unknown beetle in garden
Location: Conroe, Texas, USA
April 9, 2011 5:57 pm
my mom found these ladybug-like beetles in the garden, but they act nothing like them. they seam to like sticks and stay in a large group. we need to know if thy are harmful or helpful to our garden.
Signature: KatThat
Florida Predatory Stink Bug Nymphs
Dear KatThat,
These are immature Florida Predatory Stink Bugs, and despite the name, their range is not limited to Florida. They stay together when young, and as they mature, they begin to hunt individually. They are considered to be a beneficial species because they prey upon plant feeding insects in the garden.
¶ Posted 10 April 2011 § ‡ ° Bugs found in the Mangrove
Location: Singapore
April 2, 2011 4:24 am
Hi bugman,
These are found feeding on the leaves of a mangrove tree. Found them while walking in the mangrove reserves. I would like to seek your help in identifying them. My gut feeling is that they are stink bugs.
Signature: Cheers, Vincent
Jewel Bugs
Hi Vincent,
In our opinion, these are Shield Bugs in the family Scutelleridae, which are very closely related to Stink Bugs in the family Pentatomidae. Many Shield Bugs are brightly colored in metallic hues, and they are commonly called Jewel Bugs. We posted this species once before, and we never got a conclusive species ID, so we will try harder with your request. We found a photo identified as Calliphara nobilis that is a perfect match, and then found a Mangrove Stink Bug page on Wild Singapore that identifies the family as Pentatomidae. Though we like the common name Mangrove Stink Bug, we still believe the family to be Scutelleridae. We need a real expert to solve this discrepancy. The Tide Chaser Blog agrees with us, but you must scroll way down the page to see the image.
¶ Posted 02 April 2011 § ‡ ° What is this bug?
Location: Sydney, Australia
March 24, 2011 8:06 pm
Hi, I found this bug in the grass near Hyde Park in Sydney in 2003. Can you please tell me what it is?
Signature: Carey
Cotton Harlequin Bug
Hi Carey,
This little beauty is an immature Cotton Harlequin Bug, Tectocoris diophthalmus, one of the Jewel Bugs in the family Scutelleridae. You may read about it as see images of the adult insect on the Brisbane Insect Website.
Hi Daniel,
Thank you so much for the fast response! I’ve been wondering about this for years and it’s great to finally know.
Thanks again,
Carey
What kind of bug???
Location: Northeast
February 26, 2011 11:03 pm
Please help identify this occasional bug. We live in Long Island,N.Y.
Signature: Paul Allocca
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Hi Paul,
This is a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys, an invasive species native to Asia that is expanding its introduced range in Eastern North America. We shudder to think that the USPS is behind this range expansion.
Thanks for the help…..I looked it up some more and look pretty harmless as far as being in the house goes.Thanks again.
Thank you,
Paul Allocca
Fancy bug?
Location: Koonyum Ranges NSW
February 24, 2011 7:13 am
This one comes from the hills behind Byron Bay, exotic looking but could not find it amongst all the beatles?
Signature: Bernoe
Large Stink Bug
Dear Bernoe,
We believe that this is a Large Stink Bug in the family Tessaratomidae. The Brisbane Insect website has some photos of the adult Bronze Orange Bug, Musgraveia sulciventris, that looks similar, but is darker. Also, the body shape is a bit different. We believe that your individual is in the same family. The NSW Department of Primary Industries has a nice illustration of the life cycle of the Bronze Orange Bug.
Correction Courtesy of Karl
Hi Daniel and Bernoe:
It is indeed a Tessaratomid, probably a male Peltocopta crassiventris. The females are similar but not as colorful, and exhibit an interesting form of parental care. The Queensland Museum website has photos of both sexes as well as nymphs (click on the Introduction, Identification and Biology tabs). Regards. Karl
Thanks Karl,
There are also some images of a female and her brood on the Heteroptera website.
”A” Bug
Location: Maine, USA
February 14, 2011 9:05 pm
I don’t know very much about insects but I found this bug with what looks like an A on it’s back (mostly from a distance) and am just curious to know what it is.
Right now I think it’s a superbug…
Signature: Sarah Harris
Stink Bug Nymph
Hi Sarah,
This is an immature Stink Bug in the family Pentatomidae, but we are uncertain of the species.
¶ Posted 20 February 2011 § ‡ ° Red bug
Location: Quebec Canada
February 14, 2011 1:26 am
It’s the middle of winter and we haven’t even seen a single spider come out lately and here I see this little creepy crawler right in front of me. My first instinct is to yell and try to kill it but just as I am looking for something to hit it with, I realise it’s something i’ve never seen before with a distinct red and black pattern. I decided to trap it and try to take a picture since I’ve heard of this site. I;m wondering what this bug is!
Signature: Vanessa
Two Spotted Stink Bug
Hi Vanessa,
This is a beneficial, predatory Two Spotted Stink Bug, Perillus bioculatus. Many Stink Bugs seek out homes in which to hibernate in areas where there is a severe winter.
¶ Posted 14 February 2011 § ‡ ° Spined Soldier Bug????
Location: Fulton County, Illinois
February 10, 2011 1:11 am
I thought this was a Spined Soldier Bug. The red patch on its back is not in any information I have found.
Signature: Steve
Spined Soldier Bug
Dear Steve,
The angle of view of your photo makes it difficult to ascertain for certain that this is a Spined Soldier Bug, Podisus maculiventris, but we believe that you are probably correct because of the spines on the pronotum at the widest point of the body. A photo posted to BugGuide shows some reddish markings on the individual as well as reddish legs. Perhaps there are some latent genes that may eventually result in a population with red markings for this beneficial Predatory Stink Bug.
¶ Posted 12 February 2011 § ‡ ° 
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