Dusky Cotton Bug (Hemiptera Heteroptera Lygaeidae Oxycarenus laetus -  Kirby)

Found on  Malvastrum coromandelianum at Sau Kei Wan, Hong Kong, SAR on June 4, 2005.  Both nymphal and adult forms were hiding in the flower heads, as shown below.  The species has also been observed on the flower heads of common Hibiscus.  It's also a pest of cotton plants in India.


The older nymphal forms all looked like the one above


The adults were about 3 mm long; note the "M" pattern.
In different lighting, this pattern looked almost orange.


The image on the left is a photo-micrograph; the underside is from a 6 Mpx Olympus.
 

Link to:  Larval Foodplant image
 

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kilroy
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This page last updated 24-Jun-2005.