| Can anyone tell me what these bugs are and whether they are a nuisance in the garden? I have thousands of them. They cluster on some plants but I am not sure if they are causing any damage. |
Image link: Black and orange bugs (49 k)
| Hi Hearts ease, I was going to ask you if your bugs were all clustered on a seed pod or fruit like my somewhat similar cotton stainers were ( http://butterflies.heuristron.net/plants/tree/Portia.html ) because looking up pests of the plant I found them on helped me identify them, but after a bit more searching I think your bugs might be Dindymus versicolor, or Harlequin Bugs. There are some pictures here: http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/1555/ Here: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1442-9993.1981.tb01492.x?cookieSet=1&journalCode=aec they're reporte to be a "minor fruit pest. in Australia" If you go to this site http://agspsrv34.agric.wa.gov.au/ento/icdb/imagelist.IDC and scroll way down to the Pyrrhocoridae bugs, you can click each one (there are only a few) to see photographs to compare to one of your bugs to figure out which species yours is in case I'm wrong. |
Here is a link that might be useful: http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/1555/
| I'm no expert but I believe they are "Boxelder" Bugs. See this link. Now, how to get rid of them? |
Here is a link that might be useful: Boxelder Bug
