by Tracy Bogard | Oct 20, 2020 | Beneficial of the Month
Tarantula – (Family: Theraphosidae; Genus: Aphonopelma; Species: chalcodes) Desert Tarantulas are a common sight in the Southwestern states and Mexico. They generally hide during the day, choosing instead to rest under rocks or protective burrows that are...
by Tracy Bogard | Oct 20, 2020 | Beneficial of the Month
Beneficial of the Month – Jerusalem Cricket AKA: Potato Bug – (Genus: Stenopelmatus) Jerusalem crickets (or potato bugs) are a group of large, flightless insects of genus Stenopelmatus. They are native to the western United States and parts of Mexico....
by scmgadmin | May 17, 2020 | Beneficial of the Month
Beneficial of the Month – Beneficial Flies (Order: Diptera) – Hoverflies (Family: Syrphidae) Adult hoverflies can look superficially like wasps but have only 1 pair of wings and very short antennae. The adults feed on nectar and pollen, and so are often...
by scmgadmin | Feb 25, 2020 | Beneficial of the Month
Beneficial of the Month – Beetles (Order: Coleoptera) – Ground beetles – (Family: Carabidae) These beetles are fast-moving, relatively large predators that attack a wide range of insect prey; a few species eat seeds and play a role in reducing the...
by scmgadmin | Jan 29, 2020 | Beneficial of the Month
Beneficial of the Month – Beneficial Flies (Order: Diptera) – Tachinid Flies (Family: Tachinidae) The flies in this family are parasitoids, i.e., the females lay their eggs on or in the bodies of other insects, and when the fly larvae hatch, they gradually...
by scmgadmin | Jan 15, 2020 | Beneficial of the Month
Beneficial of the Month – Wasps ( Hymenoptera) Part II – Parasitic Wasps (Various Families) New Mexico has a large and diverse array of predatory wasp species, some of which form colonies while others are ‘solitary’ – i.e., each female constructs her own...
