a critter crawling on the rim of a large bucket used in the garden. Obviously, the insect did not have a lot of intelligence as it kept on its endless journey around the circular top without stop. Round and round and round it went as if on some epic trek. We pondered just what the critter was. It was not the prettiest thing around, for sure. I was positive that it was the nymph of either a ladybug or of an Asian beetle. Both bugs are actually sort of ladybugs and look similar so it only stood to reason that the nymphs would, too. I just could not figure which critter was doing the hiking.
After a bit, we decided that this must be an Asian beetle as we have seen more of those than the ladybugs. Just a few days prior this sighting, we were wishing a swarm of ladybugs would find the aphids in the pear trees but none came. Perhaps the Asian beetles will feast upon the same aphids, that is, if this goofy nymph ever completes its journey around the bucket rim.
Lace is an openwork fabric. Silk or cotton (usually) thread, is looped or woven into intricate designs making a delicate cloth..(again..usually). Wooden Lace is an openwork design cut into wood and used in making fine furniture. It is called fretwork. Sometimes my definitions are a bit skewed. I can find the oddest things here on the Bayou. This time, Mark and Son were cutting down a dead hickory tree to be used as firewood. The tree stood right next to the lane making me a bit antsy that it might fall atop some visitor's vehicle so it just had to go. After the initial felling of the tree, I was able to examine the old stump. Where I occasionally find critters, I found lace...wooden lace! This "lace" was the remains of the inner core of the tree that had been riddled by some sort of bugs. The insects, themselves, were long gone much like the heart of the tree.
A lot of our trees are still showing damage brought on by hurricanes of the past..specifically Hurricane Katrina. The winds twisted and turned the trees until enough damage was done to allow wood borers to enter. Now, years and years later, a tree will suddenly die from no apparent reason. If the tree is cut, like this one, the evidence of the borers and their larvae becomes obvious. The entire heart of the tree is gnawed into a lacy pulp as the larvae create galleries or tunnels. Sad to say, this kills the tree. We are losing more trees each year.
Equally sad to say, there is not a lot we can do about the damage occurring to our trees. The borers go unnoticed until the damage is done and then it is too late. Spraying with a chemical insecticide could possibly kill the adults that live on the outside of the tree but the larvae are working on the inside. Plus, spraying an the entire acreage of woods is not feasible and could possibly do more damage than good. Not only would the chemicals kill the borers but any animal or insect that happens to be in the way of the spray. An occasional tree is the debt we pay to allow our critter friends to live. As much as I hate seeing dying trees, wiping out all the critters in the woods is not the answer. I do not know what is.....
