- Author: Cheryl A. Wilen
I am not an entomologist - I always make that clear because a lot of people have that expectation when they find out I work in IPM. Granted, I did take a considerable number of entomology classes and I have put in long hours in field work so it's not like I am completely oblivious. But I digress.
While I would rather be showing you is a cool new tool to control weeds, I recently received an email from a person in San Clemente who said there were thousands of red and black insects on twigs and the sidewalk near her home. She sent me a photo and I knew exactly what she had:Lodosiana (=Scantius) aegyptius
This insect is a new one only recently found in North America and by luck I had seen an article about it in the Orange County Register
http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2009/08/03/red-bug-makes-first-american-appearance-in-oc/11179/
So far there are no reports of widespread damage due to feeding on plants. They do not hurt humans.
Note the 2 black dots on either side of the body.
Then I happened to read about another similar looking insect recently found called the bagrada bug. See http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/PPD/PDF/Bagrada_hilaris.pdf or http://cisr.ucr.edu/bagrada_bug.html for details. This one has been reported to cause plant damage.
Photo by Gevork Arakelian, Senior Biologist, Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner/Weights & Measures Department.
The adults don't look too similar but the nymphs could be confusing.
If you see the spotted one, let pjbryant@uci.edu know. He is looking at the genetics of the insect. If you see the Bagrada bug in counties other than LA, Orange, Imperial, or San Diego, let your local Agricultural Commissioner know.