Assassin Bug vs Fly

Tawny Emperor??

Tasting a composting cantaloupe rind. 

October

Black Swallowtail Cats!

10-14-14 found four black swallowtail caterpillars on my fennel this morning. How can I not have noticed them sooner?

Wheel Bug

So glad to find another beneficial bug in our yard! We've seen a lot of other assassin bugs, but this is the first wheel bug I've seen here. 

First Monarchs

First visiting Monarchs I've seen. There were two partaking of mistflower nectar. I'm so hopeful that in future years when the garden has expanded and matured we'll feed a lot of butterflies. 

Birds Nest Fungi

A lot of these in the bed at southwest corner of house. 

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/Gardening-Handbook/PDF-files/GH-070--birds-nest-fungus.pdf

On Deck 2014

Blue Daze

Cape Plumbago

English Ivy, Scented Geranium, Pineapple Sage, Orange Mint, Lemon Thyme

Bee in Trouble

I found this bee struggling in the birdbath and fished it out with a stick. After a few minutes of airing and thoroughly wiping it's proboscis, it flew away. 

 

Oh, hello.

Lacewing Eggs 9-16-14

Found lacewing eggs on the potted Mandevilla vine this morning. 

Also an assassin bug. 

Katydid

I first saw these when they were very tiny and I thought they were a different kind of assassin bug. After they got bigger I realized they must be some kind of katydid. 
http://www.austinbug.com/tettigoniidae2.html

I thought I'd better kill them so they wouldn't continue chewing up my plants. (I'm happy for caterpillars to do so, but then they become beautiful pollinators.) James reminded me of my "natural garden" policy = no interference with the circle of life in our yard. We've only been here a few months, but so far it's been amazing. A pest arrives, shortly followed by predators of that pest. 

So the green bugs stayed. Yesterday a couple that I had been keeping an eye on had disappeared. Birds got them, maybe? This morning I went to check on one that lives on our deck in a pot of herbs. Couldn't find him. But I found this instead:

Praying mantis to the rescue!

Hairstreak

Female Black Swallowtail

http://www.texas-butterflies.com/black-swallowtail-butterfly.htm

Sipping Lantana nectar and laying eggs on parsley!

Caterpillars spotted Sept. 6

9-10-14 Sad update: baby caterpillars all gone this week. Became bird treats??
Next year more parsley! Maybe more caterpillars and some will make it.

8-21-14

Plumbago, mistflower, fennel blooms, orange mint, sweet potato vine, blue daze foliage. 

Next day Blue Daze blooms opened!

The Queen

Queen on the blue mistflower 8-19-14

This one is a male -- note the two dark spots on lower wings, which females do not have. 

"Male Queens crave this plant’s purple bloom, which provides them special nutrients that make them attractive to the lady butterflies." 

http://texasbutterflyranch.com/2014/08/09/pollinator-power-on-the-river-walk-garden-plot-transforms-to-creature-haven/

Leaf-footed Bug : (

Must be Acanthocephala terminalis(?) on the Russian Sage. I guess these could do some damage, but I've only seen one so am not concerned.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/16391

Blackfoot Daisy

Melampodium leucanthum

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MELE2

Crossvine

Bignonia capreolata 'Tangerine Beauty'

http://www.finegardening.com/tangerine-beauty-cross-vine-bignonia-capreolata-tangerine-beauty

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=BICA

Pigeonberry

Rivina humilis

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RIHU2

Promise of Autumn

A hint of color on the Beautyberry! A sign of the coming Autumn is just what I need on these hot August days.  

Callicarpa americana 

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAAM2

Lyreleaf Sage

Salvia lyrata

Salvia

'Victoria Blue' Salvia

  http://www.finegardening.com/mealycup-sage-salvia-farinacea-victoria

Mealybug + Mealybug Destroyer

More life on the butterfly weed.

A mealybug appeared...

...and I'm pretty sure this is the larva of a mealybug destroyer. At any rate, the mealybug has disappeared: 

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/beneficial-15_ladybug_mealybug_destroyer.htm

http://www.eduwebs.org/bugs/mealybug_destroyers.htm

Adult?: