Read more about the article The Amazing Pink Ladybug: Everything You Need to Know
Pink spotted ladybug, Univ. of Minnesota Extension

The Amazing Pink Ladybug: Everything You Need to Know

Have you ever seen a beetle that resembles a ladybug, but it’s pink? Chances are, you have happened upon a pink ladybug. Also known as a pink lady beetle, the Coleomegilla maculate measures approximately ¼ inch (6 mm) long. Its body is more oblong, and its wing cover is less…

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Read more about the article 3 Ways to Attract a Praying Mantis to Your Garden
Praying Mantis, Getty Images, Paul Starosta

3 Ways to Attract a Praying Mantis to Your Garden

Praying mantises are carnivores. It is no wonder that many gardeners consider them a free source of organic pest control. Their flexible necks enable them to turn their triangular heads from side to side while remaining stationary, giving them an advantage as they search for prey.  In addition, their large,…

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Read more about the article Praying Mantis: What You Need to Know
Carolina Mantis

Praying Mantis: What You Need to Know

The praying mantis is one of the most fascinating creatures in the insect world. It belongs to the genus Mantis and derives its name from the seemingly religious pose it strikes when its long front legs are folded as if in prayer. Mantis, which means diviner in Greek, was thought…

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Read more about the article Can Ladybugs Contract A Sexually Transmitted Disease?
Ladybug, Okra In My Garden

Can Ladybugs Contract A Sexually Transmitted Disease?

Perhaps the last thing we would associate with the diminutive red beetle with the black spots is a sexually transmitted disease.  But believe it or not, ladybugs, or ladybirds and lady beetles as they are also sometimes called, can contract a disease that is transmitted during copulation.  As it turns…

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Read more about the article Assassin Bugs: The Garden Predators
Milkweed assassin bug, Okra In My Garden

Assassin Bugs: The Garden Predators

Assassin bugs are not your average garden variety insect.  Instead of eating plants, they feed on a wide assortment of garden pests and their larvae, including aphids, armyworms, caterpillars, mosquitoes, beetles, and leafhoppers.  These fearless feeders will even attack bugs that are bigger than they are.  The downside to their…

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Read more about the article Green Lacewings, Beneficial Garden Insects
Adult Green Lacewing, Charles J. Sharp

Green Lacewings, Beneficial Garden Insects

Green lacewings are beneficial insects that help control problematic pests in the garden and greenhouse.  They measure approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inches in length (1 to 1.9 cm) and have long, translucent, lace-like wings (hence the name) that extend well beyond their bodies.  Their long antennae and gold or copper-colored…

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Read more about the article Green Lynx Spider
Green Lynx Spider on okra plant, Okra In My Garden

Green Lynx Spider

The Green Lynx Spider is a beautiful, bright green arachnid with long legs.  It is found in the southern United States, especially in the Gulf Coast region, as well as some locations in Northern California.  It also lives in Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Jamaica, and the West Indies.  The spider…

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Read more about the article Mealybug or Mealybug Destroyer Larva?
Mealybug destroyer larva (right) and young mealybug nymphs, G. Bohne, Berlin, Germany

Mealybug or Mealybug Destroyer Larva?

Mealybugs are common pests that plague both indoor plants and outdoor gardens.  Nymphs and adult mealybugs equally pose a threat because they suck the sap out of plants via their needle-like stylets, causing leaves to turn yellow and drop off.  Flower buds and fruit are also at risk. What's more,…

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