| Bagrada hilaris | |
|---|---|
| mating | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Family: | Pentatomidae |
| Subfamily: | Pentatominae |
| Genus: | Bagrada |
| Species: | B. hilaris |
| Binomial name | |
| Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister, 1835) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Bagrada cruciferarum |
|
Bagrada hilaris is a species of shield bug known by the common names bagrada bug, painted bug, and harlequin bug. It is native to much of eastern and southern Africa and parts of southern Europe and Asia. It is known elsewhere as an introduced species, including California and Arizona, where it was first reported in 2008.[1] It is a major pest insect of Brassica oleracea crops (including cabbage, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli), and related crucifers such as turnips, rape, and mustard.[1] The adult and nymph of the species suck sap from the leaves of the plants, causing wilting, yellowing, and stunting of growth.[2] Besides crucifers, the bugs are known on papaya, sorghum, maize, potato, cotton, caper, pearl millet, and some legumes.[1][2] Large numbers of the bug congregate on the plants and cause extensive damage.[1][2]
The adult bug is 5 to 7 millimeters in length, shield-shaped, and black with white and orange markings. The female, which is larger than the male, lays up to 100 oval or barrel-shaped eggs on leaves or in soil beneath plants.[2] The eggs are white when freshly deposited and turn orange over time. Within 8 days the first-instar nymph emerges.[2] It is bright orange-red and turns darker as it develops, becoming black by the last instar.[2]
The bug made a sudden appearance in Los Angeles in June, 2008, its first sighting in the Western Hemisphere.[1] It then moved into the cropland of the heavily agricultural Coachella and Imperial Valleys of California, doing damage to cole crops there, especially those grown organically.[3]
Past infestations have been reported in India.[4]
http://ucanr.org/blogs/strawberries-vegetables/index.cfm?tagname=Bagrada%20bug