BUGS IN YOUR BACKYARD

Found this little guy roaming around on one of my pots and noticed the ant's got eight legs. Wait what?? Aah, of course, it's an ant mimic spider, the excellent example of Batesian mimicry where the spider mimics ant and hides in their colony for protection as it doesn't have a very strong defence itself. Interesting how they have evolved over time without letting the ants realize this. Ant mimic spider

 Blue Mormon Swallowtails! Despite the name swallowtail being derived from the swollen projections on the ends of hind wings, most swallowtails don't even exhibit this character. Mormons are the most common butterflies found all across the world except for Antarctica, apparently. The caterpillars are just as beautiful as the butterflies, feeding on various plant species.  Another interesting characteristic of the Mormons is the exhibition of Batesian mimicry, where the butterfly mimics another unpalatable butterfly which is not preferred by its predator. Yes, this is exactly how these pretty guys fool their enemies. Also, another possible reason why most swallowtails don't have a swallowtail. Also, this beautiful is the state butterfly of Maharashtra!  Blue Mormon Swallowtail

Spittlebugs are known for the frothy substance that they secret as larvae for protection. The adults are called froghoppers belonging to the family Cercopidae which feed on the plant xylem sap. The young ones secrete a foamy substance resembling spittle on the plant stems.  Next time you see this foamy spittle on plants, try searching for the bugs inside it! Spittle bug on leaf

The Red dwarf honey bees are small in size (7-10 mm) and commonly found across India. The colony forms a single hive and yield about half kilo honey per year. There are three caste members including workers (infertile female), queen (fertile female) and drones (males). The queen and drones serves as the reproductive caste while the workers will do the rest of the job of maintaining everything else in the hive.  The communication for new nesting sites is done via dancing. If the new nesting site is within 200 meters, the bees will use the wax from old hive. Unlike ground nesting bees, hives are open and small, hence more susceptible to predators. The bees will place propolis barrier on either side of the branch as protection from attack by other insects. They are also excellent pollinators of several plants which makes them essential part of ecosystems that they inhabit.  Red dwarf bees (Apis florea)

Carpenter bees are shiny looking insects and show variation in their size. They get their name from their ability to burrow hard wood for nesting.  They are essential pollinators of several plants. Sometimes they pollinate plants which can not be pollinated by any other insects.  Some species also show nectar robbing where nectar is sucked by slitting the the base of flower and pollen is not effeciently transferred. Most plants have developed defence against this phenomenon. Overall they are useful and essential part of the system playing their role beautifully. Carpenter bee 

 These tiny little wasps, pollinators of fig (aka fig wasp) are less than 2 mm in size. The female has a long ovipositor to insert the eggs inside the flowers, also pollinating them during the process. The males in the second picture are wingless, and their only purpose is to fertilize the female and chew cavity out of the fruit so the emerging female can escape. These wasps have an interesting mutualistic relation with the fig, where one can not survive without the other.  Also every species of fig plant have its own unique species of wasp that pollinates it.Hence both wasp and plant must survive for the existance of diversity. Fig wasp (female with long ovipositor) Fig wasp (male)

Unlike females, male mosquitoes don't bite. The male mosquitoes feed on plant nectars for energy and survival. Since they do not bite, they also can not transmit the diseases making them harmless to humans. It's the females that need more nutrition and protein from blood for egg laying. Males generally smaller in size and have brushy antennae which makes them easy to identify. The life span of males is generally shorter than females. Their general work is to find food resources and suitable mate. Mosquito resting on basil leave.

 Asian spotted swallow tail moths are mostly white in colour with a black spot on the lower tip of the wing. Not much is known about these beauties, except for the beautiful pattern of black/brown bands on the wings.  I spotted this one last summer on our lemon tree, probably doing no harm and playing its role in the system peacefully. Swallow tail resting on a lemon leaf

Dobsonflies are another group of beneficial insects. The immature stages are called Hellgrammites and are found in freshwater. They are voracious predators of blackflies and mosquitoe larvae and keep their population in check. They are also food to several fishes hence are essential part of the food chain. The larvae can breath both inside and outside water, crawl outside the water for pupation. The adult dobsonflies are harmless to humans. Their sharp pincers may peirce the skin if handled roughly, but on the good side the painful bite will not last much longer.  Dobsonflies are usually rare, while they may be attracted to lights near the streams at night. The reason I was able to spot this one is because our house is alongside with the rivers, and we left the lights open at night by mistake. Conclusively, these harmless insects are crucial part of food chain and ecosystem, so if you spot any keep them safe. Adult dobsonfly attracted to light

