It's the time of year when the yard, porch, shop, barn and house (to some extent) is once again invaded by the large green beetle known as the Fiery Searcher. Supposedly these big ol' Beetles are around all Summer but I really only see them everywhere from Mid to Late Spring. After that I guess they are all up in the trees searching for caterpillars and worms.
This is why I LOVE these beetles. They are like death incarnate to Eastern Tent Caterpillars and most types of cutworm.
I have some wild specie of Plum that kinda stands by itself on the edge of the hayfield and the Tent Caterpillars always attack it. Since it doesn't really produce anything worth picking I leave the nasty worm bag mostly undisturbed in that little tree and make sure I put all the Fiery Searcher Beetles I come across in it as well.
I rarely have a problem with the caterpillars moving off to other trees and they are usually totally destroyed before they can eat too much of the little trees foliage.
The downside is these beetles also munch on butterfly caterpillars and don't seem to do anything to the Hornworms in Mid Summer which would be nice.
Still it is a very beneficial insect and I try and not squish em if I can help it.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!
Cool! Never knew what that bug was or if it was good/bad. Will make sure the kiddo (or I) let them live from now on.
ReplyDeleteWe have something that looks like that only it is thinner, maybe our bugs don't eat as much as your bugs.
ReplyDeleteThat is fantastic. I wish we had something that was death to cutworms here. They completely took out my corn planting last year.
ReplyDeletePP,
ReplyDeleteThey're an ugly looking bug but do a good job getting rid of other little worms/bugs.
Has your rain cut back? Expecting more here on Wednesday.
Thanks for teaching me something new! I'm just starting to learn about good and not-so-good insects. Off to see if we have this one in our area
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived back east as a kid, I remember my mother going around with a small empty vegetable can filled with kerosene and picking Japanese beetles off her garden by hand and dropping them in that can. I was always fascinated by their iridescence green color. They were considered a pest back then.
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