Interested in a little more of who eats what eats whom?

This week’s 5 are made up of the 5 Backyard Bs we’re interested in when it comes to residents of our garden and how these residents interact to provide balance to the ecosystem. 

We’re no longer just looking for honeybees now that we know native pollinators take on the brunt of the work and need our support.

We’re interested in more than just Monarchs and teaching ourselves to recognize more than just Monarch caterpillars; we want to recognize the other beneficial caterpillars from Butterflies, Moths and Skippers and recognize their instars as well. 

When it comes to bugs we realize that for the most part, they’re just doing their thing with no interest or threat to us, so we don’t want to mess with them too much. They provide so much value to our backyard, usually in terms of food for something we actually enjoy. 

Speaking of something we enjoy, who doesn’t love seeing a bluebird in their backyard? Guess what? One of them will eat up to 2000 bugs a day. We poison or kill their bugs, we poison and kill them and their comrades. Birds need bugs. 

And Bigger Birds need everything underneath them in the food chain so that they can survive and raise their young. Yes, a Kestrel eating your goldfinch seems graphic, but it’s the same as that lion eating the antelope on tv. It’s how the food chain works and it really needs to work to provide the appropriate balance for the ecosystem. Please, stop persecuting raptors - hawks and owls have every right to be here and remember those mouse statistics. Your house or their stomach.

Bees, Butterflies, Bugs, Birds and Bigger Birds 

Our 5 Backyard Bs

Let’s continue to use my Tallgrass Prairie plan, this time focusing on the flowers (or forbs) that I’m going to add in amongst the grasses.

We’ll use the same general breakdown as the grasses.

We start with producers, who are eaten by primary consumers, who are eaten by secondary consumers, who are eaten by tertiary consumers, any and all of which eventually return to the ground for the decomposers to feed them back to the producer. Nice little system, no waste: energy - matter - energy.

Flowers (Forbs)

Smooth Blue Aster

• Bees

Honey bees, bumblebees (remember to try and get a picture for the Bumble bee watch), cuckoo bees (Triepeolus spp., Coelioxys spp.), digger bees (Melissodes spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), Halictid bees (Agapostemon spp., Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp.), Andrenid bees (including the oligolectic, or specialist meaning this is its specialized to suit food source, bee, Andrena asteris)

• Bugs

Caterpillars of such moths as the Wavy-lined Emerald and The Asteroid, and Blatchley's Walkingstick, Sphecid wasps, Syrphid flies (Eristalis spp., Helophilus spp., Syrphus spp., Toxomerus spp.), Muscid flies, beetles, katydids

• Butterflies, Moths and Skippers

Gossamer-winged Butterflies (Lycaenidae), Owlet Moths (Noctuidae), Skippers (Hesperiidae), Whites, Sulfurs, Orangtips, Marbles (Pieridae)

• Birds

Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey and Tree Sparrow eat parts of the plant and seeds; Blue Jays, Crows, Chickadees & Titmice, Cardinals & Grosbeaks, Finches, Mockingbirds & Thrashers, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Woodpeckers, Wood Warblers and Wrens may be seen nearby; Chickadees, Bluebirds, Warblers and Woodpeckers eat caterpillars 

• Bigger Birds

Owls and Hawks including Cooper's Hawks, Merlins, Kestrels, Snowy Owls, Eastern Screech-Owls and many others as well as Shrikes will all hunt smaller birds. The smaller hawks sometimes are eaten by the larger hawks or owls. Blue Jays, crows and ravens will raid nests and eat eggs or young. House Sparrows will also kill Bluebird and Tree Sparrow young or destroy the nest to use for themselves. 

Dense Blazing Star

• Bees

Bumblebees, long-horned bees (Melissodes spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.)

• Bugs

Larval forms of Liatris Flower Moth (Schinia sanguinea) feed on the flowers and seeds, and the larval form of Carmenta anthracipennis (Liatris Borer Moth) eat the stems.

