Plague soldier bettles

As any observer of the natural world knows every year brings different conditions and different booms and busts. I've been seeing creatures that I don't normally see. In spring it began with Plague soldier beetles, these ominously named insects weren't the trouble that you might think. The main problem they cause is the possible snapping of branches under their weight.

Plague soldier beetles massing

Beetles on the raspberries

I then found they were of considerable benfit for my ailling cherry tree that was under serious attack from black aphid. I had hoped that this year would be different as I gave the tree a good dose of Munash - rock dust, a local product that I think has created resilience and abundance in other plants similarly dosed.

Black aphids on Cherry tree

I suspect the cherry tree gets too much shade from an enormous messmate eucalyptus nearby. So  for a few years now the aphids sense its weakness and attack.

However the beetles eat aphids, so one plaguing creature consumed another. Nature is good that way. No waste in nature. No photos unfortunately.

The lady bird beetles come to the rescue eventually, but it can take time for the numbers to build. ABC's Gardening Australia says there are 100 species in Australia!

Adult and larvae Lady beetle in one shot

 There is a 28 spotted lady bird beetle that's not so useful for gardeners as it eats cabbage, bean and potato plants