NationalNational PestPest AlertAlert Bagrada Bug Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) Family Pentatomidae Origin and Distribution The bagrada or painted bug, Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister), is a recently introduced pest of cole crops and weeds in the western United States. Native to Africa, it has also spread to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Middle East and Italy. In the U.S. it was first found in Los Angeles County, California in 2008, Bagrada bug now occurs in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Texas. Host Range The bagrada bug is a plant-feeding stink bug, primarily attacking cole crops in the family Brassicaceae. It feeds on weeds, flowering plants, and cultivated mustards such as arugula, Asian greens, India mustards, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, canola, radish, sweet alyssum and turnip. When populations are high and preferred host plants are scarce bagrada bugs can be found on a Bugwood.org Agriculture, Dept. LA County Arakelian, Gevork from Photo variety of other plant species (sometimes causing damage). Bagrada bug adults and nymphs feeding. Potential Impact and Spread hosts for bugs that survive the summer. Since these crops are just sprouting at the end of summer, feeding by the insects quickly The presence of brassicaceous weeds is thought to have contributed destroys the plants. to the range expansion of bagrada bug. In the southwestern U.S., mustard weeds grow in the winter, providing bugs with ample food at times when crops approach harvest and become tough Life Cycle and Identification and less desirable. Adult males and females are similar in appearance, measuring 5–7 As temperatures mm, with the female being larger. The back of both sexes is black increase, bug with orange and white spots, and the underside of the abdomen density can rapidly can vary from black to dark cream. Adults are commonly found increase. Weeds copulating and positioned end-to-end. along highways and irrigation canals The bagrada bug overwinters in the adult stage and lays eggs provide corridors in the spring through early fall. The eggs, unlike other stink into agricultural bugs, are laid individually or in small groups. Eggs are areas. The late laid on the undersides of leaves, hairy stems of plants, summer planting and in cracks in the soil. New eggs are slightly of commercial barrel-shaped and dirty white, gradually mustard and cole becoming orange-red as the embryo Mating adults, with the smaller male on the crops serve as develops. Upon hatching, nymphs left. Eggs of bagrada bug change color with age. Newly deposited eggs are creamy white; whereas, those about to hatch are orange-red. are reddish. The legs, head and cooler. Removing weedy mustard plants from around fields can thorax gradually darken within reduce the number of bagrada bugs in area between cole crops. hours of hatching and the Contact your local Extension Agent for insecticide nymphs resemble small adult recommendations. lady beetles. There are 5 nymphal stages. Later instars exhibit elaborate markings, and the 5th For information about the Pest Alert program, please contact Laura Iles, instar shows white markings on co-director of the North Central IPM Center, at [email protected]. the thorax and abdomen along with the presence of wingpads. This publication was produced and distributed by USDA-NIFA Regional IPM Centers and the 1862 Land-Grant Universities. Aggregations containing both nymphs and adults become Typical lesions caused by 1862 Land-Grant Universities increasingly common as densities feeding. Fresh feeding damage Auburn University University of Alaska University of Arizona University of increase, generations overlap, appears light green and then Arkansas University of California Colorado State University University of and food sources decrease. bleaches with age. Connecticut University of Delaware University of the District of Columbia University of Florida University of Georgia University of Guam University Multiple generations per year of Hawaii University of Idaho University of Illinois Purdue University exist in the warm desert areas. The generation time is 2–3 weeks Iowa State University Kansas State University University of Kentucky during the summer months. Bagrada bugs have their highest Louisiana State University University of Maine University of Maryland survival rates at temperatures between 75°F and 91°F. Higher or University of Massachusetts Michigan State University University of lower temperatures increase development time and cause increased Minnesota Mississippi State University University of Missouri Montana mortality. State University University of Nebraska University of Nevada University of New Hampshire Rutgers New Mexico State University Cornell University North Carolina State University North Dakota State University Ohio Damage (Plant Symptoms) State University Oklahoma State University Oregon State University Pennsylvania State University University of Puerto Rico University of The bagrada bug inserts its needle-like mouthparts into plant Rhode Island Clemson University South Dakota State University University tissues, injects digestive enzymes and sucks the juices. Bagrada bug of Tennessee Texas A&M University Utah State University University of feeding initially results in a starburst-shaped lesion. Continued Vermont University of the Virgin Islands Virginia Polytechnic Institute & feeding can cause leaf death and kill seedlings. Bagrada bugs feed State University Washington State University West Virginia University West primarily on leaves, flowers and young seed pods. In head-forming Virginia State University University of Wisconsin University of Wyoming. crops, feeding damage results in no heads being formed or multiple Collaborators small heads. Bagrada bugs aggregate together which increases the damage in the places they are aggregated within a field. Thomas M. Perring and Darcy A. Reed, Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521 John C. Palumbo, Department of Entomology–Yuma Agricultural Center, Management University of Arizona, Yuma, AZ 85364 Tessa Grasswitz, Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Monitoring for bagrada bugs in the morning after temperatures are Science, Extension Plant Sciences, New Mexico State University, Los above 85°F can determine if a field is infested. Leaves with star- Lunas, NM 87031 shaped lesions may be easier to spot than the insects themselves. In C. Scott Bundy, Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed young cole crop fields, bugs may be found at the plant/soil interface Science, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003 during early morning and late afternoon when temperatures are Walker Jones USDA-ARS, Biological Control Unit, Stoneville, MS 38776 Monica Papes, Department of Zoology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078 Newly emerged Tom Royer, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma first instar and a State University, Stillwater, OK 74078 mature egg with a Funding Source U.S. penny for size This work is supported by the Crop Protection and comparison. Pest Management Program (2018-70006-28884) from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. July 2019.