Stats

Lifespan: A few months
Size: Small
Diet: Herbivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Temperate grassland
Range: North America
Movement: Walking
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Warning colors
Status: Uncommon

About

The harlequin bug is a shield-shaped stink bug with a bold black-and-orange (or red) mosaic pattern, a warning to predators that it stores foul-tasting compounds absorbed from the cabbage-family plants it feeds on. It is a notorious pest of cole crops like cabbage, kale, and broccoli across the Americas.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2.
juvenile
An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3.
subadult
A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4.
adult
Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Pentatomidae
Genus: Murgantia
Species: Murgantia histrionica