Minute Pirate Bugs – Anthocoridae

Minute Pirate Bugs

 

Genus: Orius (Family: Anthocoridae) 

Common Name: Minute Pirate Bugs, Insidious Flower Bugs.

Appearance: Minute pirate bugs are 2-3 mm long, having oval-shaped bodies. They are black-colored with brownish white markings on the wings. Wings are rested on the body and cover the entire abdomen. They have a straw-like long piercing-sucking mouthpart that sucks the material out of the prey.

Host Plants or Food: Thrips, Whiteflies, Spider mites, Aphids, Moths, Small Caterpillars, and other arthropods.

Territory: Central America, South America (Native to Illinois)

Mode of Damage: They prey on different plant pests, so they are considered Beneficial Garden Insect.

Habits and Life History:

Minute pirate wings are found in pastures and field crops, including alfalfa, cotton, soybean, corn, wheat, and vegetable crops.

They overwinter as an adult under leaf litter and wood bark cracks. In spring, the adult comes out, mates, and the female lays eggs.

A female lays 2-3 eggs on leaves and stems in a day. Eggs are very minute, almost 0.4 mm long, and very difficult to detect.

Eggs hatch within 4-5 days into nymphs which further develop through five instars.

Nymphs are water drop-shaped with red eyes. As it develops through further stages, the color changes to dark yellow and brown.

The last molt matures into an adult minute pirate bug, which lives for 3-4 weeks.

Egg to adult development takes almost 3 weeks, and they have 2-3 generations per year.