I have a plant in my garden suffering from scale that I've been treating with neem oil. I have seen these two critters in the vicinity and am trying to identify what they are and whether they are friend or foe. Thanks in advance for any sleuthing you can provide.
The first image is of a larva of a ladybird beetle (family Coccinellidae). The vast majority of these (such as your specimen) feed primarily on aphids and other small, soft-bodied insects. The third image is of an empty 'shell' of a pupa of a ladybird beetle. The middle image is of a nymph of a true bug, likely in the family Rhopalidae. Bugs in this family are all plant feeders, but seldom cause serious damage.
This message was edited Apr 19, 2022 6:47 AM
Flapdoodle thank you sooooo much. I appreciate your helping identifying all 3. I'm heartened to know that 2 of the 3 are ladybug related.
I've also noticed a very large increase of earwigs in the garden overall. Hopefully there will be enough tomatoes and greenery for both the humans and the insects to enjoy!
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
