| Harlequin Stink Bug ( Murgantia histrionica ) | |
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| IDENTIFICATION | |
| Identification: | Murgantia histrionica (Hahn, 1834) |
| Common Name: | Harlequin Stink Bug |
| Life Stage: | A |
| PHYLOGENY | |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Superorder: | Paraneoptera |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Pentatomidae |
| Subfamily: | Pentatominae |
| Tribe: | Pentatomini |
| Genus: | Murgantia |
| Taxon Code: | HET00347 |
LOCATION DETAILS | |
| Location | |
| Black Diamond Mines Regional Pre, 5175 Somersville Rd., Antioch | |
| County: | Contra Costa County |
| ECI Site#: | CAEB060700 |
| Park/Forest: | Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve |
RECOGNITION | |
| Brightly patterned, distinctive; the amount of black varies considerably. | |
| Body Length | |
| 7.5-11.5 mm | |
BIOLOGY | |
| Host | |
| Hosts: Primarily Brassicaceae (horseradish, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, mustard, Brussels sprouts, turnip, kohlrabi, radish); may also attack tomato, potato, eggplant, okra, bean, asparagus, beet, weeds, fruit trees and field crops. | |
| Active Period | |
| Mostly: April through October. | |
| Development | |
| Eggs look like white barrels with two black hoops around; adults overwinter. The life cycle takes 50-80 days. | |
| Range | |
| Native to Mexico and Central America. Invasive in our area (first detected in TX, 1864) and now widely established across the US (ME-SD to FL-CA) but rarely found north of PA-CO; the northern limits of the established range fluctuate markedly depending on winter severity; migrates northward during spring and summer. | |
HABITAT | |
CREDITS | |
| Photographer Jared Heifetz | |
REFERENCES | |
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