Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 198 5/24/17 12:19 PM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 199 5/24/17 12:19 PM198 chapter 4Spiders
Though they aren’t officially insects (they’re
arachnids), spiders are very beneficial to
gardeners. There are 38,000 known species of
spiders in the world. Some species are hairy,
others are smooth. They range in color from
drab brown to stark white, intense yellow, or
various patterns of bright colors. They catch
their prey and feed by liquefying an insect and
“drinking” it. Which insects a particular spider
feeds upon depends on its size and specialization,
but all spiders are predators. They can help
rid your garden of aphids, asparagus beetles,
Colorado potato beetles, cutworms, various pest
caterpillars, lace bugs, spider mites, squash bugs,
and many others. Spiders find safe habitat in just
about any sheltered area.Tachinid Flies
This is North America’s largest and most
important group of parasitic flies, with 1,300
different species. Adults resemble small houseflies
covered in dark, bristly hairs. They measure^1 ⁄ 3 to(^3) ⁄ 4 in. long. Adult flies are important pollinators,
while their young are the pest eaters. They’re
parasitoids, because female tachinid flies deposit
eggs or leave larvae directly onto the bodies of
host insects, including various caterpillars, beetles
squash bugs, sawfly larvae, four lined plant bugs,
and many others. The eggs hatch, and the larvae
tunnel into the host’s body, consuming and
eventually killing it. Some species also lay eggs on
plants in hopes that they’ll be ingested by a host
as the plant is eaten. Most often, the fly larva then
pupates within its host and emerges as an adult.
Despite their creepy appearance, spiders are incredibly
good for the garden. Some species trap pests in their
webs, while others, such as this wolf spider, crawl
around the garden at night, consuming their prey.
A female tachinid fly has laid a tiny, white oval egg on
this caterpillar. After hatching, the larva will tunnel into
the caterpillar and eventually kill it.
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Troubleshooting 199
Since adult tachinid flies use nectar and pollen
as a food source, they’re attracted to gardens and
containers rich in flowering herbs, particularly
those in the dill (Apiaceae) family. Cilantro,
dill, fennel, golden Alexander, and parsley are
attractive to them, as are members of the daisy
family, including aster, chamomile, feverfew, ox-
eye daisy, coreopsis, and Shasta daisies.
Tachinid flies might look like common houseflies, but they aren’t. These parasitic flies use many common garden
pests as hosts for their developing young.
One of the best ways to ensure there’s an
ample amount of “good” bugs in your container
garden is to inter-plant vegetables with flowering
annuals and herbs to provide these beneficial
bugs with nectar and pollen. The following project
is designed to include some of the best plants
for attracting and supporting beneficial, pest-
munching insects.
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