Subject: Red and black bugs with triangle pattern on the back
Geographic location of the bug: Seattle, WA
Date: 07/17/2018
Time: 01:26 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: What is this bug? Is it bad for my house and my garden? If it is, what is the best way to kill/remove them? Thank you.
How you want your letter signed: Tony Chan
Dear Tony,
These are mating Whitecrossed Seed Bugs and according to BugGuide an alternate name is “Ragwort Seed Bug” which we interpret to mean that it will feed on seeds of ragwort, reducing the subsequent generations of what is widely considered a weed, though according to Wikipedia: “Although the plant is often unwanted by landowners because it is considered a weed by many, it provides a great deal of nectar for pollinators. It was rated in the top 10 for most nectar production (nectar per unit cover per year) in a UK plants survey conducted by the AgriLand project which is supported by the UK Insect Pollinators Initiative. It also was the top producer of nectar sugar in another study in Britain, with a production per floral unit of (2921 ± 448μg)”. Since Seed Bugs feed on seeds, they are not normally considered injurious to plants. We do not provide extermination advice.