The herb bug is one of the representatives of the numerous genus of shield bugs. It has an oval body shape with rectangular projections on the sides. Long whiskers help you find your favorite plants for nutrients by smell.
Insects are found in brown-green and black colors, and on their shield you can see a pattern that resembles the letter W. The insect's carapace seems to be painted with dots, dashes. The head is most often yellow, on the sides of which there are reddish eyes. The maximum body length is 0.7 cm.
What are the features of the appearance and structure
Above and below, the body of the bush bug is flattened. The Taurus has 5 segments. The upper part has:
- triangular head;
- prothorax with pointed angles;
- shield;
- dense wing covers;
- webbed wings.
The lower part is also divided into 6 segments. Spiracles are located along the edges. The insect has special glands that are necessary for the secretion of a substance with a pungent odor. This is necessary to scare away enemies and attract females.
It is tree bugs that emit the most pungent odor among relatives. The insect marks the territory with a fragrant substance. For some insects, it is a deadly poison. The oral apparatus is piercing and sucking. A pointed proboscis is present.
Tree bugs can have a very strong odor
The insect can be both carnivorous and herbivorous. It directly depends on where you live. It is with the help of the proboscis that the bug pierces the leaves and fruits. Raspberry is attracted to the shitcher. In its absence, other shrubs may occupy the garden plot.
The insect can feed on dead small organisms. In the object of food, the bug injects enzymes. This makes it easier to consume food.
Wintering is carried out near the food. A green bug hides under fallen leaves. The forest representative will climb under the bark of trees. The bug becomes active after the onset of spring. The insect goes out in search of food after warming.
There are large compound eyes on the head of the bush bug. Closer to the shield are two simple eyes. The insect also has a long whisker. The shielder is perfectly camouflaged. This is possible thanks to the ability to adapt to the conditions of the external environment.
Prevention of the appearance of insects
Agrotechnical measures will help to significantly reduce the “livestock” of tree bugs at the site. For wintering, pests settle under fallen leaves, where they safely wait out the cold. In the spring they crawl out pretty hungry and continue their destructive activity. Removing fallen leaves, tops and other plant debris, followed by burning, will destroy most of the bugs, which are comfortably resting. If you also dig up the soil, it is very likely that you will not meet green bugs at all next year.
What are the varieties
There are many subspecies of insects. Some of them are pests. In total, there are about 4,000 species of bugs from the family of shitnikovs.
There are many types of bugs
The main types of insects are presented in the table.
| Forest green | The insect feeds on juices from trees and shrubs. Also prefers cultivated plants. Often the stink bug occupies gardens and lives on raspberries. It is a pest. |
| Cruciferous | Looks like a soldier bug.The invasion of the parasite leads to the complete destruction of cultivated plants on the site. |
| Pear | Eats fruit trees. |
| Cucumber | Body length does not exceed 3 mm. It settles on the lower leaves. The insect can jump a great length. |
| Blind man | It parasitizes almost all horticultural crops. |
Among the representatives there are both useful and parasites.
What garden bugs look like.
Forest green shtitnik.
A large insect of bright green color. It grows up to 1.1–1.6 cm. The sides of the front back are straight or with slightly noticeable notches along the edges. She chooses deciduous trees, herbaceous plants and berry bushes as housing (he especially loves raspberries).
Cruciferous bug.
Even in adulthood, it does not grow more than 0.5–0.8 cm. The trapezoidal head is slightly inclined and slightly narrowed in front. The oval body is dotted with spots (dark and light), creating a whimsical pattern. Dark spots are based on black color, diluted with blue or green (with a metallic sheen). Light specks are usually off-white, yellow, or red. Short hairs grow on antennae.
Pear bug.
It got its middle name - pear lace maker - for its delicate, as if carved edges. This small insect with dark antennae and a small head is painted in a nondescript beige color. The pattern of the back follows the pattern of the laced sides. It settles on pears, apple trees, cherries, plums, apricots and other fruit crops.
