Bug invasion!
Location: Guthrie, Oklahoma
July 10, 2011 11:55 am
These bugs are everywhere in my yard. Can you please tell me what they are & how i can get rid of them? I’m pretty sure they plan on killing my trees!
Signature: Brandy
Hi Brandy,
You have Red Shoulder Bugs, Jadera haematoloma, a species of Scentless Plant Bug. Though they can be a nuisance when they are plentiful, they will not really harm your trees since they feed on seeds. According to BugGuide: “Feeds on a variety of plants but prefers balloonvine (Cardiospermum spp.; Sapindaceae) in southern FL and other Sapindaceae, Acer spp. (Aceraceae), Ficus spp. (Moraceae), and Althaea spp. (Malvaceae). In some areas the bugs are often observed feeding on goldenrain tree seeds (Koelreuteria, Sapindaceae) Nymphs and adults suck juices primarily from seeds of boxelder trees, but also suck juices from fruits of other trees (e.g., plum, cherry, apple, peach, grape, chinaberry, western soapberry, ash and maple). (TX)” What we especially like about your photograph is that in addition to showing several pairs of mating winged adults, there are also several distinct earlier immature instars visible.
Thank you very much for the information. No one else has been able to tell me what they are! I’m glad you liked the pictures! 🙂