• Butterflies, Moths and Skipper

Butterflies and skippers enjoy the nectar from the flowers.

• Birds

Ruby Throated Hummingbird, Mockingbirds, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers may be seen nearby. Goldfinches eat the seeds. Chickadees, Bluebirds, Warblers and Woodpeckers eat caterpillars.

• Bigger Birds

Owls and hawks, Blue Jays destroy Goldfinch nests. American Kestrels hunt goldfinches, who in turn can be hunted by larger birds of prey. 

Lance-leaved Coreopsis

• Bees

Long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees

• Bugs

Wasps, flies, aphids and beetles, caterpillars of such moths as the Dimorphic Gray, Wavy-lined Emerald, and Common Tan Wave

• Butterflies, Moths and Skippers

Butterflies, skippers, day-flying moths

• Birds

Blue Jays, Crows, Chickadees & Titmice, Cardinals & Grosbeaks, Finches, Mockingbirds & Thrashers, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Vireos, Waxwings, Woodpeckers and Wood Warblers may be seen nearby. Some eat seeds, some eat the bugs eating the plant. 

• Bigger Birds

Owls and Hawks including Cooper's Hawks, Merlins, Kestrels, Snowy Owls, Eastern Screech-Owls and many others as well as Shrikes will all hunt smaller birds. The smaller hawks sometimes are eaten by the larger hawks or owls. Blue Jays, Crows and Ravens will raid nests and eat eggs or young. House Sparrows will also kill Bluebird and Tree Sparrow young or destroy the nest to use for themselves. 

Stiff Goldenrod

• Bees

Long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees

• Bugs

Wasps, flies and beetles; larvae of several species of moths

• Butterflies, Moths and Skippers

Monarch butterflies

• Birds

Greater Prairie Chicken, American Goldfinch, Black-Capped Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Dark-Eyed Junco, Indigo Bunting, Insectivorous Birds, Northern Cardinal, Pine Siskin, Tufted Titmouse and White-Throated Sparrow eat the seeds. Chickadees, Bluebird, Warblers and Woodpeckers eat caterpillars.

Blue Jays, Crows, Grosbeaks, Finches, Mockingbirds & Thrashers, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wrens may be seen nearby.

• Bigger Birds

Owls and Hawks including Cooper's Hawks, Merlins, Kestrels, Snowy Owls, Eastern Screech-Owls and many others as well as Shrikes will all hunt smaller birds. The smaller hawks sometimes are eaten by the larger hawks or owls. Blue Jays, Crows and Ravens will raid nests and eat eggs or young. House Sparrows will also kill Bluebird and Tree Sparrow young or destroy the nest to use for themselves. 

Virginia Rose

• Bees

Bumble bees and native bees

• Bugs

Caterpillars of both butterflies and moths eat the leaves

• Butterflies, Moths and Skippers

Nectar attracts Monarch butterflies, 

• Birds

Hummingbirds attracted to nectar, songbirds eat the hips, insect eating birds eat the bugs eating the plant. Cardinals, Catbirds, Sparrows and Thrashers prefer to build their nests in flowering shrubs like rose bushes. 

• Bigger Birds

Owls and Hawks including Cooper's Hawks, Merlins, Kestrels, Snowy Owls, Eastern Screech Owls and many others as well as Shrikes will all hunt smaller birds. The smaller hawks sometimes are eaten by the larger hawks or owls. Blue Jays, Crows and Ravens will raid nests and eat eggs or young. House Sparrows will also kill Bluebird and Tree Sparrow young or destroy the nest to use for themselves. 

