User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Little insects on parsley flowers

I was out watering today (my main occupation these days) and noticed some little black dots on the parsley flowers. At first I just thought it had made seeds, but looking closer, I discovered they were little beetles.

They looked kind of like miniature Japanese beetles, but no more than 1/4" long. Shiny like the JB's, but darker colored. Anybody have any ideas? Are the JB's tiny when they first emerge or do they emerge full size?

It's last year's parsley that I'm letting go to seed. If it works as a trap crop for the whatever they ares, I'm willing to let them have it. It will still have plenty of seed.

Mild winter, early warm up, hot weather, it is a tough year for bugs (actually it's a good year for the bugs, tough on us who have to deal with them). Another zucchini plant is now infested with squash bugs (but still no sign of vine borers!)

User avatar
Kisal
Mod Emeritus
Posts: 7646
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:04 am
Location: Oregon

Could they be gold bugs? Their colors vary, and also look different in different lighting. Just a guess without a pic, of course.

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Hi Kisal - somehow I missed your response to this. I don't think so. Skimming through a million beetles on bugguide.net, I'm thinking that it is the aptly named shining flower beetle, since it is shiny and hangs out on flowers.

https://myrmecos.net/2010/09/03/friday-beetle-blogging-shining-flower-beetles-olibrus/

Here's a picture:

[img]https://I.pbase.com/o6/59/628959/1/116616242.wvgR5ZAX.PhalacridaeShiningFlowerBeetleA2a.jpg[/img]

It's pretty, but the picture is so close up you don't realize how small the little guy is. Here's a flower with a bunch of them, they are the dark dots:

[img]https://www.discoverlife.org/I'm/I_SOP/0025/320/Tritoma_sp.-_Shining_Flower_Beetle,I_SOP2515.jpg[/img]



Return to “Organic Insect and Plant Disease Control”