They seem to be everywhere as soon as we walk out the door.
Little red bugs ranging in size from about 3mm….to
maybe around 12mm with their wings starting to grow.
Even the giant ants have to crawl over these red bugs to get where they are going….
They are swarming over the road and the gravel driveway,
they are on the dirt or among the leaves
they are climbing the trees,
They are on tree roots
they are in cement crevasses
they are all over the rock walls,
they are on the front porch, they are on the plants….millions of them!
We have seen them in previous years but not this many.
So I did a 'google' on 'red bugs'.
And although there seems to be a bit of a discrepency as to whether they are:
1. an insect of the family 'Pyrrhocoridae' and genus Dysdercus (often called Cotton Stainers of which the nymphs have black heads which my little bugs don't and the adults have white stripes underneath which mine don't) or genus Cenaeus (species Cenaus carnifex - who all seem to have some red on their legs which my little bugs don't)
or
2. an insect of the family 'Rhopalidae' Rhopalidae Serinethinae to be exact,
And if I understand it right, both are of the Superfamily 'Pyrrhocoroidea' of true bugs.
There is no debate that they are a 'true bug'!
But from my searching, and matching my own photos, I think they are probably what is commonly called a Soapberry Bug, specifically the species Leptocoris Mutilatis of the Rhopalidae Serinethinae family.
The ones we are seeing by the millions are mostly the nymph stage of the bug. I only spotted a couple of the adult version - of which you can just spot the 'orange/red' belly at the side under the wings
Below - in the shade - the adult colours (on left) are a little more interesting
Anyhow, at least we know that even if we humans have trouble telling them apart and knowing for sure what they are, God as Creator knows exactly what they are!
Meanwhile I had a bit of fun taking a closer look at the multitude of these tiny critters.
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