Fun Insidious Flower Bug Facts For Kids
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The insidious flower bug (scientific name Orius insidiosus) is a popular North American insect that is commonly known as the anthocorid bug or the minute pirate bug. It is a member of the Anthocoridae family and the Orius genus.
It ranges between 0.08 - 0.2 in (2 -5 mm) and is black with white markings over it. It is typically spotted on flowers, beneath loose bark, or leaf litter. They are slightly flattened and are broadly oval in shape.
Female insects of this species lay eggs in plant tissues which hatch within five days. The nymphs become adults in a small span of two to three weeks!
This North American insect preys upon the chich bug and the grape phylloxera. It is a natural controller of arthropod pests and this.
Insidious flower bug bites are quite renowned as the victim feels intense pain. This insect believes in biting people to test if they are or aren't edible. It does not feed upon the blood or flesh of humans via this bite.
It doesn't even possess biting mouthparts! This insect, considered a pest for its painful bite, is actually quite beneficial as it serves as a biological control agent. One can attract this common predator by growing soybeans, grapes, cotton, buckwheat alfalfa, and other deciduous fruits.
It can be commonly spotted in the eastern United States, southwestern United States, Central, and South America. Keep reading to get to know much more about this fascinating insect!
If you liked reading our facts about the insidious flower bugs, you must check out our stink bug surprising facts and giant mesquite bug facts for kids!
Insidious Flower Bug Interesting Facts
What type of animal is an insidious flower bug?
It is an insect indigenous to eastern North America that is a member of the Orius genus. The insidious flower bug bite is extremely painful, which is why this insect is so renowned in the places it occurs. It is known as a minute pirate bug and flowed bug, like all of its family's (Anthocoridae) insects.
What class of animal does an insidious flower bug belong to?
The Orius insidiosus belong to the class Insecta.
How many insidious flower bugs are there in the world?
The population of these bugs has not been evaluated yet. However, it is believed that it is present in abundance due to its rapid life cycle.
Where does an insidious flower bug live?
The Orius insidiosus can be commonly spotted in the eastern region of the United States. It is also known to exist in the southwestern region of the United States, all the way to southern California from Utah.
It can also be seen south, in Mexico, and in South and Central America. It has been observed in Puerto Rica, Cuba, and the West Indies islands.
What is an insidious flower bug's habitat?
The Orius insidiosus has been spotted in a variety of habitats and agricultural crops. It can be seen on strawberries, pea, corn, alfalfa, peanuts, cotton, and pasture land.
It is drawn to plants and flowers that are fed upon by soft-bodied insects. Adults and young feed upon such small prey like mites, thrips, aphids, whiteflies, small caterpillars, eggs of insects, and scale insects.
It feeds upon pollen and plant juices when these insects are unavailable. The Orius insidious has been observed to prefer flower thrips more than others. It has been observed to prey upon larval stages and adult thrips of various species.
It is used as an effective biological control agent in greenhouses. In summer and spring, it can be spotted in corn silks.
Who do insidious flower bugs live with?
Minute pirate bugs (Orius insidiosus) gather in large groups where the food is present in large numbers.
How long does an insidious flower bug live?
The Orius insidiosus bugs live for 35 days only!
How do they reproduce?
Female Orius insidiosus bugs lay eggs in plant tissues which hatch within five days. The young become adults in a small span of two to three weeks! They live in that stage for a month. Adult females lay 129 eggs on average in their whole life.
What is their conservation status?
Orius insidiosus bugs have not been evaluated by the IUCN yet. However, these insects are considered pets and are killed by humans. By minimizing the use of insecticide applications, we can maximize this natural biological control. We can also plan summer and spring flowering plants that are their food source.
Insidious Flower Bug Fun Facts
What do insidious flower bugs look like?
Adults of this species have oval-shaped bodies with protruding eyes, a beak, and a small head. They are mostly black along with a white-colored, diamond-shaped pattern on their wings. There is also a light stripe that runs along the middle. The nymphs are smaller than adults. They are wingless, teardrop-shaped, have a yellowish-orange to brown coloration and red eyes.
How cute are they?
These bugs are not that cute. Their piercing sting steals the slightest chance of anyone finding them cute. However, they have a neat pattern on their bodies.
How do they communicate?
They are known to fan their wings to communicate with their young ones and to deter predators. Adults communicate with the help of pheromones
How big is an insidious flower bug?
This pest ranges between 0.08 to 0.2 in (2 -5 mm) in length. Its length is almost similar to that of the false chinch bug.
How fast can insidious flower bugs move?
Adults, as well as the nymphs of this species, are highly mobile. They are capable of moving rapidly.
How much does an insidious flower bug weigh?
The exact weight of this species of bugs is not known yet. However, we can safely assume that they are lightweight because of their tiny size.
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no distinct names for males and females of this species of bugs.
What would you call a baby insidious flower bug?
The baby of this species can be referred to as an insidious flower bug nymph.
What do they eat?
The Orius insidiosus preys upon various soft-bodied arthropods like midges, whiteflies, aphids, spider mites, springtails, chinch bugs, plant bugs, and thrips. They also eat the eggs of large pests like corn earworms.
They are enemies of horticultural and agronomic pests of crops including sorghum, cotton, corn, and soybeans, proving to be beneficial to humans. It is a common control of arthropods pests and thrips on many crops, mainly deciduous fruits.
It has been observed holding its victim with front legs and then inserting the beak in the body many times until only the exoskeleton remains and the soft body is empty.
It is also a predator of the bollworm, corn leaf aphids, potato aphids, and spotted tobacco aphid's eggs and larvae. Essentially, mites and thrips make up the basic part of its diet.
It is a significant predator of the eggs of corn earworms as well. When prey is scarce, it consumes plant juices and pollen.
Are they poisonous?
No, these bugs aren't poisonous. They have never proven to be of any danger to humans.
Would they make a good pet?
No, these bugs are not kept as a pet due to their agonizing bite. They are also considered as a pest as it occurs in large groups. They benefit humans as they eat pests. They can be purchased from insectaries and then shaken over plants, where they will readily locate prey and disperse.
Did you know...
The larger pirate bug (Lycotcoris campestris) sucks the blood of humans!
Do insidious flower bugs bite?
Yes, these bugs give a pain-fuelled bite. The insidious flower bug bites cause redness, swelling, or welts. They do not feed on humans and they can't do that due to the absence of biting mouthparts. They just test if they are or aren't edible.
How to get rid of insidious flower bugs?
Many people consider the insidious flower bugs as pests. As they are beneficial predators, insecticides should be avoided. A personal repellent can be used which can provide some protection. However, if one needs to remove these pests, insecticides must be applied to the leaves of crops. Doing so will cause the Orius' numbers to fall.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these wheel bug interesting facts and stick bug facts for kids!
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Realistic Bug coloring pages.
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