Good bugs, bad bugs
First, the good bugs:
The water striders were among the first occupants of the frog pond. They are predators of almost any smaller insect on or near the surface; once they arrived on the pond I stopped seeing female mosquitoes on the surface and the larvae seem have disappeared completely now.
Family Gerridae – Water Striders
Barely denting the surface tension, it seems to weigh nothing:
But it creates oversized ripples as it darts away:
Last week I was pleased to find that some dragonflies have discovered the frog pond; these are most efficient predators both as adults and in their nymph stage.
Warning: I did not make this taxonomic name up ; be careful of your pronunciation. (Insert immature snickering here)
Pachydiplax longipennis – Blue Dasher
Anax junius – Common Green Darner
It will be nice if they join the growing cycle; mosquitoes are part of the cycle for sure (although they never mature beyond the larval stage due to the “dunks” I keep in the water.) They are all over the rice paddy (there are no water striders patrolling there yet).
Now the Bad bug:
What is she doing?
Laying a bazillion eggs, that’s what she is doing. Can you see the large larva underwater just behind her?
That’s all, just some bug pics tonight.