June 21 , 2012
Wicked (and wonderful) Bugs
We ’ve been invaded !
At least temporarily . This calendar week on CTG , Daphne identify the culprit : the Central Texas Leaf - Katydid ( Red Katydid ) . She explains that in cyclical eruption eld like this one , the red form prevail . Thank you to Paul Alvarado Lenhart , Ph . five hundred candidate in the Texas A&M Entomology Dept . for pictures and info .
They ’re defoliate oak tree trees and singing their footling fore-wing out . Not to be confused with cicadas , these insects areParacyrtophyllus robustus . Lee Franzel , Comal County Master Gardener , has seen a lot of them !
On Mike Quinn’sTexas Entomology site(fabulous insect resource ) he remark some agent for this year ’s abundance of many louse : the 2011 drouth that kill off born predators , and our lovesome wintertime with above average rainfall . Many thanks to him for his assistance on this section !
Here ’s one more , take by Alan Brown , an entomologist himself , though we commonly meet the whole family throughTexas AgriLife Extension ’s Wizzie Brown ’s Urban - IPM web log , a corking imagination for what ’s bugging you ! Most of the time , she ’s answering gardeners ’ interrogation and conduct free workshops , like this one onJuly 14 to identify sound bugs and bad ones .
Hear some spinal column - tingling tales about Wicked Bugswithauthor Amy Stewartwhen shejoins Tom this week !
Amy astounds us with captivating stories from insect scheme to why Tom got arrest by a black widow spider . And did you know that locusts are in reality sure hopper under emphasis ? From Phylloxera that almost wiped out a wine-colored diligence to zombies and bed microbe , Wicked Bugsis full of connive honest tales of the insects that changed account , from Napoleon to families under flak by the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug today .
Amy emphasizes that most insects are beneficial and merit our respect ( no pesticides ) and our nurture ( a diverse home ground to appeal them ) . Most authoritative : if we do n’t blue-pencil who get to get along in , we have far less body of work to do . by and large , the creatures will “ work it out ” themselves and we do n’t mess up up the valuable predator - to - target balance or put down good pollinators .
If you must ill-use in , do it with your foot or your hands . This leaping , when worm exploded all over , you may have recognize this one on your mint or lamb ’s ears .
It ’s the White - Margined Burrower Bug ( Sehirus cinctus ) . But any damage they did has recovered nicely by now .
InWicked Bugs , Amy notes that “ Lepidopterophobia ” is veneration of butterflies . But since most of us love them , Daphne ’s pickax of the hebdomad , nativeGaura lindheimeri , attracts both butterfly stroke and hummingbirds .
Gaura ’s pretty much no care , too . Once established in well - drained soil , it need little piddle and no fertilizer to bloom from tardy spring through summer . It screw Dominicus , joined here with native Zexmenia ( Wedelia texana ) in this Hyde Park garden .
Gaura can take some shade too , but mine did n’t fare well once my trees grow up too much . Gaura lindheimeri‘Siskiyou Pink ’ is another ravisher .
In winter , you may cut them back to encourage shaggy ontogeny in spring . In blooming season , cut off spent flowers to encourage another flush .
lush plant do n’t attract too many impish bugs ( usually).This hebdomad Eric PedleyfromEast Austin Succulentsdemonstrates how to carve up by leafage cuttings and decapitation . Yikes , “ beheading ” sounds shuddery , does n’t it ? Note : no blood was shed on this installment !
On tour , this garden designed byTravis County Master GardenerLink Davidson for neighbour Wendy Brennan restored wildlife habitat in a very modest space . See how they used recycle materials to repurpose the former lawn , on a wickedly low budget .
See you next week ! Linda
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