Friend Or Foe? Predators Of Eden

[Pterostychus]

hmm cant seem to copy images ...anyway

the first one is a type of wolfspider it hunts prey by stalking it and jumping/pouncing it, it is characterised by the two big forwardlooking eyes ( for stereovision to calculate the distance to jump)

this is a very tiny cicada, they are a foe for plants as they suck sap thru a small syringe like stinger as a mouth part
most cicadas are huge and make a hell of a racket at night or the day, they come with wingspans well exceeding 15cm

this looks like a mayfly larva molt

 

[Pterostychus]

this one is a Chironomidae or better known as midges, harmless

this is a member of Sphyridae or Hoverflies, harmless

you are correct with the predatory wasp and the long legged fly

 

[InTheShed]

Phewf! I'm glad our resident entomologist is here .

 

[Liquidintel]

this one is a Chironomidae or better known as midges, harmless

this is a member of Sphyridae or Hoverflies, harmless

you are correct with the predatory wasp and the long legged fly

Knowledge! This is awesome! Thank you!!

 

[Liquidintel]

Cheers! I’m mostly here just celebrating them with my pics and hoping to ‘outsource’ some ID work -hoping that when I can’t figure it out someone will come around eventually to help me out!

Speaking of which... I hear that @Liquidintel has a knack for insect ID....

I'm no expert by any means, but I do enjoy a good google hunt to try and identify!

 

[Amy Gardner]

very nice pics ... ill get to work i already have some narrowed down to certain types

very tiny cicada, they are a foe for plants as they suck sap thru a small syringe like stinger as a mouth part most cicadas are huge and make a hell of a racket at night or the day, they come with wingspans well exceeding 15cm

I knew it looked kind of familiar! We are surrounded by the big ones all summer - and yes, the din they make is incredibe . I think I remember that that little one was on another plant - not my ganja. It’s great to know what that is: in the forest? - friend, on my plant? - foe.

first one is a type of wolfspider it hunts prey by stalking it and jumping/pouncing it, it is characterised by the two big forwardlooking eyes ( for stereovision to calculate the distance to jump)

Cool! I didn’t know those were part of the wolf spider grouping We have lots of small ones like that. That one is about an inch accross.

this looks like a mayfly larva molt

Excellent - i’ll enjoy looking further on to that.

Sphyridae or Hoverflies, harmless

you are correct with the predatory wasp and the long legged fly

Man! I’m so grateful And excited!

Thanks so much

 

[Pterostychus]

keep em coming

I didn’t know those were part of the wolf spider grouping

hmm that make me rethink my solution and turns out i am wrong i asumed wolfspiders without checking up and thus i am wrong it is part of the Salticidae also know as jumping spiders

 

[Pterostychus]

btw many jumping spiders have a cute way of courting ... google "peacockspider"

 

[andIhalped]

I always have a lot of webless spiders in the garden, both on the plants & on the ground. They do great work--love 'em!

 

[Amy Gardner]

keep em coming

hmm that make me rethink my solution and turns out i am wrong i asumed wolfspiders without checking up and thus i am wrong it is part of the Salticidae also know as jumping spiders

 

[Amy Gardner]

White Fly - they’re Foe!

In an outdoor garden you’ll notice them as lots of tiny white things that scatter when a plant is brushed. They suck sap from plants and leave a ‘honeydew’ residue on leaves, which can lead to fungal disease if left unchecked.
(Good reference here: Whiteflies)

I see them a bit, but not often on the ganja.

CriticalMass-whitefly1.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• Feb 10, 2019

CriticalMass-whitefly2.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• Feb 10, 2019

Thankfully we have plenty of these of all different colours kinds and sizes. I watch them hawking whitefly regularly. This one was literally perched up above this - the whitefly doesn’t stand a chance!

Whiteflyhunter.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• Feb 10, 2019

Also on this same plant I discovered another cannaguardian. It is minute, only about 3.5mm and a Critical Mass that’s just beginning to flower is it’s universe

CriticalMass-jumpingspider.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• Feb 10, 2019

CriticalMass-guardianofthemass.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• Feb 10, 2019

GuardianOfCriticalMass.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• Feb 10, 2019

Jumping spider about 3.5mm long

On the same morning I was lucky enough to share a quiet moment with one of our resident hoverflies and seeing as they hawk whitefly as well, it definitely deserves inclusion

View media item 1653395
View media item 1653394
... an hour in the garden this week

 

[InTheShed]

Bug-filled hour...

 

[Amy Gardner]

Spiders on my cannabis will be a regular photo share here - they’re super important.

From my journal a few weeks ago

CandidaCD-1andfriend.png

• Amy Gardner
• Feb 11, 2019

 

[InTheShed]

Love the symmetry.

 

[Amy Gardner]

Hey, these little beauties deserve to be dropped in here too! The very next morning after the jumping spider above, this!

Birthofacolony-CriticalMass.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• Feb 13, 2019

Birthofacolony-CriticalMass.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• Feb 13, 2019

Birthofacolony-CriticalMass.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• Feb 13, 2019

There is another spider on that plant but it was on the other side (it’s a fairly wide plant), so I’m guessing in a presumptive kind of way that these are baby jumping spiders. They’re so tiny I cant get a clear picture. Maybe i’ll take the tripod out later and try that way.

 

[InTheShed]

Put some tiny hurdles near them and you'll know for sure.

 

[Amy Gardner]

 

[Pterostychus]

Spiders on my cannabis will be a regular photo share here - they’re super important.

From my journal a few weeks ago

CandidaCD-1andfriend.png

• Amy Gardner
• Feb 11, 2019

crabspider type

 

[Amy Gardner]

 

[Pterostychus]

another stalker ... them others id remove them they are webbers ... i dont like to smoke spidersilk