The Wild Gardenia is in bloom and the bushes are invaded with these LARGE bugs (twig wilters). They are 2 to 2 1/2 inches in length!!
I was lucky so see this female laying her eggs on a branch, you can see it by the botom bug.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wSLuHL9SQ7TGMb1xv5KCWwL1GaoLvd8GuFXbM4aR2T78FExFWeEWXsuXUDWr0ItxlsXSdG5GpRR3aSul9tXrvcjxg7auf0uIXvkqNkxfrlIj7Gj-AIAzzXfr_K9twQRH-C5kG0GhYpWE/s320/101_3368a.jpg)
Their eggs are large too about 2-3 mm in length. The females stayed nearby to guard them.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfz7SAM7ma5cJA8FWdbEM_fj0K6bDnixMutY0mURv9DWmiN0xxoecMhacChzI7eEACqyw6qwz1a-LvOvxvsTq83zGuc59shW6R3-h1GkdX8_bCk1ELosGfvleEaLFd25py1P0UCq0lx8V/s320/101_3374a.jpg)
It was definitely mating time.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkH9IriISOrtvYFDsWAGNXZsO3PDwGsHnMTkxI8Q66GBijKW2xwGoX_8GONKtB6on1NvZ2sqeaCVDvNid5mlTey46dPYsGDVSauVzHy4Beu4x1xa1uzhp3-cfO4RjV0YcKZP6OBF_u5y6/s320/101_3385a.jpg)
Although they look like stink (shield) bugs, they belong to the family Cordeidae and not Tessaratomidae. The males do have stink glands though.
No comments:
Post a Comment