Koa Bug

Coleotichus blackburniae

The Koa Bug is the largest species of true bug that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. They can be found on all of the main islands of the chain, living in Koa trees and `a`ali`i bushes.

Like all true bugs, Koa Bugs have no chewing mouth parts. Instead, they have a little tube-like mouth part that they use to get inside the seeds of their host plants. Once inside, they suck out the insides.

Kos Bugs are also members of the "Jeweled Bug" family, Scutelleridae. Because of this they sport an enlarged, sheild-shaped thorax. However, the Koa Bugs are different from many of their cousins because they do not have the ability to secrete a stinky, defensive chemical. They are sometimes called "Stinkless Stink Bugs".

Unfortunately, the Koa Bug populations are being hurt by some introduced species. Non-native Stink Bugs made their way to the islands and started to cause damage. To get rid of those invasive bugs, a Stinkbug-eating Fly was brought in... only it can't tell the difference between the native and non-native bugs. Though you can still find Koa Bugs on most of the larger islands, the population is declining.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Hawaii
Size : Body length up to 15mm

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Hemiptera
Family : Scutelleridae -- Genus : Coleotichus -- Species : C. blackburniae

Image : Libraries Impact Learning

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Giant Water Bug

Lethocerus sp.

Today we'll be talking about an entire taxonomic family-- Belostomitidae. Insects within this group are more commonly referred to as Giant Water Bugs. There are around 160 different species, organized into nine different genera.

The "Giant" name is certainly apt, as some members (especially those in the genus Lethocerus) can reach lengths of several inches. Even the smallest group members are a few centimeters in length.

Giant Water Bugs can be found all over the world, and are most concentrated in the Americas and in South Asia and Australia. All of the insects, regardless of continent, live in ponds and other shallow bodies of water. They spend most of their time in the water, but they must surface for air, as they do require it to breathe. Respiration takes place thanks to two appendages that extend from the abdomen. Speaking of abdomens, the eggs of two of the genera, Abedus and Belostoma, are deposited on the backs of the males, who carry them around for a week or two until they hatch!

Giant Water Bugs are amazingly little predators. They ambush hunt other bugs, small crustaceans, and even fish, birds, and amphibians! They strike, biting down with their powerful mandible and injecting a digestive saliva that liquefies the insides of their prey. Once that process has taken place, the Water Bugs can slurp up their meals. These bites can be very, very painful to humans, but are not dangerous overall.

Final fun fact of the day-- Giant Water Bugs are considered a culinary delicacy in some parts of the world. They are eaten both raw and prepared!

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Worldwide
Size : Length up to 12cm

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Hemiptera
Family : Belostomatidae

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Green Stink Bug

Acrosternum hilare

Today's animal is quite the stinker! Literally! The Green Stink Bug has a very large gland on the underside of its thorax. These glands discharge a huge (for a bug) amount of smelly liquid when the bug is disturbed.

You can find Green Stink Bugs across North America, and they are the most common Stink Bugs on that continent. They are actually considered to be pests in some places, due to their love of seeds, grains, and fruits. They are not at all picky when it comes to food, and can have many, many different types of host plant that they snack on with their needle-like mouths.

Green Stink Bugs are shield-shaped and vibrantly green in color, even as small nymphs. Nymphs come from tiny barrel-shaped eggs that are laid on the undersides of leaves. One new generation is laid each year in the northern range, while two are more common in the south.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : North America
Size : Length up to 2cm

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Hemiptera
Family : Pentatomidae -- Genus : Acrosternum -- Species : A. hilare

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Melon Aphid

Melon Aphids

Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Insecta
Order : Hemiptera
Superfamily : Aphidoidea
Family : Aphididae
Genus : Aphis
Species : gossypii

Length : 2-3mm

The Melon Aphid also goes by the name Cotton Aphid, and is found in tropical and temperate regions around the world. They are one of literally thousands of Aphid species, tiny sap-sucking insects that can cause huge amounts of crop damage.

Melon Aphids have some strange reproductive habits. During the spring, winged females in certain areas fly over to suitable host plants and give birth to live young through parthenogenesis (development without fertilization). In other areas, females lay eggs after mating. Regardless of their conception, the nymphs take between 4 and 10 days to mature, depending on the overall temperature. Most adults will not grow wings. However, if there is overcrowding or a limited food supply, some Aphids will grow wings in order to fly to newer, more favorable locations.

Melon Aphids can be disastrous to certain plants. Not only do they consume several dozen different plant species, but they are also carrier of a handful of devastating plant viruses. Melon Aphids have many natural predators, including Ladybugs, but they can still be quite tricky to manage. Insecticides can help, but some bugs grow immune. Crop rotation and eradication of infected plants are also methods of Aphid control.

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