Lawn & Garden
Good bugs help us by preying on insect pests in the environment. Some have an important role in pollinating our fruit and vegetable crops. Other critters decompose plant material into organic matter that improves our soil.
Southeastern Blueberry Bee
Habropoda laboriosa
A native, solitary ground-nesting bee that emerges each spring to pollinate blueberries.
Braconid Wasp
Cotesia congregatus
Female wasps lay eggs under hornworm skin. Larvae eat their way out of the caterpillar to spin their cocoons on its back.
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- Southeastern Blueberry Bee
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- Braconid Wasp
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- Braconid wasp larvae cocoons on the back of a hornworm.
Earthworms
Lumbricus terrestris
These small critters help decompose plant material into nutritious soil compost.
Spider
Argiope aurantia
Spiders are skilled predators. They use webs to trap their victims or track them on the ground and on plants.
Dung Beetle
Aphodius sp
Dung beetles positively contribute to ecosystems by removing waste, reducing pest fly populations.
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- Earthworms
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- Spider
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- Dung Beetle
Lucy Edwards, Regional Extension Agent, with Auburn University
New September 2021, Good Bugs, ANR-2819
New September 2021, Good Bugs Coloring Sheet, ANR-2820