Berry shield bug.
Scientific name of Dolycoris baccarum: berry bug. In length, the flat body reaches 1–1.2 cm. Long hairs are noticeable on the body, antennae are ringed with black and yellow rims. The larvae have light and thick hairs. Red stripes are visible on the yellow abdomen. In the adult stage, it is colored gray-brown, yellow-brown or red-brown.
Cucumber bug.
Perhaps the smallest bug: even an adult does not grow more than 0.3 cm. Due to its small size and modest black color, the insect is very difficult to notice, especially since it hides under the leaves, jumping back in moments of danger. Prefers greenhouse conditions, eating cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplants.
The bug is a harmful bug.
Eurygaster integriceps is a bug of the family of turtles. Quite large insect (about 1.3 cm). The head is one and a half times shorter than the front dorsum, which has rounded and convex edges. The device of the zygomatic plates does not provide for their closure in front of the clypeus. The pest got its name because of the similarity of color with land turtles.
Horsefly bug.
It is very difficult to recognize it: 10 thousand species differ not only in color, but also in size (0.2-1.1 cm), and even in the configuration of the body. Some species, by mimicking, are able to pass themselves off as ants. It is not easy to observe this pest: it leads a secretive life. They called him a blindfold for a reason. As a rule, two pairs of eyes are responsible for vision in insects: complex and simple. The latter are absent in this species.
Ringed predator.
Representative of the family of carnivores. Usually rather large insects of black, brown or brown color. Tropical species are much brighter. Most of the bugs have well-developed wings, but wingless and short-winged varieties are also found.
The head, which resembles a cylinder, has filiform antennae and protruding eyes (but there are also eyeless species). The short proboscis looks like an awl. Across the front back there is a constriction dividing the body into two parts: the back (wider) and the front (narrower). The predator moves slowly, despite the very long limbs.
Italian bug.
Graphosoma (graphosoma, or red-striped bug) is descended from the family of shit bugs. It grows up to 0.9 and more centimeters. Painted brightly - yellow or red.Black stripes are clearly visible along the head, shield and front back.
Wingless red-flock (soldier).
Pyrrhocoris apterus is a land bug that comes from the family of redbirds. An adult reaches a length of about a centimeter. The elytra and the anterior dorsum are decorated with red and black ornamentation. Nature has not awarded the soldier with hind wings, but rare representatives of the species have them. These insects love to bask in the sun, gathering in groups near trees, stumps or fences.
What reproduction and development cycle
Before mating, the male circles around the female and touches her with its antennae and head. For fertilization, the insect inserts its genitals into a special opening on the body. Semen is used as needed.
The female lays eggs from which small larvae hatch
If conditions are favorable, the female lays eggs twice per season. Each clutch contains 100 eggs. The coat is light green in color. Young individuals are deposited on leaves.
Hatching will occur after 15 days. The larvae have an incomplete transformation cycle. They practically do not differ from adults. Immediately after going outside, the worm begins to actively feed.
The larvae pass 4-5 molts. The color of the chitinous cover changes as they grow older. The entire development cycle takes 1-2 months, depending on the subspecies.
It is interesting to know that this bug is used to prepare a tincture to combat alcoholism. In this case, an addicted person develops a gag reflex and aversion to alcoholic beverages.
Only after all the molts do the insect develop wings. The insect rarely flies. Uses wings only when absolutely necessary. Occasionally, a representative travels long distances. A dark spot appears at the puncture site of the leaves and berries.
In this video, they talk about one of the subspecies of shield bugs:
Read more about the currant scabbard.
The appearance of this pest on the currant is fraught with a slowdown in the growth and development of the shrub, drying out of the foliage, loss of yield and the death of the entire plant.
The dimensions of the scale insect are very small, so it is sometimes difficult to detect the pest in time. The length of the scale does not exceed 4 mm, and it usually settles on the underside of the leaflet or in the place where the leaf meets the handle. If you find small specks on the currants, take a closer look at them, because this is how the scabbard is "masked".
