Product Description

Anyone who gardens knows how snails, aphids, scale insects, and caterpillars can damage vegetables, flowers, shrubs, and trees. But not many of us know that ground beetles eat caterpillars, not plants; that dragonflies feed on mosquitoes; that parasitic wasps prey on tomato hornworms. In this delightful guide to the world of beneficial insects, Starcher, an artist and avid gardener, shows us how to identify the "good guys" and encourage them to reside in our gardens. "Altogether delightful."--Newark Star-Ledger; "A fact-filled, charmingly illustrated guide."--American Bookseller. A GARDEN BOOK CLUB selection.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1681002 in Books
• Published on: 1994-12-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 72 pages

From Booklist
Starcher, an organic gardener, says good bugs are the ones that are beneficial, their behavior helping control plant-eating insects that otherwise would feed off our gardens. Starcher divides the good bugs into predators, such as the praying mantis and ladybird beetles; parasitoids, such as some species of wasps; pollinators, such as bees; and soil builders, such as earthworms. Color illustrations of each insect in egg, larval, and adult stages are included, along with a list of plants that attract them (such as baby's breath, clover, dill, goldenrod, lavender, parsley, and sunflowers), the insects they feed on, and their habits, habitats, and appearance. George Cohen

About the Author
Alison Mia Starcher is a professional illustrator, specializing in plants and insects. Her work appears regularly in the Southern California Gardener. She lives in Los Angeles.