The Coccinellidae Family - Lieveheersbeestje

One of the succulent plants in our garden has become a place of 'refuge' for aphids. Over the last couple of months I've discovered an abundance of life living off the colony of aphids.  I started taking photos only days after discovering the first few eggs of a bug that belongs to the Coccinellidae family.  Here is their story:

Fully Grown Ladybird

Coccinellids are predatory bugs that feed on aphids, mealybugs and scale insects.  Sometimes if there's a food shortage they will even feed on the eggs and larvae of moths and other insects.  The bright colours of the elytra, which  protect the flight wings underneath, serve as a warning to potential predators that  diner will leave a bad tast in their "mouths" if they feast on it.  Ladybirds can secrete a fluid from the joints in their legs which gives them a foul taste.

Ladybird Feeding On A Larva.

Ladybird Feeding On A Mealy Bug

Brightly Coloured Eggs

When possible, mating will always take place close to a colony of aphids.   The yellow eggs are only about a millimeter in length and spindle shaped. Six-legged larvae emerge from the eggs within 3 - 5 days.  As soon as they hatch, they consume as many aphids as they can - up to almost 20 per day!!!  It uses its sharp jaws to crush the aphid's body and sucks out the juices.

Alligator-like Larva

Once the larva has reached full size, it will attach itself to a leave or stem of a plant.  A split will appear along its backside to expose the pupa underneath. After a few days a lady bug will emerge - the spots on the elytra will only appear after approximately 24 hours.

'Brand Spanking New' Ladybird

I have not been able to capture all the phases of  this amazing insect's life cycle on 'film'  - hopefully with the number of aphids in our garden, this will soon be rectified.

Itsy Bitsy Spiders

Grass Huntsman Spider
Pseudomicrommata longipes

Don't ask me why, but the mere sight of a spider strikes terror in my heart!  In actual fact I HATE SPIDERS!!!! Occasionally I put on a brave face just to take a photo.... but God forbid if the spider moves - that's normally when I shriek like a banshee and run for the hills! Give me snakes any day, but spiders... that's a total different story!

Common Jumping Spider
Baryphas sp.

Flattie or Wall Spider
Selenops sp.

 

Discovered this 'cutie' on a succulent plant.

After discovering this 'cutie' I tried to identify it by doing several searches on the internet.  Unfortunately, I was not very successful - until I came across the website for the Spider Club of Southern Africa.  My e-mail requesting assistance in identifying this specimen was quickly responded to by Joan Faiola and here is what she had to say:

"It is an ant-mimicking spider in the jumping spider family Salticidae.    If you were able to look at the spider under magnification you would see the typical very large eyes of a jumping spider.  Its genus name is Myrmarachne.  You will note that it holds its front legs up to pretend that they are antennae, and that its body shape looks ‘antlike’ and appears to have three body segments, which of course it doesn’t because spiders only have two. 

There are a number of spider families with ant-mimics, including certain sac spider families and genera.  We are not really sure why they mimic ants – the two main hypotheses are that they either prey on ants, and can move around with them undetected, or they avoid being preyed upon themselves by appearing to be ants, which are often distasteful to predators because of formic acid."

According to Joan the spider in the photo above is a male  - just look at its very long jaws.  Apparently they use the long jaws to grasp the female.

 

For more information on the Spider Club of Southern Africa, please visit www.spiderclub.co.za 

Ant-mimicking spider (female)

I found this quote on the internet: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.... and spiders!"  ;-D 

One day I WILL overcome my fear of spiders - just like I did with scuba diving in the big blue ocean. 

Mentioning the word 'diving' just reminded me of an incident that happened some time ago after battling heavy surge at a site called Bell Bouy.  On my return to the boat the Divemaster pointed out that an orange sea spider ascended with me and was now happily sitting on my BC.   I almost hyperventilated! To tell the truth it was no bigger than a R2 coin and it looked very fragile.  After a show and tell it was quickly returned to the ocean where it hopefully still lives today! 

Withering Winter Beauty

Dried coral bell of the withering Kalanchoe plant in our garden...

Reminiscence of winter

If only this was a magic mushroom...

Clump of moss growning in a river-bed.

Greenbottle Flies (Lucilia Ceasar)

Bottle flies are common large flies known for their majestic blue or green colouring.  The lifecycle of a greenbottle fly is approximately 21 to 30 days.  Each female will lay between 130 - 180 eggs at a time.  Depending on the climatic conditions and temperature the eggs hatch into tiny larvae within 2 to 10 days.

These flies commonly feed on carcasses of dead animals and other decaying materials. Should there be a shortage of food, the female fly would feed on the nectar of strong fragrant flowers to ensure that healthy eggs are laid. Therefore, these flies play a major role as polinators because the pollen grains become attach to the bristle-like hair on their bodies. 

In earlier times, maggots were used in treating patients with flesh wounds, as they consume dead tissue/damaged flesh - thus assisting with the healing process of the wound.
 

I wonder if this metod is still practiced in some countries?

(Our Staffordshire Terrier, Stretch, celebrated his 10th birthday on the 1st of August 2010.  The fly in this photo could not wait for him to finish his lunch, and as soon as Stretch deserted the leftovers the fly happily took charge of the remains!)

Hover-flies

Hover-flies are small- to medium-sized flies many of which resemble bees in appearance and behaviour.  This mimicry provides hover-flies with some measure of protection against predators such as spiders and birds. 

A hover-fly has long proboscis as can be seen in these photos. They are true flies (Diptera) with only one pair of wings.

Adults generally feed on nectar, pollen and the honey dew produced by aphids.   Their young feed on small insects, e.g. aphids and caterpillars.  

Hover-flies also play an important role in pollinating flowers. 


I regularly see hover-flies in our garden and just hope that they would soon reduce the number of aphids on the flowers of my Kalanchoe plant!

Buzz, the busy bee

"The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others."

- Saint John Chrystostom