Re: TB: Tea Leaves and insects

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. These are True Bugs and they they are predatory.  The moth it is feeding on is an adult cutworm, the larva of which might feed on iris, but is not a borer.

Here is a photo of a ambush bug eating a yellow jacket.


Here is a link to more info.
http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/kkhp/1insects/ambush.html

Tea leaves has been reblooming really good here.  The stalk is much 
bigger this fall, I counted 11buds, not sure if all will develop fully 
though, a couple look to be drying up.  In spring it was a tiny short stalk 
with only a couple buds.  Is this common with rebloomers? I've read 
other descriptions of rebloomers mentioning an intro having more buds 
in the fall. 
 Latest style 
is planted right next to it, and is really similar, both have rebloomed 
together with spring and fall bloom they start blooming within a day of 
each other. 
 I noticed beetles wreaking havoc.  I started getting them off 
all the flowers and noticed a really odd insect.  I thought it was a tiny 
mantis at first, that's why the pics are titled minimantis. His color and 
markings looked just like Tea Leaves and it's haft markings, his eyes 
were orange, that didn't show well in the pics.   I went back that night 
and found it had got a moth.  On closer inspection, I noticed he had a 
proboscus, and was using it on the moth. Pretty "wild" I thought.  That 
makes him not a mantis but closer to heteroptera. So, he's more like a 
mini assasin bug. I've never seen anything like him, and haven't found 
anything real close on the internet, yet.   Does anyone recognize if this Is 
a 
type of borer moth?  Hope I didn't go too OT with this.  I reduced these 
images to keep the size low.  I love my Macro function, this little guy is 
tiny. 
Will Warner 
Sw Mo zone 6