Mesquite Giant Beetle

Description:

Giant Mesquite Bug nymphs are striped red and white and have plump, red and black legs, bluish wing-stubs, and large, red and black antennae.

Habitat:

Sonoran Desert, clusters of large, strange-looking, red and white bugs are spotted on the foliage of mesquite trees.

Notes:

The bright, conspicuous colors of the Giant Mesquite Bug nymphs are a form of aposematic coloration meant to warn potential predators that they are not good to eat. If bothered, the flightless nymphs will produce a stinky secretion to repel predators not already warned off by their bright colors.