I think this is a box elder. I always find them on the oleander. This is the first time I've seen one on the orange tree.This makes me think about those really colorful and huge grasshoppers that we get in cycles. They are bright yellow/orange. Anyone know what I'm talking about? When we get them, they're bad. Last I can remember, I was a kid when we had an infestation of these little guys.Beware, box elder bugs may have a huge population explosion this fall. Turns out box elder bugs operate on a ten year cycle. Between years seven and ten, the bugs tend to be the most reproductively active.
What year are we in? Year nine.
Speaking of interesting cycles, what about the century plant? I thought this species of agave only bloomed every 100 years, but in fact, it blooms in about 7-20 years, then it dies!
What other interesting cycles can you think of?
Those are Romalea guttata lubber grasshoppers, Danielle. They can be a real plague, and they have a solid chemical defense system that keeps predators at bay (hence the garish warning colors).
ReplyDeleteThe other bug you have photographed I'm not quite sure of yet. Unless its a variation, I'm thinking its something other than a boxelder bug. Boy, howdy, those things can get numerous, too.
If you have any milkweeds in your garden, or in the area, I'd bet that your specimen is a milkweed bug - probably Oncopeltus fasciatus.
Have a look here:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/504/bgimage
I love the picture of the Agave. Living in Ohio, there are only a couple varieties that will grow here. I hope to have one of them soon!.
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