June 18th, 2007
they’re hatching!
This morning, I remembered to look for the silver eggs that I saw being laid by a predatory Stink Bug on June 7th. Lucky thing that I did as the eggs must have just hatched out. A tiny mass of bugs could be seen clinging to the eggs – they’re probably still at the first or perhaps second instar stage. At this point, they would be vulnerable to predation by other insects, but it won’t be long before they’ll be on the prowl looking for prey of their own. This University of Florida page on Spined Soldier Bugs mentions that these bugs are high cannibalistic, so I imagine they may dine on each other until they are large enough to strike out on their own. Unfortunately, I don’t know if these fellows just hatched, or if they were out a day or two ago as I hadn’t been able to find the eggs until this morning — the vegetation has grown so much that it was concealed from my line of sight. I doubt they’ve been out of the eggs for long though as they are piled up atop them. As they get older, they’ll move to rest side by side and do some roaming around on the leaves. I’ll try to watch them more closely for the next few days to see how long it will be before they disperse. I didn’t think to count the insects, but next time I pass by, I’ll take my loupe and see if I can figure out how many their are on the leaf. Perhaps I’ll be able to tell if their numbers diminsh before they wander off.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Nice catch, bev. Photographing them on top of their eggs is quite an interesting moment. I always just assumed they’d leave as soon as they were out.
June 19th, 2007 at 5:47 am
robin – thanks! Last year when I watched these guys, they stuck around the eggs for at least 2 or 3 days, but then we had a big rainstorm and the next morning when I checked they were all gone. My guess is that they just stick around for a couple of days getting stronger and then they move on. I’ll see if I can document what they do over the next few days.
June 20th, 2007 at 5:51 am
You remembered! My scatterbrain will note things, and then a week or two later will remind me that *duh* you should have checked back ten days ago. Where can I go for a trade-in?
The little ones seem to be quite convivial right now. I suppose we can expect sibling rivalry to creep in anytime.
June 20th, 2007 at 6:31 am
Wayne – Well, I have to try pretty hard to remind myself to keep watching certain things around the farm. Usually, I try to check a group of things on a daily basis and then stop checking them when they finally disappear. I’ve been doing that with various spiders recently. It’s a little like having a newspaper route — I stop at each “house” along my route! (-:
Yes, you’re right… those little nymphs look sort of cozy there. However, I expect they’ll soon start developing an appetite — and we’ll see what happens then.
June 21st, 2007 at 4:28 pm
As always – I’m so entertained and astonished by the images you capture. We’re traveling for the next several weeks. The preparations have bogged me down. I’ve missed stopping by your blog. Thanks for your insight and wisdom on my latest post, Bev. Hope all is well with you.
June 22nd, 2007 at 8:15 am
Cathy – Nice to hear that you’ll be traveling a bit this summer. We’re unsure of our plans for the next while, but are contemplating a trip up along the northern shore of Lake Superior. It’s something we’ve been thinking of doing for a number of years, so this could be the summer. All is well with us for the moment — hoping that it’s the same for you. Have a fun trip wherever you wander.