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A golden glint catches my eye. Atop a purple bloom a dragonfly sits with tightly clenched legs, its small body changing direction like a pennant in the wind. How beautiful…. a God-given work of art. My butterfly garden has produced many moments of joy in its first year. Designed with pollinators in mind, it has hosted many things with wings. From the buzzing bees, to migrating birds splashing in the fountain; from hungry caterpillars to butterflies sipping sweet nectar, their larvae munching on the milkweed where chrysalis will soon hang.  Looking closely, I marvel at this tiny creature, a living piece of art. The purple firespike was planted for the hummingbirds, a species which still remains elusive from my vision and that of my camera. The good news is the dragonfly took advantage of the firespike's spindle-like bloom to rest. The creature let me take multiple photos with my camera lens just inches away from it’s tiny form. What a fearless critter! Is that why they call it the Dragonfly?  I planted the purple firespike for the hummingbirds, a bird species which still remains elusive from my camera. The good news is the dragonfly took advantage of the firespike's spindle-like bloom to rest. The name dragonfly is from the Old English word dragoun, referring to a mythical serpent or sea monster; and the word fleoge referring to flying insects. By putting the two words together you get dragounfleoge, meaning dragon-like flying insect. There is nothing to fear about these “dragons.” They don’t bite because they don’t have teeth. They do have a serrated mandible which comes in handy for holding and crushing prey. The Halloween Pennant Dragonfly (Celithemis eponina) featured in my photos is named for its orange-colored wings, with dark brown bands. It is found in the Eastern U.S., especially near fresh water ponds, and is seen perching on tall grasses, reeds and cattails. The males are often spotted in groups of 10-15 and are in search of a female. The males are more vibrantly colored, and have a red face while the females have a yellowish face, and heart-like markings on their abdomen. They appear in the Keys usually in late Spring/early Summer, about the same time as the mosquitos arrive and the snowbirds depart. Dragonflies are known as “Mosquito Hawks.” They are excellent flyers, which is a good thing, because they only eat while in flight. Dragonflies catch their prey by grabbing it with their feet or mandibles. Getting a picture of a dragonfly catching a mosquito in flight would definitely be a prize winning photo! The behavior is not rare…. It’s estimated adult dragonflies consume 30 - 100 mosquitos per day, and if they can’t fly they will starve. There are three stages in the life-cycle of the dragonfly: egg, larva (also known as nymph) and adult. The female dragonfly deposits eggs in a pond and a tadpole like prolarva emerges from the egg, This stage lasts up to a year in warmer climates, and here the larvae hunt for mosquito larvae and more.  Dragonfly eggs laid in quiet ponds hatch as nymphs possessing a voracious appetite. They begin controlling the mosquito population by eating mosquito larvae, plus fish and tadpoles . They remain in this stage for just weeks, months, or up to 1-3 years. After 5-14 molts, the nymph climbs out of the pond, molds a final time, and an intact dragonfly emerges from its cracked exoskeleton. Photo Credit: University of Florida So how did they find my garden in the Upper Keys which is surrounded by coastal marshes and mangrove swamps? Dragonflies can do well in small freshwater ponds like mine, which never runs dry, is free from chlorine and chemicals; my pond even has a red mangrove living in it which was planted from seed. The leaf debris at the bottom of the pond creates a natural habitat and circulation keeps it clear. I often see tadpoles, and the birds are regular visitors. Perhaps I have a dragonfly habitat? An outdoor pond has some benefits: my orchids like the transpiration of the circulating water, the birds have a place to drink, especially migrating birds who stop there. Am I on their map? My pool lady saw my waterfall and asked if I’d like it cleaned of algae. No, I replied, it is for the birds. If you have a pond, don’t keep it too clean for you may disturb the areas where critters lay their eggs. Also chlorine is not good for our critters to drink. There is nothing wrong with a little “green.” Avoid pesticides near the water. That goes for ponds and also our nearshore waters.  This photo appears to show the adult dragonfly chewing foliage, but that is not the case. Dragonflies are meat-eaters… consuming exclusively flying insects, especially mosquitos, flies and gnats. Dragonflies have the potential to control mosquitos, and indirectly the diseases they carry. So think twice when you get that notice from the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD). These agencies commonly use the organophosphate insecticides malathion and naled and the synthetic pyrethroid insecticides prallethrin, etofenprox, pyrethrins, permethrin, resmethrin and sumithrin for adult mosquito control. There is collateral damage from broad application of these compounds. Per the FKMCD announcement: “Weather permitting”… we will nuke all flying insects in your area:… or as they state it, “there will be a fog truck in your area.” The salt marsh mosquito is an annoyance, but does not endanger us with disease. Would it be better to monitor and eliminate areas of standing water where “bad” mosquitos breed? Would it be better to burn a mosquito coil or apply spray to our clothing to keep areas mosquito free? It’s not a perfect world, so lets make “more better” choices.  A dragonfly has many lensed eyes and a nearly 360 degree field of view.
