Garden Pests and Diseases: Friend or Foe?, 1 by Night_Bloom

Night_Bloom wrote:
critterologist - just to calrify, because I really should have done a better job of that... in the second set of photos above, our "good guy" was a bug (Hemiptera), but not a stink bug (Pentatomidae), so the body shape is very different, too, as well as the beak. That guy is actually in a family called Reduviidae of which most are predators (some bite you if you live in Florida).

But if you compare the plant stink bug to my first example of a stink bug in the second post, you can see how very similar they can look. Both are brown and both are shaped like a sheild. I'll post the picture again here to make it easier. Those who don't mind skipping back up can ignore the picture.

I mostly chose the Reduviidae for the second comparison, because both are in a sideways view (the usual view you will get of their "beaks" if they aren't eating prey), but I should have pointed out that they are not both stink bugs.

And thanks, patischell. Of course in my enthusiasm, I tend to forget to state the important things - like with the examples above - which explains why I am NOT a teacher. That is too organized a career for someone like me - hee. And don't worry, I'll make things even more confusing when I start introducing other predatory bugs that don't always have the fat "beaks." These are identified by their unique looks only. Then we'll really see if I'm good at this or not - hee.

So to clarify - this again is the predatory stink bug (family Pentatomidae). Note the distinctive "sheild" shape that most stink bugs have. And of course the stout, short beak sticking into the caterpillar. Then see how this is similar in shape and color to the plant stink bug five posts above. The main difference is in the beak (which sometimes means you have to get VERY close or even pick the bug up - use gloves if there's a concern, because some predatory bugs may bite if scared - so this may not always be for the faint of heart) and of course in what it eats, which if you are lucky, it will be doing, so as to make your life easier in trying to tell if it's a good or bad bug.

Sorry I couldn't get a close up this time. This computer does not let me crop photos like my computer does. Scroll up to the top if you need to.

This message was edited Apr 29, 2005 2:46 PM