True Bug - Not a Beetle - Perillus

Moved

Moved from Not yet identified nymphs.

… Mardon Erbland, 1 July, 2011 - 9:50am

i also think Mardon is right but will play it safe for now

Moved from Not yet identified nymphs.

… v belov, 16 September, 2009 - 8:34pm

It's a bug nymph

In the family Pentatomidae - I think Podisus (below) is a possible match:

The tube is its strawlike mouthpart - this one is relatively short and pointed, indicating it's one of the predatory stinkbugs - plant feeders have a longer more slender tube.

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 12 September, 2008 - 1:17pm

Thanks - Perillus bioculatus perhaps?

Thanks for your help. I certainly was off track.

After reading your message, I went looking for a stink bug nymph that looks like mine. I found this image

under Two-spotted Stink Bugs (Perillus bioculatus). I think it looks even more like the one I photographed than the image you suggested. Would you agreee that mine must by Perillus bioculatus also? If so, I will move the images there.

… Mardon Erbland, 12 September, 2008 - 2:11pm

I like your suggestion

- fits better than mine, I agree. I wonder if the Balabans will comment - they are pretty helpful on immature bugs.

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 12 September, 2008 - 7:59pm

Not sure.

I am beginning to think stink bug nymphs are just highly variable in color and pattern. The short beak on this one really 'does' suggest one of the predatory stink bugs, however. Plant-feeders tend to have a longer beak.

… Eric R. Eaton, 12 September, 2008 - 8:58pm

Predatory?

While looking to find out if Perillus bioculatus is predatory (I wasn't sure based on your comments) I found that Dr. Joop J.A. Loon, Ph.D., of the Laboratory of Entomology at Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands, wrote a couple of papers on the predatory behaviour of Perillus bioculatus. I've emailed him and asked if he would look at my photos here and let me know if he could I dentify this nymph as Perillus bioculatus. I'll post here if I hear back.

I found a couple more images that look a little bit like the one that I photographed:

and

… Mardon Erbland, 13 September, 2008 - 9:03am