by Leslie Cox; Tuesday; June 3, 2025

It never hurts to remind you there are good insects who reside in the soil, as well as bad ones.

While working on removing a decently large patch of Omphalodes cappadocica (navelwort) in my garden over the last few weeks…in between the many rain days…I have come across a few of these guys, like the one in the photo.

Even though it looks like a species of the dreaded orange-coloured wireworm, this guy is the larva of a stiletto fly. In this stage of their growth cycle, they are ferocious predators of other soil larvae. They also feed on decaying plant material, thus assisting in soil composition and health.