Let’s start with a photo of an American kestrel (Falco sparvinus) taken by Stephen Barnard in Idaho. These are among my favorite birds, as they are adorable pocket-sized falcons. Stephen’s comment:
My feeders are this guy’s lunch counter.
And reader Mark Sturtevant sent some nice aphids, a hemipteran that you’ve probably encountered if you grow plants. Mark’s photos show both their commensals (ants) and a predator. Remember that aphids are in the insect order Hemiptera: the “true bugs.”
Here is another installment of aphid pictures. First, aphids are well known to earn the protection of ants by providing a steady supply of sugary waste which is secreted from the little spigots on their abdomen. Now, I know as much about identifying small ants as I do aphids, but I suspect this ant belongs to the widespread species known as the winter ant (Prenolepis imparis). The aphid herd it is tending may be Uroleucon sp. I hope to be corrected in case I am wrong with this identification. In any case, the winter ant is so named since it is active even in cold weather.
Next is another group of aphids (possibly also belonging to the genus Aphis) that is being well protected by what I am pretty sure are ants belonging to the genus Crematogaster. This ant genus is pretty easy to recognize with its distinctive ‘gaster’(which is the main part of the abdomen).
Of course there are many aphid predators and parasites. Here is a brown lacewing larva (Micromus sp.) which is sucking the juices from what I think is Aphis neri. While I was taking pictures, this little killer nonchalantly walked up to its victim and impaled it.
Finally, syrphid fly larvae (species unknown) are also commonly seen to lurk among aphids. I do not know the reason for the dead aphids.
Although aphids are tiny, it is always good to stop and have a look at the happenings in an aphid colony. I have never failed to see some sort of drama.
Lovely!
Obligatory Far Side link:
https://simonleather.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/larson.jpg
Hmmm. Didn’t think the jpg would embed. Thought the message would only show a link. Sorry.
I like all the range of colours of the aphids. Seems like they have a lot going on – tough times in aphidville.
Love the aphid, et al, close ups, Mark, and all their interspecific interactions. Impressed that you recognize syrphid larvae; I wouldn’t even have realized that was a dipteran larva! Wonder what, if any, is their connection with the aphids?
Many syrphid fly larvae are predators of aphids. They crawl through the colony and graze on the herd.
Stunning photo of the Kestrel. The color of the background and branch play off beautifully the Kestrel’s plumage.
The colorful aphids and their accompanying insects are great. My greenhouse was once infested with aphids and I bought a colony of lacewing larvae to eliminate them. Alas, the aphids won and I had to resort to other extermination methods. It was fun watching the lacewing larvae go to work though.