Two mystery bugs
September 21, 2009
Bug #1 – Brown, six legged with wings and looks to be a stinger. About 2 inches long. Found dead on our driveway.
Bug #2 – Brown and white spotted bugs with orange spots almost like a lady bug. Found on our althea red heart hibiscus buds.
Heather Korn
West Tennessee
Scentless Plant Bug
Hi again Heather,
Bug #2 is a Scentless Plant Bug, Niesthrea louisianica, and it has no common name. According to BugGuide, it: “Feeds on flower buds and seeds of plants in the Mallow family (Malvaceae), such as Hibiscus and Rose of Sharon.” More importantly, BugGuide also indicates it is: “Used as a control of the invasive annual weed, Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti). In one 1987 study mentioned here it was found to reduce seed production by 98%.” The brightly colored immature nymphs in your photo are wingless, but your photo also shows a winged adult, though the individual is not the point of focus in your photograph.
I like This
So “Scentless Plant Bug” isn’t the common name?
Scentless Plant Bug is a name that applies to the entire family Rhopalidae, not just to this particular species. See BugGuide.
Oh, I get it — that’s the common name for a group, not the species.
Is this bug good or bad for the garden
Niesthrea louisianica will not harm plants. They feed only on the seed pods which does no damage to the plant.