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What is this bug? Bug identification tips from Spring-Green

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We are surrounded by insects throughout our daily lives. Did you know there are approximately 1 million known species and undoubtedly several times that number that have yet to be discovered? And it is estimated that at any instant in a day, there are roughly 40 million insects for every acre of land across the entire world? That’s a ton of insects! So it’s no wonder that one of our core services is insect and disease control and our readers send me pictures of random insects hoping I can identify them. This week I had a Spring-Green franchise owner send me a picture of an insect he found on a weeping willow tree. His client’s weeping willow tree happens to be in distress, so he was wondering if this insect was the cause of the decline. May I start off by saying that I have a rather personal bias against the Weeping Willow tree. I agree they are beautiful and I enjoy watching their long, flowing branches gracefully sway in the breeze. The problem comes when people give them a rather inappropriate home. When they are planted in a small back yard it can be problematic. Weeping Willow trees grow very quickly, and soon take over the space they are living in. Often times, their roots grow out of the soil making it impossible to mow around them. They are also a magnet for many insects, like box elder bugs. If you can't imagine your life without a Weeping Willow tree in your yard, the best place for them is on a big, acre-plus lot near a body of water, like a lake or pond.

Now … on to the mystery insect. Surprisingly, I've found that this is the larva stage of a Lady Beetle, Harmonia axyridis. Looking at it now, it’s hard to believe that this little guy will someday turn into a ladybug!

LadyBug_255x267

What we know about ladybugs is that they are predators and feed on other insects, such as aphids and mites, making them a very beneficial insect to your landscape. Because of their nature, they would not be causing harm to the weeping willow tree. The more apparent conclusion is that the weeping willow tree has been planted in a less than ideal location and most likely has other root and trunk problems.