Sphaerocoris annulus

Sphaerocoris annulus
Sphaerocoris annulus. Museum specimen
(They seem to have lost their green color as well as their legs and heads)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Scutelleridae
Genus: Sphaerocoris
Species: S. annulus
Binomial name
Sphaerocoris annulus
Fabr.

Sphaerocoris annulus, common names Picasso Bug or Zulu Hud Bug, is a species of shield-backed bugs belonging to the family Scutelleridae. [1]

Description

Sphaerocoris annulus can reach a length of about 8 millimetres (0.31 in). The basic color is green, with eleven ring-shaped spots on the elytra. 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).[2] This species reproduces at the beginning of the dry season (November-December). The full development lasts 56 days.[3]

Distribution

This species is present in the tropical Africa (Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia & Cameroon.).

References

  1. Organism Names
  2. Le monde des insectes
  3. 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
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