Cup Plant

• Bees

Long-tongued bees and short-tongued bees including sweat bees, leafcutter bees, small carpenter bees, digger bees, and bumble bees; special value to Native bees, Bumble bees and Honey bees; provides nesting materials/structure for Native bees, 

• Bugs

Wasps, bee flies, and other kinds of flies also visit the flowers for pollen or nectar; larvae of a Gall Wasp sp. (Antistrophus sp.) eat the plant; Attracts predatory or parasitoid insects that prey upon pest insects. Caterpillars of Silvery Checkerspot, Gorgone Checkerspot, Bordered Patch and Painted Lady Butterflies feed on the foliage. Praying Mantes find it an excellent hunting ground. 

• Butterflies, Moths and Skippers

Grass Skippers love it just as much as the Swallowtails, attracts butterflies both large and small.

• Birds

Flowers attract hummingbirds. Goldfinches and other small birds drink water after it rains from the “cups” the leaves make.

• Bigger Birds

Owls and Hawks including Cooper's Hawks, Merlins, Kestrels, Snowy Owls, Eastern Screech-Owls and many others as well as Shrikes will all hunt smaller birds. The smaller hawks sometimes are eaten by the larger hawks or owls. Blue Jays, Crows and Ravens will raid nests and eat eggs or young. House Sparrows will also kill Bluebird and Tree Sparrow young or destroy the nest to use for themselves. 

Grey-headed Coneflower

• Bees

Valuable food source for native bees such as sweat bees, bumble bees, long-horned bees, and leafcutter bees. Interestingly the main pollinators can change based on precipitation levels - with regular precipitation the main pollinators in one study were Bombus and Halictidae, while in drought years, Halictidae were the main pollinators. 

• Bugs

Wasps, beetles and flies also visit the flowers.  Plants host caterpillars of Silvery Checkerspot butterflies and for several moths, such as the Wavy-lined Moth.

• Butterflies, Moths and Skippers

Viceroys, monarchs, azures, sulphurs, crescents, fritillaries, painted ladies and swallowtails, and hairstreaks commonly visit.

• Birds

Blue jays, cardinals and goldfinches and other songbirds eat the seed.

• Bigger Birds

Owls and Hawks including Cooper's Hawks, Merlins, Kestrels, Snowy Owls, Eastern Screech-Owls and many others as well as Shrikes will all hunt smaller birds. The smaller hawks sometimes are eaten by the larger hawks or owls. Blue Jays, Crows and Ravens will raid nests and eat eggs or young. House Sparrows will also kill Bluebird and Tree Sparrow young or destroy the nest to use for themselves. 

Butterfly weed

• Bees

Honey bees, bumble bees digger bees (Melissodes spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), Halictid bees (including green metallic bees) 

• Bugs

Thread-waisted wasps (Ammophila spp.) and other Sphecid wasps; Larvae of the Grey Hairstreak, Monarch and Queens Butterflies, beetles, bugs, katydids; attracts predatory or parasitoid insects that prey upon pest insects.

• Butterflies, Moths and Skippers

Fritillaries (Speyeria spp.), Swallowtails (Papilio spp.), and the Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

• Birds

Promotes ground-dwelling insect habitation which attracts American Robin, Brown Thrasher, Dark-Eyed Junco, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Towhee, Gray Catbird, Indigo Bunting, Northern Cardinal, Northern Flicker, Northern Mockingbird, Purple Finch, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Veery. Also promotes flying insect habitation which attracts Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Cedar Waxwing, Kinglets, Warblers

• Bigger Birds

Owls and Hawks including Cooper's Hawks, Merlins, Kestrels, Snowy Owls, Eastern Screech-Owls and many others as well as Shrikes will all hunt smaller birds. The smaller hawks sometimes are eaten by the larger hawks or owls. Blue Jays, Crows, and Ravens will raid nests and eat eggs or young. House Sparrows will also kill Bluebird and Tree Sparrow young or destroy the nest to use for themselves. 

Ironweed

• Bees

Epeoline Cuckoo bees, Miner bees, sweat bees, leafcutter bees, small carpenter bees, and bumble bees.

