| Sphaerocoris annulus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Family: | Scutelleridae |
| Genus: | Sphaerocoris |
| 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.
Description
Sphaerocoris annulus can reach a length of about 15 millimetres (0.59 in). 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). 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. Sphaerocoris annulus nymphs are a creamy-white color with black stripes and dots, and gain their colorful spots when they reach maturity.
Distribution
This species is present in tropical and subtropical Africa (Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Zambia and Zimbabwe).
References
- Organism Names
- ^ wernereslin (2021-01-15). "Nature's calling - Picasso bug". Southlands Sun. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
- ^ van der Heyden, T. (2017): A recent record of Sphaerocoris annulus (FABRICIUS, 1775) in Zambia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae). - Heteropteron, 49: 23-25.
- Le monde des insectes
- Mbondji, P. M.; Pluot-Sigwalt, D. Biological data on Sphaerocoris annulus (F.) in Cameroon (Heteroptera, Scutelleridae) Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 2000 Vol. 105 No. 1 pp. 23-30 ISSN 0151-0517
- "Picasso Bug". Project Noah. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
External links
- [REDACTED] Media related to Sphaerocoris annulus at Wikimedia Commons
- [REDACTED] Data related to Sphaerocoris annulus at Wikispecies
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![[REDACTED]](https://u3vuiephb.global.ssl.fastly.net/File:Wikispecies-logo.svg){kind=link}
| Taxon identifiers | |
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| Sphaerocoris annulus | |
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