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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Pentatomoidea » Stink Bugs (Pentatomidae) » Pentatominae » Strachiini » Murgantia » Harlequin Bug (Murgantia histrionica)
Photo#102215
What beetle??? - Murgantia histrionica
Copyright © 2007 Sarah

What beetle??? - Murgantia histrionica
Fountain Valley, CA., Orange County, California, USA
April 8, 2007
What beetle is this? They were covering a young lemon tree. Are they good? Are they pests? What is their searchable scientific name?
Thank you!
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Contributed by Sarah on 8 April, 2007 - 5:47pm
Last updated 3 April, 2008 - 1:24pm

Moved
Moved from Murgantia.
… Joyce Gross, 3 April, 2008 - 1:24pm login or register to post comments

Not a beetle
Actually a true bug (stinkbug in fact). This looks like the Harlequin bug, see here
… Brad Barnd, 8 April, 2007 - 6:44pm login or register to post comments

 
Wow.
These specimens are exceedingly melanistic!
… Eric R. Eaton, 9 April, 2007 - 3:45pm login or register to post comments

 
Wellll, that's how we grow 'em around here.
There was something different about these, and after looking up melanistic, I agree that these are very black. I have perhaps a dozen photos on file and no specimen is so melanistic.
… Ron Hemberger, 9 April, 2007 - 6:03pm login or register to post comments

Welcome to Bug Guide. These are harlequin bugs.
There are lots of them in Orange County. Oh, before I forget, "Size" on the form means size of insect, not the JPEG.

Looks like Brad and I had a tie on your answer. I was going to direct you here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/557

There you'd learn that the bug "sucks on juices of plants in the mustard/cabbage family (Brassicaceae). Can be a very serious crop pest." However, I've seem them all over foliage in Irvine and Newport Beach with no real damage.
… Ron Hemberger, 8 April, 2007 - 6:44pm login or register to post comments

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