| Join Enchanted Learning Site subscriptions last 12 months. Click here for more information on site membership. |
|||
|
$20.00/year or other amount (directly by Credit Card) |
$20.00/year or other amount (via PayPal) |
$20.00/year or other amount (for sending a check by mail) |
$20.00/year or other amount (for subscribing by school purchase order) |
| As a thank-you bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages. | |||
| EnchantedLearning.com | Animal Printouts Label Me! Printouts |
The Harlequin Bug (Murgantia histrionica) is a true bug from the USA and Mexico. It is a pest of cabbage and other agricultural plants.
Anatomy: Like all insects, the Harlequin Bug has a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), six jointed legs, and two antennae. It has a black, shield-shaped body with orange markings; it ranges from 7 to 10 mm long.
Life Cycle:The Harlequin Bug hatches from a tiny, barrel-shaped egg about 1 mm long. The egg is yellow to gray with black bands and a black spot. Eggs are laid in clusters of about 12 (on crucifer leaves, plants like cabbage, cauliflower, mustard and watercress). The newly-hatched nymph looks like a tiny version of the adult, but without wings. After 5 instars (molting stages), the nymph is an adult. The entire life cycle takes 50 to 80 days.
Diet: Harlequin Bugs eat plants. They pierce the leaf with their needle-like mouthparts and suck out the sap. This damages or kills the plant.
|