You know the type. He or she spots just one insect on a plant leaf and suddenly their face fills with panic, and revenge. Running directly to the insecticide, the sprayee takes aim at all plants in the immediate area. Within seconds, every bug within range is covered with poison.

Whoa Nellie, hit the brakes! Those may be our allies in the insect world. That’s right. Some insects are so helpful in the garden that gardeners refer to them as ‘beneficials.’

Bees and butterflies are well-known plant pollinators. Transferring pollen from anther to stigma of treasured blossoms, these flying champions are responsible for much of the seed and cross-pollination that takes place in nature. Without these beneficial insects, our gardens would surely wither and die.

Take the friendly firefly, a.k.a. lightening bug. Just one flicker of light instantly sends me back to summer evenings in my grandmother’s back yard when I was a kid. Little did I know that besides adding to the nighttime ambiance of her northeastern Kentucky backyard, those shining heroes of the insect kingdom were probably feeding voraciously on undesirable pests in her garden. Slugs, snails and mites are delicious and nutritious for a hungry firefly.

Lively ladybugs or ladybirds are legendary for feasting on one of the most intolerable pests in the garden, aphids. Did you know they dine on whiteflies, mealybugs, scale insects, chinch bugs and spider mites too? Recognized by their reddish-orange coloring and black spots, ladybugs are some of the most well known beneficial insects.

Distinguished by the way its front legs fold together as if in prayer while awaiting the next snack, the praying mantis could certainly be called the ‘preying mantis’ too. Appetizing victims include aphids, caterpillars, leafhoppers, flies and wasps. Yes, it’s true that praying mantids also eat a few of the good insects such as bees and butterflies, but their good traits far outweigh the bad in this case.

Fairylike lacewings are easy to recognize at the adult stage by their light green bodies and lacy, transparent wings. The ability for one to consume up to 60 aphids in an hour has earned these worthy creatures the alias’ aphid lion or aphid wolf. Lacewings also feast on thrips’, whiteflies, leafhopper nymphs, scale insects, mealybugs and mites.

The assassin bug is another popular and easily identifiable garden beneficial. Caterpillars, aphids, Japanese beetles, leafhoppers, and many other garden pests are favorites of these powerful good insects.

Learning to recognize beneficial insects as well as undesirables is a positive step in garden pest management. Realize that most beneficial insects begin feeding on plant pests as early as the larva stage making correct identification useful early on.

Planting resistant varieties, elimination by hand of insects harmful to plants, a strong blast of water on soft bodied insects and simply letting nature take her course are all ways to make gardening safer and pest free. Learn, explore and enjoy.

Traci Maier writes a weekly gardening column. She can be reached at ratmaier@bellsouth.net.