• Bugs

Caterpillars of Parthenice Tiger Moth, Red Groundling and Ironweed Borer Moth; leaf beetles, leafhoppers, froghoppers and tephritid fruit flies.

• Butterflies, Moths and Skippers

Swallowtails, Whites, Sulfurs, Monarchs, Painted Ladies, and other butterflies.

• Birds

American Goldfinch, House Finch, Chickadee, and Song Sparrow attracted by seeds. Promotes ground-dwelling insect habitation which attracts American Robin, Brown Thrasher, Dark-Eyed Junco, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Towhee, Gray Catbird, Indigo Bunting, Northern Cardinal, Northern Flicker, Northern Mockingbird, Purple Finch, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Veery. Also promotes flying insect habitation which attracts Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Cedar Waxwing, Kinglets, Warblers.

• Bigger Birds

Owls and Hawks including Cooper's Hawks, Merlins, Kestrels, Snowy Owls, Eastern Screech-Owls and many others as well as Shrikes will all hunt smaller birds. The smaller hawks sometimes are eaten by the larger hawks or owls. Blue Jays, Crows and Ravens will raid nests and eat eggs or young. House Sparrows will also kill Bluebird and Tree Sparrow young or destroy the nest to use for themselves. 

Anise Hyssop

• Bees

Honey bees, bumblebees, digger bees (Melissodes spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), Halictid bees (Lasioglossum spp., etc.), and Masked bees (Hylaeus spp.)

• Bugs

Syrphid flies, bee flies, beetles

• Butterflies, Moths and Skippers

Attracts Monarch, Swallowtail, and Painted Lady butterflies 

• Birds

Hummingbirds come for nectar and Sparrows, Goldfinches and other birds may feed on the seeds.

• Bigger Birds

Owls and Hawks including Cooper's Hawks, Merlins, Kestrels, Snowy Owls, Eastern Screech-Owls and many others as well as Shrikes will all hunt smaller birds. The smaller hawks sometimes are eaten by the larger hawks or owls. Blue Jays, Crows, and Ravens will raid nests and eat eggs or young. House Sparrows will also kill Bluebird and Tree Sparrow young or destroy the nest to use for themselves.

Wild Bergamot

• Bees

Long-tongued bees such as bumblebees, Miner bees, Epeoline Cuckoo bees, and large Leaf-Cutting bees; A small black bee (Doufouria monardae) is specialized in monarda flowers.

• Bugs

Caterpillars of the moths Hermit Sphinx and Gray Marvel, bee flies

• Butterflies, Moths and Skippers

Hummingbird moths, Tiger Swallowtail, Great Spangled Fritillary, Wood Nymph, Monarch

• Birds

Blue Jays, Crows, Chickadees & Titmice, Cardinals & Grosbeaks, Hummingbirds, Mockingbirds & Thrashers, Nuthatches,  Orioles,  Sparrows, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Woodpeckers Wood Warblers, Wrens are attracted by the seeds and insects feeding on the plant.

• Bigger Birds

Owls and Hawks including Cooper's Hawks, Merlins, Kestrels, Snowy Owls, Eastern Screech-Owls and many others as well as Shrikes will all hunt smaller birds. The smaller hawks sometimes are eaten by the larger hawks or owls. Blue Jays, Crows and Ravens will raid nests and eat eggs or young. House Sparrows will also kill Bluebird and Tree Sparrow young or destroy the nest to use for themselves. 

It’s incredible how much may be going on in our backyard that we don’t even realize. Did you know Praying Mantids will stalk and eat Hummingbirds? I didn’t. Or the studies on precipitation changing the predominant pollinator? It’s amazing who eats what and then gets eaten. 

Though I’m not pleased about the House Sparrows. I think they’re pretty jolly looking, but they are loud and obnoxious and destroyed one of our nesting Tree Swallows boxes last year and made me very angry. 

Another example of introduced species wreaking havoc on the ecosystem. 

C’est la guerre.