A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Heterogaster urticae
Bronze colored plant bug about 6 mm long with red eyes. There are white and black stripes along the outside edge of the abdomen. The wings have a smiley face :) There were dozens of these on the bush today where there weren't yesterday.
Mock Orange bush in backyard. "...a Palearctic species newly established in southern California. The true hosts of these bugs are species of Urtica (nettles). It is very similar to the native species H. behrensii (Uhler), which also feeds on Urtica spp. The former most easily can be distinguished from the latter by the presence of a short spine on the underside of each fore femur, a character I cannot see on these images." - Tom Henry via Bug Guide
Spotted on Feb 12, 2014
Submitted on Feb 12, 2014
