It's time to be bugged

Insect abundance is peaking, and there are many kinds to see and hear. Most of them are not pests.

Evening brings out lightning bugs. Females are down in the grass, lighting up their abdomens to attract the males flying around and flashing their own romantic signals. Snails, slugs and small insects provide food for lightning bug larvae.

Clusters of small reddish bugs have been spotted on mulch and on the sides of houses. These likely are immature box elder bugs, and they breed on certain kinds of maple trees including the weedy box elder tree. They cause no harm in lawns and gardens and, if they come indoors, it is only by accident.

The variety of butterflies in our gardens expands with each passing week. Adults feed on nectar while trying to avoid predators such as praying mantis, and butterfly larvae (caterpillars) feed on foliage. Plump black swallowtail larvae, also called parsley worms, can strip all the leaves from your parsley in a day or two. These striking caterpillars are banded in lime-green and black.

Midges are swarming and hovering over yards in groups numbering into the thousands. These tiny insects may resemble a fly or gnat, and they are mostly harmless. Once they finish their mating flights, midges will be gone.

Yellowjackets can be considered pests when they start nesting too close to areas of human activity. Otherwise, they are good to have around because they eat many caterpillars and other insects in your garden. There is no way to prevent yellowjacket nests. If you need to control these insects, apply insecticide after dark and be ready to run to the safety of your house.

Roses, cannas and grapes are among the many plants now being devoured by Japanese beetles. These green and copper-colored beetles are known for skeletonizing leaves. They eat everything but the larger veins in leaves, giving plants a lacey or brownish cast.

Assassin bugs seem to be quite common this year. These gray and red predators with long snouts are on the hunt for garden pests as well as other insects such as bees. They are able to bite, so be careful around them.

Ants are out and about scavenging for food and they may turn reproductive. Mating requires they develop wings and start swarming at times. Winged ants are not necessarily pests, and they go away in a short time.

Some aggressive ants found on the side of U.S. 29 were thought possibly to be fire ants. An alert citizen brought a few to me for identification, and they were actually pavement ants.

The crickets chirping at night will soon be joined by a chorus of katydids. They look like flattened green grasshoppers, and they live in the trees. Katydids sing in the hottest weather, and they continue into late summer.

Sphinx moths and similar huge insects will be coming around at dusk to gather nectar from night-blooming flowers. Porch lights left on at night will attract moths, walking sticks, lace wings and, possibly, a bell hornet.

Summer is the best time to notice the diversity of insect life in our area.