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TheHarlequin bugis a unmistakably flashy and regrettably good - expect ‘ bad garden bug ‘ insect that can do a swell tidy sum of harm to their preferent host plants your cruciferous veggies .
This little stench bug is a true microbe in that it has pierce , breastfeed mouthparts .
Its prescribed name isMurgantia histrionica(Hahn ) but it is commonly hump as :
It should not be confused with the Harlequin mallet , which is a different wight altogether .
This very passably and very smelly reek bug is aboriginal to North America and many parts of tropic America .
Harlequin bugs can be retrieve in abundance in the southerly United States from glide - to - coast .
They may occasionally be found somewhat north of Pennsylvania and Colorado , but this is quite strange .
It is believed that these microbe were originally distributed throughout the southerly province from Mexico in the late 1800s .
What Damage Do Harlequin Bugs Cause?
Harlequin bugs destroy plants by thrust them and absorb their sap . This causes plants to droop , become brown and finally to give way .
These bug do a corking deal of damage to cruciferous veggies throughout the southerly United States .
They can demolish entire crop if they are not promptly and in effect controlled .
Harlequin bugs cause a great flock of damage to economically important crop such as :
If they are ineffectual to get these boniface plant veggies , they will consume :
If no garden plant are useable , they will move on to fruit trees , field crop or even weed .
They choose cruciferous plants because of the table mustard rock oil glycoside they contain .
It is this chemical that gives these plants their sharp taste , and is also an important element in this mephitis bug ’s justificative smell and taste .
What Do Harlequin Bugs Look Like?
These insect pestsare gaudy every step of the way !
Like adult harlequin bugs , Harlequin hemipterous insect egg are jazzy and striking in visual aspect .
They depend like belittled black and white striped barrel .
The tiny egg ( lay in clutches of a dozen on the undersides of leave ) bear broad black and blank band from top to bottom with a distinctive white spot on the top and a distinctive black blot on the sides .
Harlequin Life Cycle
It takes about a calendar month for eggs to incubate . The precise duration of time is dependent upon the temperature .
When the egg dream up , the nymph go through about half a twelve instar to get hold of maturity date .
This takes between one and two months . At about nine weeks of historic period , the nymphs are in full ripe and can regurgitate .
The show of the nymphs modification with each instar .
They pop out off their first instar being a rather pale orange tree with a dark-brown mind and jaunty dark-brown grade insignia .
As they move through the second through the fourth instar they become dingy .
In the terminal instar , as adults , they become reverse lightning pitch-black with striking yellow and clean markings .
Pea - sized nymphs are typically quite rounded , plump and soft .
As they mature , the body of these garden pesterer become flat , elongated cuticle - shaped , and heavily .
The dime - sized adults are winged , and when at rest they track their backstage giving the appearance of having a distinctive hug drug on their book binding .
When Are Harlequin Bugs Most Active?
In the southernmost states , Harlequin bug are able-bodied to feed , copulate and lay eggs yr - round . When they feed you find them lactate the plant ’s juices out of radish , squash , okra , asparagus , and more .
As their range moves farther north , adults overwinter in deep grass , cabbage stem , or plant detritus on the ground .
nymph are typically not able to survive wintertime weather , but most adults can go into a semi - sleeping state and issue in early spring to eat your young garden flora and reproduce .
Pest Control Of Harlequin Bugs?
There are several means to curb Harlequin bugs , and happily , none of them include poisonous substance and chemical .
Vigilance is your best friend when dealing with these pests .
essay your plants carefully looking for the bright , colourful microbe , nymph and eggs .
fortuitously , they are very easy to see .
Remove by (gloved) Hand-Picking:
When you see the mature bugs or the nymph , the easiest organic ascendence is to clean them off or shake them off into a bucket of saponaceous water .
When you see the nut , simply remove the entire leaf and drop it into the bucket of oleaginous water as well .
If plants are mischievously infested , remove the whole plant and seal off it in a pliant bag or sting it .
Vacuum Them Up:
In this television , the presenter explain how to trade with these bug using a vacuum cleansing agent !
bank note : Throughout the video , the 3/8″ inch long bugs are referred to as Harlequin beetle . But , as mentioned Harlequin beetles and Harlequin bug are two entirely different creature .
however , Harlequin germ are the think cuss targets of her vacuuming control condition method acting .
Cultural Control – Plant A Decoy Crop:
Lure Harlequin bugs aside from your desire harvest by plant maw crop .
Early in the time of year , institute some mustard , turnip or kale to lure the pest in . ( You may also embed this trap crop late in the autumn after harvest your main crop . )
Once the lying in wait craw is heavily infested with Harlequin bugs , bury the harvest in straw and set it on fire !
If this is not possible , resort to using a pesticide since you do n’t destine to eat your ambuscade crop .
It ’s authoritative to remark that if you plan to use yap crops , you must be highly vigilant and move chop-chop when the sentence come to do off with your pests .
Additional Pest Management Options
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