The parthenium beetles are known for their ability to feed only on Parthenium , aka Congress or Carrot grass.  The weed spreads aggressively fast and can cause several issues ranging from respiratory or dermatological disorders to crop production losses.  However, the tiny beetles ( Zygogramma bicolorata ) were imported from Mexico to control the weed. And they are so far the best biocontrol agents of the weed. Parthenium beetle feeding on Congress grass Grub of Parthenium beetle

  Ants associated with mealybugs You may think that the ants are eating the white creatures (mealybugs). But they are actually providing them protection in exchange for some food. The mealybugs secrete honeydew, on which the ants feed. The ants are known to farm mealybugs by protecting them, moving them from one plant to another, and later harvesting the honeydew.

Despite being free from most pest attacks, marigolds are occasionally bothered by some insects.  Weevils suck the sap from young leaves and shoots, causing discoloration and damage to the plant.  However, the incidence of weevils on marigold may suggest its utilization as trap crop against weevil-attack as well. weevil resting on marigold  

Aphids are these small, soft bodies, strengthless and boring insects. However they have an ability to multiply tremendously fast. Hence, if not controlled at initial stages, they may cause massive damage to the crops. aphid infestation There are also several biocontrol agents of aphids found within agro-ecosystem, including parasitoids and predators. The images shows parasitized golden aphid and  a very successful predator of aphids i.e. grub of ladybird. grub of ladybird. parasitized golden aphid

Blow flies are metallic green or blue flies that lay their eggs on meat (hence get their name from meat blown by flies). Also sometimes lays eggs on wounds causing myiasis (infection by maggots). They serve as excellent decomposers of dead animal mass which may house several diseases. Green bottle fly resting on brinjal leaf

Wax moths are mainly the pest of bee wax and sometimes bee colonies. They can cause huge amount of damage if not managed on time.  However apart from the notorious character, they are also extremely useful in biocontrol. Used for mass multiplication of several biocontrol agents such as nematodes, fungi, etc.  Hence, the little larvae can be more beneficial than damaging.  The  four major life stages are  adult, egg, larvae and pupa. wax moth larvae

Yes, we are all aware of the fact that all insects posses three pairs of legs, then what about the four-footed butterflies. Well, they exist too. Some nymphalid butterflies posses only 2 pair of functional legs, while the forelegs (1 pair) of these butterflies are greatly reduced into hairy structures that resembles brushes. Hence, also get their name as brush-footed butterfly. One of the common nymphalid are Common Baron, which are also pest of mango trees. The caterpillars and pupa are brightly green colored and show excellent camouflage on leaves (hardly visible).  Common baron (four-footed butterfly)

These beautiful looking beetles are actually serious pest of Mango trees. The immature larvae bores inside the stem of mango trees and causes serious damage. Long horned beetles (with antennae sometimes longer than the body) belonging to family Cerambycidae are mostly the pest of several crops. A major identification mark for Mango stem borers is presence of red spots on the elytra (front wings of beetles). Red spots visible on the elytra of Mango stem borer

Blister beetles are quite fascinating insects, since they are causing both benefit and loss to the farmers. The immature stages called grubs are beneficial since they feed on eggs of grasshoppers and show their usefulness in the garden. However, the adults are gregarious feeder of foliage and cause damage to the garden. So like any other insect  we don't need to completely eradicate them from the surroundings. They are playing their role in both good and bad ways. Instead we just need to maintain them at levels where they can survive sustainably. The colorful beetles get their name from the blistering substance (Cantharidin) that they produce as a defensive mechanism. So you might want to keep your hands off them. Blister beetle adult on cucurbit vine

     Unlike most flies with poor reputation, long-legged flies are actually beneficial insects. Both immature and adult stages feed on soft bodied insects like aphids, whiteflies, etc and serve as an excellent biocontrol agents and surely farmer's true friend. Also, they don't bite and are harmless to humans. The single pair of wings (as signified by the name Diptera) are mostly transparent, but sometimes may show smoky patterns to attract the mate.  These tiny, metallic flies are both beautiful and beneficial. So, the next time you are out in your garden, give yourself sometime to observe these little creatures and be thankful to them for adding up value to the surroundings. Long-legged fly resting on a mango leaf