-
JC's Garden
- Senior Member
- Posts: 280
- Joined: Tue May 13, 2014 2:43 am
- Location: Moultrie, GA Planting Zone 8, Sunset Zone 31
Harmful or Benificial?
I've not seen these guys before. Anyone know what they are? They are on crimson clover.
Re: Harmful or Benificial?
I suspect -- but am not positive -- these are trichogramma wasp pupae on clover eating butterfly or moth caterpillar. The larvae emerged from the demolished caterpillar and pupated on the leaf.
If curious, I would put in a paper towel lined jar with rubber banded paper towel lid and see what comes out. (I am!
)
If they are wasps, then yes, they are beneficial (even if these might have eaten a nice butterfly caterpillar)
A fairly common butterfly to use clover as host plant would be a Sulfurs -- yellow butterflies... Have you seen any around? There's another one I'm thinking of bunt can't remember it.... Hmm I guess the other ones I'm thinking of must be Hairstreaks and Blues (tiny silver grey butterflies with tiny tails).
If curious, I would put in a paper towel lined jar with rubber banded paper towel lid and see what comes out. (I am!
)If they are wasps, then yes, they are beneficial (even if these might have eaten a nice butterfly caterpillar)
A fairly common butterfly to use clover as host plant would be a Sulfurs -- yellow butterflies... Have you seen any around? There's another one I'm thinking of bunt can't remember it.... Hmm I guess the other ones I'm thinking of must be Hairstreaks and Blues (tiny silver grey butterflies with tiny tails).
Learning never ends because we can share what we've learned. And in sharing our collective experiences, we gain deeper understanding of what we learned.
-
JC's Garden
- Senior Member
- Posts: 280
- Joined: Tue May 13, 2014 2:43 am
- Location: Moultrie, GA Planting Zone 8, Sunset Zone 31
Re: Harmful or Benificial?
Thanks applestar. I have seen lots of hairstreaks in my yard. I think you got it right with "trichogramma wasp pupae". 
I sowed quite a bit of red clover this past winter, and not just in the garden. I'm mowing it and using it as a green in my compost pile. Clover gets going a long time before centipede.
I put the pupae back on some clover. I doubt I'll ever see them again. I have a good bit of parsley ready to bloom in that area. They'll do alright.
I sowed quite a bit of red clover this past winter, and not just in the garden. I'm mowing it and using it as a green in my compost pile. Clover gets going a long time before centipede.
I put the pupae back on some clover. I doubt I'll ever see them again. I have a good bit of parsley ready to bloom in that area. They'll do alright.