This is Mutual of Omaha in action (on a quieter scale that is) and I got it on film. My fennel plant has been overrun with aphids (I'm blaming the drought) and I was waiting for the good guys to show up and they have arrived. These are larvae from the genus Scymnus and at first glance you may think they are mealybugs but they aren't! In Florida, adults and larvae of only 13 species feed primarily on aphids, compared to 75 species that feed on scale insects. There are noticable differences between these two groups as pointed out be Dixon (2000). The aphid eaters develop quicker, age faster, move faster, are generally larger and lay their eggs in clusters. Those that feed on scale generally develop more slowly, live longer, are slower moving, typically smaller in size and lay their eggs singly. If you are interested in insects check out our Featured Creature site (the link is in the right hand column of this blog under Useful UF Websites)
No comments:
Post a Comment