Sometimes, I’ll see an insect that’s new to me and get excited to learn about it. Then, I’ll feel deflated when I find out it’s “invasive” or a “pest.” The fact is, though, every insect has a story and nearly always has an interesting biography. Here are four species I found this past week that each have different origins, but all are remarkable in their way.
I’ll start with the bee fly species in the Villa genus, above. These are fairly large flies with long legs. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but they look like they’re dancing on their tiptoes across the Queen Anne’s lace. These busy fuzzballs are native to the west coast. They are “endoparasites” of moths, beetles, and other flies, which means their larvae grow up inside the larvae of those other insects, using them as nourishment. Other than their pre-adult behavior, Villa get a gold star as “good,” native insects that pollinate flowers.
This pretty, little (and pretty little) beetle showed up in my garden this week. It’s a Chilocorus bipustulatis, or a Heather Lady Beetle. Although they are not native to the U.S., they were introduced intentionally, to control (aka eat) scale insects that were damaging olive trees in California. They’ve since spread up the West Coast, and have also been spotted in the eastern U.S., mostly near ports. It’s suspected they’ve hitch-hiked on shipping containers.
Heather Lady Beetles get a silver star for doing good deeds, but lack the native stamp of approval.
I think clearwing moths are gorgeous. They start to show up this time of year, just as yellowjackets become prevalent. From a distance, even a short distance, these Synanthedon bibionipennis, or strawberry crown moths, can easily be mistaken for a wasp. That’s one of the many reasons it’s worth taking a second look at nearly any insect.
On the scoreboard, these moths get a plus because they are native but a minus because they are considered pests of some agricultural products, including strawberries. It’s the larvae that do the dirty work, boring through the stem of the plant. Synanthedon bibionipennis get a bronze star.
And now for a villain (not really). The Rose Stem Girdler is native to Europe and listed as an invasive species here. The larvae like to eat the soft material under the stems of cane plants, so they’re considered pests of raspberries, roses and even cranberries. They’ve been steadily establishing themselves in the PNW, moving south from Washington into Oregon’s Willamette Valley in about 2017 and just in 2022 were found in some of the inland counties in Washington.
The thing is, this beetle is quite attractive. It has a copper sheen and the males are said to have a metallic green head. This one was eating a blackberry leaf and, frankly, if its larvae bore into our invasive blackberries, I think that’d be a win. Still, if you research them, most places label them as pests, so Rose Stem Girdlers get a grey-colored star. They’re still stars, in my mind, but some of them are now in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Cheers!
Ticklehead 