Just Visiting Assembled image: Erigeron Speciosus (Showy Daisy) flower head with a Stink Bug and Phyciodes Tharos (Pearly Crescent Spot) butterfly (left).

The Showy Daisy is a 2 to 3 foot tall perennial with a branched stem base, lance shaped to spoon shaped leaves, mostly hairless, composite head flowers with blue violet to blue ray petals and a yellow disc. This flower is usually found in forest openings, hillsides and clearings from low to middle elevations.

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The Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) is butterfly of North America. It is found in all parts of the United States except the west coast, and throughout Mexico and parts of southern Canada, in particular Ontario. Its habitat is open areas such as pastures, road edges, vacant lots, fields, open pine woods. Its pattern is quite variable. Males usually have black antennal knobs. Upperside is orange with black borders; postmedian and submarginal areas are crossed by fine black marks. Underside of hindwing has a dark marginal patch containing a light-colored crescent.

The wingspan is from 21 to 34 mm. The species has several broods throughout the year, from April–November in the north, and throughout the year in the Deep South and Mexico.

Adults find nectar from a great variety of flowers including dogbane, swamp milkweed, shepherd's needle, asters, and winter cress. Males patrol open areas for females. The eggs are laid in small batches on the underside of host plant leaves. Caterpillars eat the leaves and are gregarious when young. Hibernation is by third-stage caterpillars.

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Pentatomidae, Greek pente meaning five and tomos meaning section, is a family of insects belonging to order hemiptera that includes some of the stink bugs and shield bugs. Their antennae are 5-segmented, which gives the family its scientific name. Their bodies are usually shield-shaped. The forewings of stink bugs are called hemelytra, with the basal half thickened while the apex is membranous (as are the hindwings). The name stink bug derives from their tendency to eject a foul-smelling glandular substance when disturbed; in some species the liquid contains cyanide compounds with a rancid almond scent. This is a form of antipredator adaptation.

The idiomatic term "stink bug" is also applied to distantly related species such as Boisea trivittata, the "boxelder bug", and entirely different types of insects such as beetles in the genus Eleodes ("pinacate beetles").

Many stink bugs and shield bugs are considered agricultural pest insects, because they can create large populations; they suck plant juices and damage crop production, and they are resistant to many pesticides. However, some genera of Pentatomidae are considered highly beneficial; the anchor bug, which can be distinguished by the red-orange anchor shape on the adult, is one example. It is a predator of other insects, especially Mexican bean beetles, Japanese beetles, and other pest insects.

Known as jumiles, chumiles, chinche de monte, or xotlinilli, various stink bugs are part of Mexican cuisine. Stink bugs are also found in Vietnamese cuisine. They are also commonly eaten in Laos, and are regarded as delicious due to their extremely strong odor. The insects are sometimes pounded together with spices and a seasoning to prepare cheo, a paste mixed with chilies and herbs.

(Special help from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Assembled images of flower and insects - June 16, 2011 - Kelowna BC.