The likelihood of damage to plantings of currants with a shield is quite high. The insect is easily carried by the wind, carried by animals. Infection can occur from poor-quality planting material or soil substrate.
This pest feeds on plant sap, interfering with the process of their life, the insect draws out nutrients, depriving the shrub of the strength necessary for growth and development. This parasite is quite dangerous; in a couple of years, the scale insect is capable of destroying large-scale plantings of currants.
An important preventive measure to prevent the reproduction of the pest is the hilling of the plant. Shrubs should be hilled in the fall, making small earthen embankments. In the spring, after the snow melts, the land must be removed.
If a scabbard is found, the bushes must be immediately isolated. For these purposes, you can use plastic wrap. Shrubs growing in the neighborhood must be very carefully examined and the same measures should be taken if insects are detected.
When treating the bushes with various solutions, it should be remembered that it will be difficult to remove adult insects in this way, since their body is reliably protected by a rather dense shell. Therefore, you will most likely have to manually remove them from the bush. With the help of a sponge and a thick soapy solution, you need to process each leaf and shoot of an infected plant. This occupation is very laborious, but necessary.In this case, you should not rush, otherwise those insects that you did not remove will soon multiply and populate neighboring bushes, increasing the affected area.
If this nevertheless happened in order to save the shrubs, chemical insecticides will have to be used. The most effective against the scale insects are neonicotinoids, a small class of organic compounds that, upon contact with insects, cause paralysis and death. These insecticides include Mospilan, Colorado, Aktara, Tanrek.
The treatment is carried out by spraying with a working solution prepared in accordance with the instructions for use of these drugs. To destroy the pest, more than one treatment will be required, since, in addition to adults, insect larvae or eggs are usually found on the bush. Only after repeated treatments can you count on the preservation of the shrub.
In addition to the above insecticides, hormonal and organophosphorus preparations can be used in the fight against the shield, including: Piriproxifen, Spark, Kemifos etc.
The number of treatments must also be at least three, with a frequency of no more than one week.
When applying chemical insecticides, it is important to remember about safety measures. People suffering from allergic diseases or bronchial asthma should not use such drugs at all. You also need to remember that the substances that make up insecticides can be harmful to bees.
In this case, you can use folk remedies for pest control. Next, we will consider the most effective of them.
Is the bush bug dangerous for people
It is believed that insects living in gardens are not dangerous to humans. The proboscis is soft and cannot pierce the skin. Despite this, there have been cases when the bush bug has bitten people. Against this background, scientists are trying to establish whether there are mutated forms that have arisen as a result of the crossing of a scutellor and a bed bug.
Triatom bugs live in the tropics. Insects harm not only plants but also mammals and animals. They are carriers of diseases.
Predatory bugs - helpers in the struggle for the harvest
Although quite a few different species of predatory bugs live in our country, in general, due to their small number, they rarely seriously affect the populations of harmful insects. Carnivorous bugs are often found in vegetable gardens, but they usually do not attract attention to themselves.
In the photo - a ringed predator, often found near apiaries. He hunts bees, waiting for them on flowers:
The two-century perillus bug (Perillus bioculatus) has been repeatedly imported from North America to Europe, a shit bug that very effectively exterminates the larvae and adult Colorado potato beetles:
However, in the conditions of our country, this species does not tolerate wintering and dies. Only in the Krasnodar Territory were populations found that acclimatized and successfully overwintered.
Pikromerus is a bug that lives in the European part of Russia and Europe. It actively eats almost any caterpillars and larvae, including the scoop, sawflies, and the Colorado potato beetle:
And one more species - posidus - is specially released on the fields in spring and does not hibernate. He can sometimes be found in the garden after such a massive release:
What is the harmfulness of the parasite
Some insects negatively affect the plants they live on. The representative eats the leaves and fruits, leaving behind brown marks. With an invasion of shields, the entire crop can be destroyed. Favorite delicacy is raspberries.
