Female mesquite bug nymph showing bold aposematic coloration. Click to enlarge.
Clearly the most stunning arthropod find during last week’s family reunion in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico were the last instar mesquite bug nymphs we encountered at the el Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden Ecological Preservation Zone.
These nymphs are enormous, each being roughly the size of my thumb. I have never encountered them before and was astounded by their size and abundance. Adults and nymphs can be found on mesquite trees during the summer. The nymphs congregate on the pods, drinking plant fluids, while the adults feed on fluids from both the pods and young twigs. The young advertise their bad taste with their brilliant colors, which are further emphasized by their tendency to aggregate.
Females show the enlarged broadened areas near the end of their antennae, while males lack the broadened areas entirely.
What a beautiful animal! Nice shot, too!
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