Bagrada Bug

//Bagrada Bug

The photo is somewhat blurry but it appears to be the Bagrada Bug. Your insect belongs to the Stink Bug family, Bagrada hilaris, known to emit a pungent odor when disturbed. It is not native to California but is from parts of Africa, southern Asia and southern Europe. First detected in southern California about 5 years ago. it is considered an “invasive” species and has the ability to cause severe damage to commercial crops in California. It feeds on edibles, vegetables and fruits, as well as alyssum and weeds. It sucks the nutrients and sap out of plants. Hand pick and squish if there are not too many. Or spray with an organic control for chewing insects such as Spinosad. Here is a link from University of California: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/pestalert/pabagradabug.html

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:00-07:00 April 7th, 2016|Plant Pests|1 Comment

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  1. Ian July 6, 2016 at 4:42 pm - Reply

    This is actually a harlequin bug (http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/PESTS/harlequinbug.html). Can still be problematic for cruciferous crops, but not typically quite like bagrada bug can be.

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