Nature continues to surprise and
fascinate me. This week, in addition to the usual garden pictures,
I'd like to challenge you with a nature mystery!
We were looking over
the potted pepper plants one evening this week and my husband spotted
something that looked like a speck of dirt or a bit of plant debris.
He noticed it because there were also some holes in the leaf as if
something had been munching on it. I went to brush off the bit of
debris and found that it was securely fastened to the plant. Additionally, when I touched it, it moved!
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| The mystery creature looks like a bit of dirt! ©SBF 2015 |
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| The mystery creature carries it's own shield! ©SBF 2015 |
Upon closer inspection we found a
curious creature. I knew it was a larvae because it had 6 true legs
in addition to some proto-legs, or false legs, like the type you
might see on a caterpillar. Adult insects generally have 6 true legs.
It was also carrying its own shield. If I gently tried to move the
bit of debris away from it, it would curl it back up and use it again
as a disguise.
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| The creature quickly puts its disguise back on when I gently lift it off. ©SBF 2015 |
What is this creature? We did some
homework and some deductive reasoning and found out the answer. Your
challenge is to do the same. I'll give you a hint- if you look back
over my "Glimpse of the Garden" posts, you might find a clue! Remember you can use the search bar at
the top of the page, the blog archive, or the labels section located on the
right-hand sidebar to narrow your search.
Good luck! I'll reveal the answer next week. If you think you know, leave your answer in the comments, or
shoot me an e-mail at shareitscience@gmail.com
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| This week's veggies, c'mon ripen up! ©SBF 2015 |
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| Vegetable garden flowers are pretty too! ©SBF 2015 |
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