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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Pentatomomorpha » Pentatomoidea » Stink Bugs (Pentatomidae) » Pentatominae » Strachiini » Bagrada » Bagrada Bug (Bagrada hilaris)

Species Bagrada hilaris - Bagrada Bug

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Whatzit? It has the Harlequin Bug palette, but lacks its design sense. - Bagrada hilaris - male - female

Mating bugs, what is it? - Bagrada hilaris - male - female

Sideview of the mating Bagrada hilaris - Bagrada hilaris - male - female

Pentatomidae - Stink Bug? - Bagrada hilaris

Male, Bagrada hilaris - Bagrada hilaris - male

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 eastern Mediterranean, so. 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 aggregate on non-hosts in the fall when bug populations are high and food is scarce.

causes substantial damage to cruciferous crops such as broccoli, cabbage, mustards, and cauliflower, as well as infests a wide range of other crops and weeds species (Palumbo & Natwick 2010)(1). It has become a serious pest in the sw US.

Life Cycle

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

Remarks

Poses a significant threat because its uses soil for oviposition, can tolerate heat and use a wide range of hosts.

See Also

Bagrada hilaris vs Murgantia histrionica

Print References

Pinkerton M.G., Thompson S.M., Hodges A.C., Leppla N.C., Palumbo J.C. (2020) Laboratory rearing of Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) under quarantine conditions in Florida, USA. Fla. Entomol. 103: 401‒403

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 22 September, 2023 - 8:21pm

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