Here today..gone tomorrow

I have a Sweet Autumn Clematis at my house, a vine that grows heartily all summer long, for it's most crowning showcase time of August when it blooms. It has the sweetest, most delicate, white flowers ever on a vine of this nature. This plant is rare and isn't seen too much in Oklahoma and I got my start from my mom's flower garden. Every year i look forward to it's most decorated growth with pride, knowing it will only last for a week or so. If you have one of these vines, you know what I am talking about. Last week I saw that it was brimming with loaded buds, fully loaded to what looked to be one it's best seasons yet. Yeah, that was last week. This week, nothing but stems. Uh...yeah! Apparently, an army of blister beetles were looking to forage on some fresh vegetation and made their home at my clematis. They have literally consumed it down to the stems. They ate the flowers, the buds, the leaves and stopped at the stems. It is like a skeleton of a vine now. I was so hopeful and like overnight, they came, they ate, they engulfed, and moved on. I mean you barely touch the vine and they come falling off. That's how many there are. Swarms!! So sad I feel like I missed the best part of summer with the munch munch of blister beetles. If you don't believe me...take a look for yourself. Unbelievable.

A close up of the attack of the Blister Beetles!

They swarmed..a beetle army.

The destruction...all that is left.