Today my Persicaria virginiana (Virginia knotweed) was invaded by juvenile specimens of one of my favourite bugs, the Nezara viridula. The deep pink of the flowers are a perfect match for the pink marks that surround the bug’s shield! And my recently planted Astrantia major ‘Shaggy’ had attracted a couple…
Autumn has arrived, Season of mists, mellow fruitfulness … and the Nezara viridula. Here is a Final instar nymph (5th instar) found in the garden today.
This large shrub/small tree arrived in Papi Jo’s garden in the autumn of 2019. It was quite tiny at the time, but it has grown considerably in just 2 years. So much so that it received a good pruning today, just after its spectacular flowering.
Found in a friend’s garden, captured (the insect, not the friend…) and brought back to my garden for the photo (I didn’t have my camera with me there). A juvenile praying mantis (i.e. not yet an adult). It was only about 35mm long, and you can see that its wings…
Spotted this charming (?) scene on my lavatera this afternoon. Neither of the antagonists moved at all. Were they both dead? asleep? tired? Well, of course the winner was… the crab-spider aka Misumena vatia.
Pics of the day…
The cool and rainy weather we have known from mid-June to mid-July has been much appreciated by my ferns! Here are some views of my “fernery” taken this morning.
Those insects sure like my Monarda!
My insect of the day is a tiny unidentified coleoptera, lost in an ocean of pink. Approx. 2-3 mm long, maybe of the Chrysomelidae family?
Last year I reported on the tendency of my ‘Barnsley’ lavatera to revert to type. This season, that trend is confirmed: there are really few pretty, very pale pink ‘Barnsley’ type flowers left. The majority of the flowers are a plain pink ‘Rosea’ type. The 2 cuttings taken last year…
