Subject: What is this?
Geographic location of the bug: NB, Canada
Date: 08/19/2019
Time: 03:56 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hello!
I came across this cluster of bugs today, all clumped together on a leaf. I’ve never seen this type before. It is mid-August, and a nice warm 27 degrees outside. Hoping you can help!
How you want your letter signed: Thank you! Val
Dear Val,
These are Niesthrea louisianica, immature Scentless Plant Bugs from the family Rhopalidae with no common name. Here is a BugGuide image for comparison. According to BugGuide: “hosts include Hibiscus and other Malvaceae; feeds on flower buds and seeds; an important biocontrol agent of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti).”
That’s wonderful! Thank you for the swift reply. Is it common to have them in New Brunswick, Canada?
BugGuide only reports the genus as far north as Maryland, so this range expansion might be a result of global warming.