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| he's all the way on the top petal! |
Observation 1:
As I was taking in the fresh air from my rooftop, I noticed the lovely garden someone has begun to implement. A few different flower species, tomato and pepper plants were growing, but what caught my eye were the giant sunflowers. As I approached one, I spotted two bugs side by side, hiding behind one of the petals. Assuming that the two critters were of the same species, I was pleasantly shocked that they were not- a spotted cucumber beetle and what seemed to be a small wolf spider centimeters apart! First, I thought that the spider was waiting for the “right time” to make its kill. Not knowing the spiders diet, I pondered about this, wondering if it was even possible for this to happen. Nevertheless, the more I watched, the more I anticipated for it to pounce on the small beetle. Perhaps what threw me more off guard was the demeanor of the beetle, which seemed to be more authoritative and in control than the spider.
Not knowing what type of species this little bug was at the moment, I learned that they actually create a lot of problems with farmers who own squash and cucumber farms. They are also more of a pest farther south in the US. Another favorite plant to munch on, is the sunflower, specifically larger in size. Regarding the wolf spider, I learned that they do in fact feed heavily on these beetles, but as a way to protect themselves, the cucmber beetle avoids them on default.
Perhaps it was my very lucky chance encounter with this unordinary pernicious little critter, who seemed to reign the sunflower!
-Michelle
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