Photos of Bugs

Not all bugs are  pest, and in some cases they can be a real benefit to the gardener as they are natural predators of some of the more irritating bugs.  This page shows some photos and/or graphics of bugs we have collected. 

Elephant Hawk Moth

These are pictures of the Elephant Hawk Moth which were photographed by one of our members at the 2003 show.  It eats about four fuchsia leaves a day and three or four of them together will strip a sizeable fuchsia bush. The caterpillar may be ugly but the resulting moth is beautiful. It is worth putting it on the side if only to educate people that it is a creature that should not be squashed.

This one landed on one of the show plants, and when it arrived at the show it must have thought it was in heaven.

Ladybirds

Ladybirds are small semi-spherical bugs, with a bright red shell like wings with black spots (see the graphic on the left). They are harmless in the home but a friend in the garden as the adults and larvae devour aphids. If you find them indoors, just pick them up and put them back in the garden. If you find them in the home it is possible you have houseplants with a pest infestation that attracts them in for a meal.  In this case take a look at the plants you find them on for any pests and spray with a suitable pesticide having removed the ladybirds first. If you want to provide an overwintering habitat, then some well placed and sheltered logs in your garden should provide them with a suitable overwintering habitat, and they will be there in your garden to kill of the aphids in the spring.  However, be careful when handling them, as they are quite delicate, and if hungry may provide you with a bite which may then result in a small raised bump at the site of the bite.