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National Moth Week was July 19-27, and the Summer 2025 gathering in Louisiana, July 19-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Species Bagrada hilaris - Bagrada Bug

Bagrada hilaris infestation (mostly immatures) - Bagrada hilaris

Stinky found in Santiago Oaks - Bagrada hilaris - male - female

Harlequin beetle I assume. - Bagrada hilaris - male - female

Bagrada Bugs - Bagrada hilaris - male - female

Sexing a Bagrada Bug - Bagrada hilaris - female

Stink Bug?, if so, what species? And the tiny red, nymph of some other insect? (see other photo). Nymph are mainly on Alyssum. - Bagrada hilaris

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)

Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)

Infraorder Pentatomomorpha

Superfamily Pentatomoidea

Family Pentatomidae (Stink Bugs)

Subfamily Pentatominae

Tribe Strachiini

Genus Bagrada

Species hilaris (Bagrada Bug)

Other Common Names

Painted Stink Bug

Explanation of Names

Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister 1835)

hilaris 'gay, cheerful'

Size

5‒7 mm(1)

Identification

distinctive among NA Pentatomidae

Range

native to s. & e.Africa, adventive elsewhere, incl. the Americas, the Mediterranean, S.Asia(1); in our area, sw.US (CA to CO‒TX), FL [interceptions, may not be established](2)

Food

hosts: members of the mustard, nightshade, mallow, legume, sunflower and grain families. May damage cruciferous crops, infests a various other crops and weeds (Palumbo & Natwick 2010)(1)

Life Cycle

Eggs laid in clusters on leaves or soil; four nymphal instars(1); polyvoltine in s.CA

Remarks

May aggregate on non-hosts in the fall when bug populations are high and food is scarce.

Internet References

Fact sheets: UC Cooperative Extension • LeVeen & Hodges 2018(3)

Works Cited

1.	California plant pest & disease report, Vol. 25 (Jan 2008 through Dec 2009) Gaimari S., O’Donnell M., eds. 2011. California Department of Food & Agriculture, Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch. 108 pp.

2.	A distributional synopsis of the Pentatomidae (Heteroptera) north of Mexico, including new state and provincial records Rider, D.A. and Swanson, D.R. 2021. Zootaxa, 5015(1), 1–69.

3.	University of Florida: Featured Creatures

Contributed by Hartmut Wisch on 26 August, 2008 - 6:48pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, v belov, Harsi S. Parker
Last updated 9 October, 2024 - 5:06am

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