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Hey there fella… what’s your name? You have big hind legs… shall I call you “Jumper?” “No,” the critter replies… “Those days are over for me. Oh to be a nymph again!” Well how about “Chomper?” You appetite for greenery is doing a number on my lily plants. “Sorry ‘bout that… a grasshoppers’ gotta do what a grasshoppers’ gotta do to survive.” Okay… well move along and we’ll see you next year.  Lubber nymphs are usually very lethargic and easily handpicked. Their black coloration makes them look like a different species than the adult stage. These beautiful colorful creatures usually show up in my garden in the Spring. Their population is small so I tolerate them; for the sake of a few chewed leaves, we can easily coexist. Lubber grasshoppers (Romalea microptera) are native to Florida and the Southeastern U.S. including North and South Carolina, Georgia, and west through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, to central Texas. Adult Lubber grasshoppers are primarily yellow with orange and red markings. The juvenile nymph (immature) grasshoppers look totally different than the adults, and are almost completely black with a red stripe. Adults attain a large size, males measuring 1-1/2” - 2” inches length and females often measuring 2” - 3-1/2” inches.  These grasshoppers were exterminated while doing their thing in a natural park area. Why? Lubber is derived from an old English word which means lazy or clumsy. Juveniles are more nimble and will jump away if approached. The adult grasshopper is a very poor jumper, and is usually seen walking, or climbing to feed on foliage at the tips of branches. They have wings, but cannot fly. Since the adults basically sit on the leaf, even when approached, it is easy to lift them off the plant by pinching their two hind legs between your thumb and index finger. You can then relocate the critter to a place where it can do no further damage to your plants. Unfortunately for the Lubber grasshopper, most people’s first reaction when they see one is of terror. Jurassic monster!!! Dinosaur war!!! Exterminate it!!!  Portrait of an adult Lubber Grasshopper. Photo by Linda Adams  Closeup view of the Adult Lubber Grasshopper head I can understand that grasshoppers are disliked by farmers because huge swarms can wipe out a farmer’s crop. Farmers care more about feeding people than insects, so In this case it may be appropriate for the farmer to use chemicals to prevent crop loss and economic hardship. Grasshoppers have few natural enemies. Their bright colorful pattern is believed to be a warning to predators that they are not palatable. In the home landscape grasshoppers can be seen early in the morning and in late afternoon feeding in flower beds, defoliating amaryllis, crinum and other lilies, oleander, butterfly weed, canna, Mexican petunia and lantana. Their veggie garden preference includes lettuce, kale, peas, beans and cabbage. So I get it! So how can we be humane while dealing with these critters in trying to salvage your home garden? You can hand pick and relocate. Another more final solution is handpicking and placing in a bag to be then placed in the freezer.  Caught in the act of chomping on lily foliage In general, these critters do not kill plants. What they chew on will return. For example, at a local nature park I frequent, I was shocked to see dozens of dead adult Lubber grasshoppers lying in the flower beds. This is a native, natural garden. It is non-manicured. So what harm is there to co-existing with a few grasshoppers? They are amazingly beautiful.
