At the end of March 2019, Kirsten Sharp-Ortega of Green Isle Gardens (http://www.greenislegardens.com/) comes by to check on what maintenance might be needed in April.
The Milkweed in the wildflower garden seems to be growing well – originally 2 plants, one now has 2 stems and one has 3. Leaves are green and evenly placed. I had noticed that the stems were covered in yellow aphids. But recently, I see the aphids have moved to the leaves, too. Kirsten tells me that the aphids will only go to Native Milkweed that has not been treated with chemicals. So there we are. She inspects one plant and says I have a predator wasp that is turning the aphids black on one of the plants. “So your yard is working” - my own little eco-system. Nevertheless, she takes a paper towels and wipes off some of the aphids on both.
FROM: http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasota/gardening-and-landscaping/horticulture-commercial/integrated-pest-management/beneficial-insects/
Wasp, Parasitic
Parasitic wasps are an extremely important and large group of beneficial insects with about 16,000 species occurring in North America. These wasps are very small, most less than 1/8 inch long and usually not noticed. Some wasp larvae feed and pupate inside the host and the emerging wasp leaves a small circular hole in the body of the host as evidence of parasitism. Many harmful insects such as aphids, whiteflies, scales, leafminers and caterpillars are parasitized. Other parasite larvae live on the outside of its host where they construct numerous small, white cocoons attaching to the body of the host.
The aphids are the yellow spots all along the stems of this Milkweed. There is a ladybug on the leaf in bottom half of photo – they eat aphids, too.
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