Not a damsel in distress.

A damsel bug waiting for its prey.
Hemiptera.  True bugs.  Not just a "bug" in the generic sense of the word, but an insect of a very particular group.  True bugs are characterized as having incomplete metamorphosis, that is they young look exactly like the adults except without wings.  They all are tube feeders with biting mouth parts that allow them to suck liquids from their food source into their bodies.  They also have this peculiar little triangular piece behind the thorax called a scutellum. 

This particular bug is a damsel bug.  I have never seen one before and its discovery for me was a unique experience.  As I pondered at it I wondered exactly what it was.  It was definitely a true bug, but what were its habits?  One look at the front legs and I decided that it must have a carnivorous nature; they were meant to grab onto something and not let it go.  Herbeferous ones tend to have weak front legs; stink bugs are a good example of that. 

I discovered a great website, one of a couple that I visit when looking something like this up, that helped me identify this creature.  I went to E-fauna BC, a site hosted by UBC.  There are hundreds of images there; it also had data for location which can be very helpful in determining species.  Once I identified it to my satisfaction I was off to search the web for information.  I find googling something is far more productive when you actually have accurate descriptors in your query.

Damsel bugs are indeed carnivorous.  Their long beaks (the biting mouthparts of a true bug), not visible in the photo I took, is inserted into whatever delicacy it can manage.  When it is small the insect will take insect eggs, aphids, and other small prey.  As it gets larger its ability to tackle and subdue larger victims also improves.  Most bugs in your garden are pests, but not these.  They are defenders of your vegetables and would be a welcome addition to your bedding plants.  What did the damsel bug say to that?  "Scu-tell-um."

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen


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