Dysdercus koenigii

Dysdercus • Pyrrhocoridae • Heteroptera (plantsucking) • Hemiptera • insects (plant pests) • pests-diseases-weeds

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Dysdercus koenigii nymph on hibiscus (click on image to enlarge it)
Author(s): J.M. Garg
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Dysdercus koenigii (Fabricius 1775) - (red cotton bug)

This bug is found in southern Asia and feeds on the buds and the developing fruits of a variety of plants. It can cause significant damage to cotton in India and Pakistan (Shahid et al., 2017). Adults and nymphs puncture flower buds and young cotton bolls, causing damaged or aborted bolls. D. koenigii has increased in importance after the introduction of Bt-cotton cultivars, which are usually not treated with pesticides, but are only resistant to Lepidoptera pests.

The adult bug is around 15 mm long and red to orange-red. Nymphs are typically bright red. Eggs are laid on the ground and the development of 5 nymphal stages lasts around 5 weeks. There are several generations per year.