Coreid Bug (Hypselonotus punctiventris)
|
|
The coreid bugs shown above have no common name. They are certainly a common enough insect and at times can readily be seen all around the Austin area. At ½ inch in length, they are not particularly large, but the colors and stripes set them apart from other bugs. The mating pair shows the slight difference in color between the almost equal sized male and female. The male has the darker pink color.
This insect is a member of the family Coreidae, hence the generic common name used here. While these bugs are often called leaf-footed bugs, not all species have the flared appendages that warrant that moniker. All members of this family suck plant juices, but this species never seems to occur in large enough numbers to do much damage to ornamentals or vegetables.
|
The individual shown above is probably a male, judging by its pronounced colors. When these bugs fly, a bright red patch on the back of their abdomen is revealed. Their species name punctiventris means: puncti = stabbed, and ventris = abdomen.
After true bugs hatch, they pass through 5 stages, or instars, as a nymph before reaching adulthood. The instars often look quite different from the adults, as the 3rd instar shown below illustrates.
|
class: Insecta / order: Hemiptera / family: Coreidae / genus: Hypselonotus / species: punctiventris
| site by larvalbug |
