This is one of my preserved Harlequin Bugs that I staged for a focus stacking session. They are a member of the 'true bug' family with their sucking proboscis.

Although they may look pretty with its bright colors, the Harlequin Bug feeds on its host plant by sucking the plant's juices. They literally "sucking-to-death" the host plant they feed on which results in wilting, browning, and eventual death of the plant.

They are a threat to cabbage (and thus to the St. Patrick's Day traditional meal) and related crops in the southern half of the United States although they do venture north. This pest has the ability to destroy the entire crop where it is not controlled so it is a constant battle to control them. In addition to its favorite cabbages, they can also destroy horseradish, cauliflower, collards, mustard, Brussels sprouts, turnip, kohlrabi and radish.

And if that's not enough, in the absence of these favorite plants they can turn to tomato, potato, eggplant, okra, bean, asparagus, beet, weeds, fruit trees and field crops so their variety of diet is vast. These are true pests along with the related Brown Marmorated Stink Bug.

This is one of my preserved Harlequin Bugs that I staged for a focus stacking session. They are a member of the 'true bug' family with their sucking proboscis.

Although they may look pretty with its bright colors, the Harlequin Bug feeds on its host plant by sucking the plant's juices. They literally "sucking-to-death" the host plant they feed on which results in wilting, browning, and eventual death of the plant.

They are a threat to cabbage (and thus to the St. Patrick's Day traditional meal) and related crops in the southern half of the United States although they do venture north. This pest has the ability to destroy the entire crop where it is not controlled so it is a constant battle to control them. In addition to its favorite cabbages, they can also destroy horseradish, cauliflower, collards, mustard, Brussels sprouts, turnip, kohlrabi and radish.

And if that's not enough, in the absence of these favorite plants they can turn to tomato, potato, eggplant, okra, bean, asparagus, beet, weeds, fruit trees and field crops so their variety of diet is vast. These are true pests along with the related Brown Marmorated Stink Bug.

Good Lord, I used to have a mother-in-law that looked like that!

This is one of my preserved Harlequin Bugs that I staged for a focus stacking session. They are a member of the 'true bug' family with their sucking proboscis.

Although they may look pretty with its bright colors, the Harlequin Bug feeds on its host plant by sucking the plant's juices. They literally "sucking-to-death" the host plant they feed on which results in wilting, browning, and eventual death of the plant.

They are a threat to cabbage (and thus to the St. Patrick's Day traditional meal) and related crops in the southern half of the United States although they do venture north. This pest has the ability to destroy the entire crop where it is not controlled so it is a constant battle to control them. In addition to its favorite cabbages, they can also destroy horseradish, cauliflower, collards, mustard, Brussels sprouts, turnip, kohlrabi and radish.

And if that's not enough, in the absence of these favorite plants they can turn to tomato, potato, eggplant, okra, bean, asparagus, beet, weeds, fruit trees and field crops so their variety of diet is vast. These are true pests along with the related Brown Marmorated Stink Bug.