How could anyone kill such a beautiful species? Pay attention young grasshopper. Act with knowledge and compassion. Though man is the king of the jungle and can do what he pleases, carefully consider the fate of the grasshopper in the home and natural landscape. There is a reason for the grasshoppers’ existence, otherwise would it have been created? There’s so many critters here in the Florida Keys, I’ve been able to write about a different variety each month. So far I’ve covered those who are feathered, furry, or scaly, from a spectrum of soft bodied insects to mammals, amphibians to birds, with some that slither, run, scurry or crawl and others that sail freely on the wind.   The male Golden Silk spider is a fraction of the size of the female. It’s been educational and enjoyable, photographing and researching each subject. Up till now… my current subject spiders creeps me out. I am not really afraid of them, but I don’t like looking at them either. There’s probably some good reason why at Halloween a lot of decorations depict spiders. Arachnophobia!!  A Cellar spider (Pholcidae sp) was attracted to the moisture in my kitchen sink. When I was five years old, sleepovers at my friend Jennifer’s house were fun, and spiders were part of the excitement. The rarely used room where we slept had pecky cypress wood covering the walls and ceiling. and brown spiders the size of silver dollars hung from webs in the dark, dusty corners. (I guess the spiders were what the monsters ate when they came out from underneath the beds.) Researchers believe we are not born with the fear of spiders, but instead are taught this behavior. Children are curious about spiders, and will capture them and watch how their tiny bodies move via their eight long legs until a parent/teacher intervenes, with the message of “be careful, they bite.“  Southern Black Widow spiders (Latrodectus mactans) are a venomous spider found throughout the Southeastern U.S. Credit: James L. Castner UF All spiders bite, however only two of them in Florida will provoke a strong reaction in humans: the Southern Black Widow spider (Latrodectus mactans) and the Brown Recluse spider (Heteropoda venatoria). According to the Florida Poison Information Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami (1-800-222-1222) if bitten by a Black Widow you will likely experience severe stomach pain, and you should go to the emergency room immediately. The Black Widow received its name from the belief the female spider would kill and consume the male after mating.  Brown Recluse showing “violin” shaped marking. by Jean Woods The Brown Recluse spider is typically found in Central and Southern Missouri… not here. The only documented case in Florida of a Brown Recluse spider bite involved a sailor who was bitten on the hand by a male Brown Recluse in the cargo hold of a naval ship in Jacksonville. The Brown Recluse spider bite causes pain, blistering and frequently necrotic lesions in humans. They are often blamed for mystery bites, wounds and bacterial infections that require treatment with antibiotics— a misdiagnosis by the public and doctors who are not trained in spider identification, nor have seen the spider inflict the bite. There are more than 250 species of spiders in Florida. Around the house, spiders are beneficial insects who consume flying insects, cockroaches and other small domestic pests. In the wild spiders spend their days hiding in leaf litter, and under debris, and emerge at night to hunt. They also spin elaborate webs in clearings to catch flying insects who cannot see the webs until they are ensnarled. Once in their web, the spider bites it’s victim and a small amount of venom is used to immobilize the insect, then dissolve it into a “smoothie” for the spider to ingest as they cannot eat solid food. A spider may bite a human if held or pinched; the bite may hurt for a while but quickly goes away and is much less severe than a bee sting.  The Mabel Orchard Orbweaver (Leucauge argyrobapta) has an orange and green, almost metallic colored body. I have a general rule when walking in the woods: always go with someone else, and let them lead the way. This is because my attention is usually behind the camera lens and I have a bad habit of walking into spider webs. The two methods people use to avoid walking into spider webs are (1) Carry a long stick to brush away webs in the path, (2) Avoid disturbing the web by walking around it. The second method respects the spider’s efforts making a web which is light, elastic and stronger than steel, and is how the spider, who may have poor eyesight, senses vibrations from their prey, as the web acts as an extension of their sensory system.  This Ghost spider (Genus Habana) was hiding among the leaves in a fruit tree. Most spiders have eight eyes and eight legs. and come in a multitude of colors and can be patterned. Some have tiny hairs on their legs that can sense electric charges around plants or the movement of air emitted from a flying insect’s wings. Not all spiders spin webs, and those that don’t, rely on their better eyesight to capture prey.
Pest control is a choice, and my preferred method is preventing a bite by wearing gloves while working where spiders may be found, and shaking out shoes that haven’t been worn recently before putting them on. You can deter spiders by turning off outside lights at night, so not to attract flying insects, a spider’s preferred food. Realize that proper identification of the spider is the first step, and if the spider is beneficial, let it be. |
CAROL ELLIS
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