Damsel bugs
© 2000. Ralph E. Berry, Department of Entomology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR.
| Adult damsel bugs, Nabis spp. (Hemiptera: Nabidae), are 4 to 12 mm long with piercing-sucking mouthparts. Nymphs resemble adults, but are smaller and have no wings. Adults and nymphs feed on many different soft-bodied insects, including aphids, spider mites, leafhoppers, small caterpillars, and insect eggs, including those of the Colorado potato beetle. Adults of the western damsel bug, N. alternatus, begin emerging in May or early June. Adults begin laying eggs in soft plant tissue soon after emergence. Adults and nymphs are present throughout the summer. |
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