Sphaerocoris annulus | |
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Scientific classification | |
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Species: | S. annulus
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Sphaerocoris annulus (
Fabricius, 1775)
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Sphaerocoris annulus, common names Picasso bug or Zulu hud bug ( Zulu: "iCikwa"), is a species of shield-backed bugs of the family Scutelleridae. [1]
Sphaerocoris annulus can reach a length of about 15 millimetres (0.59 in). [2] [3] The basic color is green, with eleven ring-shaped spots on the scutellum. The colors and the design of these bugs represent a warning to predators. They also emit a noxious odour when disturbed. Main host plants are Gossypium species ( Malvaceae), Coffea arabica ( Rubiaceae), Citrus species ( Rutaceae) and Vernonia amygdalina ( Asteraceae). [4] This species reproduces at the beginning of the dry season (November–December). Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves, and nymphs will spend a majority of their time in flowers feeding. Once they molt into adults, however, their feeding becomes more generalized. The full development lasts 56 days. [5] [6] Sphaerocoris annulus nymphs are a creamy-white color with black stripes and dots, and gain their colorful spots when they reach maturity. [2]
This species is present in tropical and subtropical Africa (Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia [3] and Zimbabwe).
Sphaerocoris annulus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | |
Phylum: | |
Class: | |
Order: | |
Family: | |
Genus: | |
Species: | S. annulus
|
Binomial name | |
Sphaerocoris annulus (
Fabricius, 1775)
|
Sphaerocoris annulus, common names Picasso bug or Zulu hud bug ( Zulu: "iCikwa"), is a species of shield-backed bugs of the family Scutelleridae. [1]
Sphaerocoris annulus can reach a length of about 15 millimetres (0.59 in). [2] [3] The basic color is green, with eleven ring-shaped spots on the scutellum. The colors and the design of these bugs represent a warning to predators. They also emit a noxious odour when disturbed. Main host plants are Gossypium species ( Malvaceae), Coffea arabica ( Rubiaceae), Citrus species ( Rutaceae) and Vernonia amygdalina ( Asteraceae). [4] This species reproduces at the beginning of the dry season (November–December). Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves, and nymphs will spend a majority of their time in flowers feeding. Once they molt into adults, however, their feeding becomes more generalized. The full development lasts 56 days. [5] [6] Sphaerocoris annulus nymphs are a creamy-white color with black stripes and dots, and gain their colorful spots when they reach maturity. [2]
This species is present in tropical and subtropical Africa (Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia [3] and Zimbabwe).