Rough Stink Bug on Ficus

wildlifehub

I believe our subject is Brochymena arborea, also known as the Rough Stink Bug.  After photographing it I did a little research and was surprised to learn there are several beneficial species of stink bugs, the Rough Stink Bug being one of them.  While many stink bugs feed on plants and cause crop damage there are also species, such as this one, that prey on caterpillars and other crop damaging insects.

Virginia Integrated Pest Management published the Field Guide to Stink Bugs which explains how to identify stink bugs in the Mid-Atlantic region and identifies the beneficial ones.

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Spider Breakfast

wildlifehub

Walking through the woods one morning I found this spider having breakfast.

I don’t know much about spider identification but I believe this may be an American House Spider (Parasteatoda Tepidariorum), also known as the Cobweb Spider.

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Little Black Spider

wildlifehub

I nearly stepped on this small black and red spider before I noticed it hanging out on a lichen covered rock.

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