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
- ↑ Organism Names
- ↑ 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