Dicyphus bolivari
Dicyphus bolivari
They can walk effortlessly across sticky plant trichomes (hairs) that trap and kill other insects, using them as safe highways to hunt.
- Scientific name
- Dicyphus bolivari
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hemiptera › Miridae › Dicyphus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Mediterranean scrublands, agricultural fields, greenhouses, and gardens with sticky, hairy plants.
- Diet
- Zoophytophagous; feeds on small pests like whiteflies, thrips, and spider mites, but can also sip plant sap.
- Range
- Southern Europe, Mediterranean Basin, North Africa
- Size
- 3.0 to 4.2 mm
- Lifespan
- 30 to 60 days as an adult
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Broad-spectrum chemical pesticides used in intensive agriculture.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. This tiny insect is highly beneficial to gardens and agricultural crops, posing no threat to humans. If one lands on you, simply brush it off gently. No medical attention is required.
Photo: Ben Jobson, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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