Ugly Bug

I found this ugly looking thing on the plot today when I was weeding the beetroot bed. I have no idea what it is. It looked like a small prawn but I certainly didn't fancy having it in a sandwich with a blob of mayo.

I find all kinds of insects, caterpillars, grubs and maggoty type things on the plot. I never know which are good ones and which are not. At the moment I give all unidentified bugs the benefit of any doubt and I tend to just leave them alone and let them scurry away to do whatever they do. Today I found some big black beetles and some others which shimmered blue and gold like a two-tone suit from the late seventies.

When I uncovered my compost box the other day a cloud of whitefly billowed out. I was surprised that the winter hadn't killed them all off. Reasoning that ladybirds enjoy a hearty whitefly feast and that ladybirds are from the beetle family I decided to drop the assorted beetles, which I found today, into the compost box to see if they will finish off what the Winter has failed to do.

For all I know I could just be fattening up some lethal allotment pests which, once full of whitefly, will produce a plague of root munching, crop killing, offspring. This makes me wonder if it would be better for the plot if I were to adopt a policy of crushing all the bugs I find; squish first and ask questions later. I am reluctant to do this. I really ought to read up on some basic entomology so that I can have a better chance of distiguishing friend from foe.