Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus)




I didn't know it until I looked it up, but I read that these are great aphid predators, and that they do double duty as handy pollinators. You'll probably want these in your garden patrolling your plants, so don't pick them off and toss them to your fish or chickens.

Love that Pic chelle! Now I need to go out in the garden and see if I have any of these Soldiers. I have a lot of bee's but not sure of who else is out there. Did you find a favorite book or website to ID this creature?

Info and pictures were found here, Angela.

http://igrow.org/gardens/home-...

I have lots of the adults on my dahlias right now!

All I have on my dahlias are Japanese beetles!

I had lots of those, too, Jennifer, but I think the stacks of GR soldier beetles have since chased them off!

On this subject, I unsuccessfully tried to convince my 6 year old niece to NOT stomp on a tiny spider outdoors that rather startled us both by jumping from the picnic table to my leg then down to the ground, telling her they eat bad bugs, this is their home, etc. She simply replied she is terrified of spiders and <stomp> that was the end of discussion. Any advice to counter-act city raised kids? I certainly did not want to become angry with her, but felt I failed miserably.

I fight the same battle with my husband and step-kids. I beg them to simply relocate spiders if they must do something. But what happened to me last night will only make them want to kill them more

Deb, has she seen Charlotte's Web?

Do you have a bug box on hand? It helps the young ones overcome fear because they're the ones in control. Bug goes in, it's studied for a certain length of time and then the child sets the box outdoors and opens the escape door. Having caught, kept and magnanimously set free their own bugs, it might help children form the beginnings of tolerance and empathy...sort of like a very short term pet.


Ouch, Jennifer! That's a big welt. I sure hope it goes away soon.

Good ideas, Chelle. I don't see her very often, but well remember the bug boxes my sons used and loved. I'll try to remember to pick one up again. It was just kind of sad to see a young kid be so callous...

Wow, that is nasty!!! Jennifer, are you sure it was a spider, and if so do you know what kind?

So THAT's what those are! Thanks, Chelle -- I've obviously been too lazy to look them up, I have a lot of them around here!

Ouch, Jennifer -- If you haven't already, you should probably see a doctor for that bite. Not good to get an infection from a bite.

I'd put a paste of baking soda and water on it to help draw out the spider venom; unless there are signs of infection I wonder if a doctor would know what to do with this.

I did learn not long ago that there are several varieties of black widow spiders (not that I am thinking this is one) and some have worse effects than others, when they bite.

Spider bites can be pretty uncomfortable, but resolving that by trying to get rid of them doesn't seem either efficient or appropriate, unless there are really massive numbers....

Just my small change, and, YMMV.

Check out these beauties:


Imagine my delight one morning, walking outside to see this.

I did go to the doctor for the bite, before it looked like that. I was a bit worried it could be a bat bite. The doctor was completely useless and unhelpful. I called the health dept. they took a report and I sent them pictures. They determined it was indeed a spider bite.

It has healed just fine with no special care. Oddly it was never uncomfortable. Looked way worse than it felt. I have had mosquito bites that were more taxing

Kyla, what great photos! Were they floating by on their silk strands, or just all over the plants? I've seen the baby spiders doing that before -- but like butterflies and most other bugs, we have very few spiders this year... i think the exceptionally cold winter that we had last year killed off a lot of things here. The good news is I haven't had to deal with walking face-first into spider webs in the garden for a change!

Jennifer, I'm glad the bite healed up promptly for you! One of our relatives was recently bitten by a brown recluse spider in Florida and had quite a nasty reaction to it.

Thank you, Sandy. They were on the strands of the web where they hatched, just coming out of the egg cluster, and I had known this was imminent because those flowers were by my door. But I really lucked out in catching the moment. And this was several years ago, in an entirely different climate, and more rural environment, than where I am now. There was a lot more wildlife of all sizes there.

Jennifer, I am glad too that that healed up nicely.

Great news, Jennifer!


Kyla, your babies are so cute!

I have a great big spider outside my door right now that I just remembered I need to relocate. Each morning it has a new web up across the entrance-way to the deck, right at face height, and each and every morning I forget it's there!

Not necessarily OT, but close...I saw my first monarch cat of the season today! I'm so psyched! Love, love, love watching these little beauties ...throughout the entire process!

I moved one of those writing spiders the other day; wished I didn't have to but she was right across the threshold to the back door and going in and out was not going to work. I thought she'd show a new web where I put her but I have seen no sign of her since.

However, today I did see an etc. (as per thread title):



This was on the recycle bin out front. The picture is not great because the creature was moving toward me and bobbing up and down, not posing as I had hoped.

I think it relocated. I didn't try for more shots because I didn't want to disturb it further but now it's gone out of view.

Neat, Kyla!

I pulled some spent oenothera yesterday and noticed several babies on it. I set it aside carefully, hoping that they relocate. I haven't seen an adult here yet this year, but then again I haven't been out doing heavy weeding lately either.

There's lots of interesting bugs and such out there right now. I need to start keeping an eye out for walking sticks...it shouldn't be long.

I haven't seen a walking stick in a LONG time -- but next week I'm scheduled to attack my poor neglected perennial garden, so who knows what I'll find in there...