“Damsel” by Name Only…

I imagine the conversation may have went something like this…

Aphid (with a cockney accent, of course): “Oh, hello, who are you then?”
Damsel: “Name’s Damsel…”
“Oh, that’s a lovely name.  My name is Aphid.”
“No, I think I’ll call you ‘Sugar Bag.’ “
“Sugar Bag? Now that doesn’t sound Aghhh!…”

😉

I caught a glimpse of this guy early one morning patrolling around the surfaces of my rosinweed and decided to watch.  I didn’t wait long to observe the hunt.  This bug is definitely in the family Nabidae, and I am going to call this one the common damsel bug, Nabis americoferus, due to it matching a few photos and the fact that this is considered to be the one of the most common hemipterans in the United States.

I have read that these guys overwinter as adults and have a wide selection in the prey they choose.  It seems that if it is smaller than they are, or close in size at least, they will poke it and suck out their hemolymph.  Like I said, “damsel” in name only…

Thanks for visiting!

OZB

email: handsomeozarkbillyboy@gmail.com