COMMON NAME

Damsel bug

Order

Suborder

Family

Genus

Species

Alias

Hemiptera

Heteroptera

Nabidae

Nabis kingbergii

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Description

Similar to an assassin bug but their bodies are slender, and the protonum is longer and slimmer. They have well developed front legs similar to the raptorial legs of the praying mantis, which they also use to grasp their prey. They are grey-to-light brown in colour and very fast moving. The nymphs look like smaller, wingless versions of the adults. In other species some early instars mimic ants, making them difficult to distinguish from the nymphs of some pod sucking bugs.

Adult size: 8-10 mm

Out and about

They become active in spring but are most numerous mid to late summer. There are about 500 species of damsel bugs found worldwide with approximately 16 species present in Australia.

Reproduction and Life cycle

The female lays its eggs within plant tissue, making them difficult to find. The eggs are white, cylindrical and spaced apart. The nymphs go through five stages or instars before becoming adults after the final moult at which stage the wings are developed. It takes almost two months from egg to adult. The adults overwinter and come out again in spring.

To deter

To control

Plants to repel

Plants to attract

Fennel / Caraway / White cosmos / Alfalfa / Spearmint / Lemon marigold

Predators

Why they are Beneficial

They have a rostrum with which to pierce their prey and suck out the innards. Adults and nymphs feed on soft-bodied insects, small larvae, leaf hoppers, thrips, mites and the eggs of many pest insects. If food becomes scarce they will eat each other.

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