Buggy Buddies

I introduced a groundcover called Moss Rose to a container in my yard two years ago. These flowers produce seeds like crazy, and they started popping up in one area last year, and this year they are all over the south and west sides of my yard. They are easy to pull out and I've discovered they don't require watering. So until I can plant all my beds, I'm letting moss rose fill in. They come in white, pinks, pastels, bright colors, yellows, oranges, etc. I am loving the splotches of color they randomly create.


On the yellow and orange flowers, I've found some cool bugs. Do you see the praying mantis on this picture? I love finding these guys everywhere. They blend in particularly well on the Moss Rose. (Click on the picture to see a bigger version. It's kind of hard to see details on these small photos.)









My favorite find was this green bee. I've only seen them in the morning hours before it gets really hot. That may be because these little flowers close up when it warms up.







These bees buzz like flies and fly like flies. They can't sit still for more than two seconds and then they dart around, not like the slower pattern of bees. But I unmistakably saw pollen on their back legs, and they have that long bee body.





I thought I had discovered a new insect. But alas, they are on the internet. The genus is Agapostemon--Metallic Green Bee. 13 species have been identified in the Americas, but none have been recorded in Provo, so maybe I'll pass that information along. I hope they stick around for a while. Green is my favorite color!