Bedbugs are very fond of raspberries.
On berries and leaves, the insect leaves an unpleasant odor of the glands. With a lack of glands, the insect moves to agricultural crops, namely to cereals. Often a representative settles in an apartment.
When it enters the apartment, the insect does not harm the tenants. The only negative is the unpleasant odor from the parasite.
Can they harm people?
Garden bugs have long been recognized as completely safe for humans. They cannot bite, since the oral apparatus is not at all adapted to this. Saliva poison is dangerous only to insects; its paralyzing effect cannot act on animals and people due to its very low concentration.
The only inconvenience from the presence of green bugs in the apartment is a strong unpleasant smell, which is emitted very intensely. Which is not surprising - the forest bug is completely disoriented in the room and gets scared. The green bug is not as dangerous as other harmful house bugs.
Very rarely, there may be an allergic reaction to a bug - a stink and the secret of its glands.
Do I have to fight
The fight should only start when necessary. With several beetles in the house, it is enough to collect them and take them out into the street. An active fight should be started when a pest appears in a garden plot. Treatment with pesticides will be required. If this is not done in time, the crop will be destroyed.
Factors that increase the risk of a beetle entering a home include:
- attraction with artificial light;
- transfer of a natural disaster;
- accidental hit with fresh fruits and vegetables.
You can bring an insect with vegetables and fruits
What are the methods of struggle
The fight against the parasite on the site must be comprehensive and timely. Basic methods:
- chemical;
- mechanical.
The chemical method consists in the use of chemicals. Solutions are available as sprays, powders, and liquids to create solutions.
With the mechanical method, the usual manual collection of insects is recommended. Additionally, the use of folk methods is allowed. When fighting, the main thing is an integrated approach.
Melilot seedling, or Tychius crassirostris
A harmful beetle from the Curculionidae family, distributed everywhere.
In May, mature female weevils lay eggs on the upper third of the leaf, in the tissue parenchyma. The hatched larva is curved, white. In the place of development of the larva, galls are formed, and the leaves on the damaged stems begin to turn upward.
The maximum size of an adult pest is 2.8 mm. It is distinguished by a short and thick rostrum, a dense body, which is covered with brown scales. Pronotum narrowed towards the base. She, like the elytra, has a dark coloration.
Wintering sites are the upper soil layer or the remains of vegetation. In early spring, beetles populate crops of cultivated sweet clover or its wild species. Young leaves, cuttings, stem tops are used for nutrition.
Protective measures consist in the competent application of crop rotation, adherence to sowing dates, isolation of crops, and timely harvesting work.
What chemicals are effective
Chemicals are used as the last resort when other methods have proved ineffective. This is due to the fact that the residues of the substance will accumulate in the soil and plants.
Experts recommend giving preference to Actellik. It is a long-lasting universal remedy. After entering the body of an insect, it destroys the nervous system. The performance of all internal organs is inhibited. This leads to the death of the representative. Gloves, a protective suit and a respirator must be worn during handling.
To combat bedbugs, you can use Actellik
Another effective drug is Vantex. The agent has a contact-intestinal action. The medicine is low toxic. Doesn't harm plants when used correctly. The main advantage of the solution is moisture resistance. The poison continues to act even after rain or other rainfall.
What are the popular ways of fighting
A solution based on a mustard mixture has shown a good result in the fight against parasites. For preparation, you need to mix 10 liters of water and 100 g of mustard powder.The components are thoroughly mixed and sprayed with a spray bottle.
Onion and garlic-based solutions are popular. For onion medicine, take a medium vegetable and a glass of water. Chop the onion and cover with water. Leave to infuse for 7 days. Strain the liquid and use to wipe the leaves.
The safest method is to manually collect the insect from the site. Fragrant plants are planted on the territory, scaring away bedbugs, for example, cumin, basil, black cohosh.
