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Friend or Foe? I followed Christine Young’s advice and went back to the Western Rattlesnake Plantain to take some closer photos of the insect “residents”. There were many seemingly dead bodies of what appeared to be globular springtails and one very green caterpillar/worm. It has been very dry lately and the springtails dehydrate and die but I believe that this other inhabitant may be contributing to their demise. No ideas at all on what it is or what it will be “when it grows up”! Canada,Geotagged Click/tap to enlarge

Friend or Foe?

I followed Christine Young’s advice and went back to the Western Rattlesnake Plantain to take some closer photos of the insect “residents”. There were many seemingly dead bodies of what appeared to be globular springtails and one very green caterpillar/worm. It has been very dry lately and the springtails dehydrate and die but I believe that this other inhabitant may be contributing to their demise. No ideas at all on what it is or what it will be “when it grows up”!

    comments (7)

  1. I'm probably way off but my first thought is perhaps the larva of a lacewing. Posted 5 years ago
    1. Ferdy, funny you should think of a lacewing larva. That thought ran through my mind as well. Perhaps someone else will come up with a different idea or a confirmation of ours! Posted 5 years ago
      1. Cool! I'm so glad you were able to go back.

        My theory is that the large larva is a syrphid fly larva. The little ones are aphids and the whitish things are shed skins of the aphids from when they molted. The syrphid larva would be eating any living aphids.
        Posted 5 years ago, modified 5 years ago
        1. Could this be an adult?
          A Common(?) Flower Fly. I have inserted the question mark because to me this fly is not so common. This one is a female because the eyes are separate and have yellow femora.  Canada,Geotagged,Summer,Syrphus ribesii
          Posted 5 years ago, modified 5 years ago
          1. It's possible. But, honestly, I have no idea how to speciate syrphid larvae. Posted 5 years ago
            1. Better left to someone else! Posted 5 years ago
              1. Exactly, haha! Posted 5 years ago

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By gary fast

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Uploaded Jul 26, 2020. Captured in 315 Whaletown Rd, Whaletown, BC V0P 1Z0, Canada.