Or maybe I should say it has one of my favorite common names: the twice-stabbed stink bug.
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Although I call many of the insects in my yard names that are intended "for mature audiences only" (like these guys), you'd never hear them as common names. The gardening and naturalist communities wouldn't stand for it, even those without sensitive ears.
So I applaud the ingenuity of whoever came up with the "twice-stabbed" moniker. It hints of the frustration, tastes of violence without offending, and is super-easy to remember.
I seem to have a lot of them in the cleomes this year:
They usually like the Agastache foeniculum, but maybe find the cleome more inviting?
Both of these plants are mixed in the same bed now, so maybe I've hit a critical mass of food hosts for these guys?
Stink bugs eat leaves and stems and fruit -- basically all parts of some plants -- but I've not noticed any damage done by this red-dotted species.
So I'm not sure why the common name holds so much negativity.
Until their feeding makes me change my mind, I'm glad to have them around. They're so photogenic!
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Beautiful bugs! I've seen them on bamboos here and wondered what they were, never noticed them damaging plants either.
ReplyDeleteAgreed...as long as they don't hurt the plants, I'm fine with most bugs :-)
ReplyDeleteI never knew what they were called. Simply amazing macro photos!
ReplyDeleteMine look much the same only they are green! Same markings, different colour. I like them too, they seem to do less damage than others.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. I have some of them in my garden too. I've noticed that they are rather 'romantic' too
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this is the kind or not but we've had a problem with stink bugs eating or blistering our tomatoes. Calcium added to soil helps though. Just a fyi.
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