August 2016: Common chicory [Cichorium intybus] (Gemeine Wegwarte): The beautiful light blue flower is open in the morning only and only one day. This is the wild variety of the Belgian endive we use in wintertime as salad or vegetable. In earlier times (and again today) the roasted root was (is) used as coffee substitute. In the center of the flower you can see a larva of the common green lacewing [Chrysoperla carnea] (Gemeine Florfliege). It feeds mainly on aphids and pupates after 2-3 weeks. With its mighty jaws it injects a digestive juice for extraintestinal digestion. After only about 2min it sucks the juice. As children we were afraid of them because they do the same with you (only locally...) and cause quite a painful swelling.
