Painted bug

Bagrada hilaris

''Bagrada hilaris'' is a species of shield bug known by the common names bagrada bug and painted bug . It could be mistaken for or erroneously referred to as harlequin bug. It is native to much of eastern and southern Africa and parts of southern Europe and Asia. It is known elsewhere as an introduced species, including California and Arizona, where it was first reported in 2008. It is a major pest insect of ''Brassica oleracea'' crops and related crucifers such as turnips, rape and mustard. The adult and nymph of the species suck sap from the leaves of the plants, causing wilting, yellowing, and stunting of growth. Besides crucifers, the bugs are known on papaya, sorghum, maize, potato, cotton, caper, pearl millet, and some legumes. Large numbers of the bug congregate on the plants and cause extensive damage.
Bagrada Bug A major pest of crops such as cabbages etc. This pair was found on just some grass with no crops nearby so I was happy to be able to just enjoy its beauty without worry! Bagrada hilaris,Fall,Geotagged,Pentatomidae,Pentatomoidea,South Africa,Stenozygum,Strachiini,bagrada hilaris,bugs,insects

Appearance

The adult bug is 5 to 7 millimeters in length, shield-shaped, and black with white and orange markings. The female, which is larger than the male, lays up to 100 oval or barrel-shaped eggs on leaves or in soil beneath plants. The eggs are white when freshly deposited and turn orange over time. Within 8 days the first-instar nymph emerges. It is bright orange-red and turns darker as it develops, becoming black by the last instar.

Distribution

The bug made a sudden appearance in Los Angeles in June, 2008, its first sighting in the Western Hemisphere. It then moved into the cropland of the heavily agricultural Coachella and Imperial Valleys of California, doing damage to cole crops there, especially those grown organically.

Past infestations have been reported in India.

References:

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Status: Unknown
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderHemiptera
FamilyPentatomidae
GenusBagrada
SpeciesB. hilaris
Photographed in
South Africa