gardening

Looking at some wild sunflowers nearby, I was pretty startled to see a whole bunch of ladybird beetle larva. These critters are not usually breeding in the wild. Usually the adults are released by gardeners to protect roses. Looking closer I could see a whole lot of cast off aphid skins. There were also flies and ants "licking" the leaves, and lacewings nearby.

I knew there is a whole ecosystem around aphid farming. Ants protect them from predators like wasps and ladybugs.

Just because they excrete a sugary waste juice. Many insects want this sugar, but most need another creature to open the plant for them. Ants and wasps use humans for preference.

This colony of hindwing moths used a brood of jewelled beetle to bite through the thick skin of a sunflower stalk. Then the moths could suck the juices out. Beetles are amazing at all sorts of life skills.

Some bite openings like this beetle, others just copy bad tasting bugs while going about their normal business.

This broad-nosed weevil looks like a ladybug to a bird, especially when I'm the company of other ladybugs.

Of course, large beetle are going to bring out predators. I was very happy to get a big, female bullfrog in the road this evening.

These amphibians are very happy to pose at night provided you are shining a bright light on them and not touching. It is pretty rare to see one this far from the water's edge.