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Photo#7999
Halloween Beetle? - Murgantia histrionica

Halloween Beetle? - Murgantia histrionica
Santa Barbara, California, USA
September 19, 2004
Noticed 15 to 25 of these beetles one day after watering a flowerbed. They had climbed up some allyssum stalks, apparently to get out of the "rain". They range in size from perhaps 8 to 13 mm. I have multiple images available, but this one appealed to me the most.

Moved
Moved from Not yet identified nymphs.
Good agreement, hostplant fits.

Moved
Moved from Stink Bugs.

I removed the white border
So that the real image will reveal more detail.

Stink Bug nymph
These aren't beetles, but the nymphs of stink bugs in order Hemiptera, family Pentatomidae. In my limited experience, it's really difficult to tell the particular species apart, especially during the immature stages, since they look very similar. Perhaps someone with more knowledge can help you narrow it down a bit.

 
Thanks
Thanks for narrowing that down. After doing a few online searches, this appears to be a Harlequin bug - Murgantia histrionica. Thanks again. Such a kewl-looking insect!

 
Bug nymph
I'm not so certain if it's a Harlequin bug. I had an infestation of Harlequin bugs in my garden this past summer, and none of the nymphs I saw were as red as yours. Most of the nymphs were orange, like this one:

 
Stiretrus anchorago has some
Stiretrus anchorago has some of the same colors as an adult. It has spots on the front, too, as an adult, but they are dark spots on a light area rather than light spots on a dark area.

--Stephen

Stephen Cresswell
Buckhannon, WV
www.stephencresswell.com

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