Sunday, June 24, 2007

Big-Eyed Bug

Geocoris sp., big-eyed bug, head and rostrum Geocoris sp., big-eyed bug, top view

Although the Luna Moth on last week's laundry was easier to photograph, I was equally excited to see this little Geocoris, a tiny, predaceous heteropteran. About 4 mm long, he was fast-moving and hard to photograph, and he didn't stay long.

  • Cornell's "Biological Control Page for "Big-Eyed Bugs."
    Bigeyed bugs, Geocoris spp., are among the most abundant and important predaceous insects in many cropping systems in the U.S. There are approximately 19 species that inhabit North America. Of these, G. punctipes and G. pallens are the most common. Geocoris spp. are known to feed on plants, however they rarely cause economic damage.
  • Geocoris page of "Featured Creatures from Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida Food and Agricultural Sciences.
    The most abundant big-eyed bug in Florida and the southeastern United States is G. punctipes (Say). McGregor and McDonough (1917) reported the life history of G. punctipes at Batesburg, South Carolina, finding the average development time from egg to adult was 30 days. Nymphs consumed an average of 47 mites, and adults an average of 83 "red spider" mites on cotton per day. York (1944) reported that adult Geocoris required either free moisture or plant moisture as well as insect prey. Sweet (1960) found that Geocoris adults can survive on sunflower seeds and water, without insect food.

4 comments:

Donna. W said...

Hello; I followed you here from the comment section in my blog. You have some great closeups here. I'll add you to my bloglines.

Reya Mellicker said...

What is he sitting on? Cotton? A hankie? A sock?

Love the bug pics!!

Rebecca Clayton said...

Reya, It's an old towel, the kind with an area on each end for your own hand-embroidery.

Rebecca Clayton said...

Thanks, Donna! I've had you on my Bloglines for several weeks--hope that doesn't sound creepy.