Life Cycle: Adult damsel bugs overwinter and emerge in the late spring. This process takes approximately 50 days. The general body plan of a damselfly is similar to that of a dragonfly. The egg is elongated and oval shaped, narrow at the base and progressively widening towards the Damsel bug lifecycle Young damsel bugs, or nymphs, look a lot like adults, which means they go through an incomplete metamorphosis. They have 5 developmental stages, or instars, before reaching adulthood. Common name- Damsel fly ; Order- odonata ; Metamorphosis- hemimetabolous ; Mouth part- chewing ; Significance- eat small insect pests; 38. Life Cycle Damsel bugs undergo simple metamorphosis, passing through an egg and five nymphal stages before adulthood. Their favorite overwintering spots are winter grain and alfalfa fields. Several hemipterans are beneficial predators in the garden, including assassin bugs, damsel bugs, and some stink bugs. Adult damsel bugs are 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch long with very slender bodies and a dark triangle at the base of their wings. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Often, there are no visible symptoms of their damage, but some leave tiny white spots where they have fed, and some speciesâ salivary secretions may cause large spots or distorted tissue. ). When temperatureswarm the female damsel bug lays eggs in the plant tissue of host plants. Adult females hide eggs by laying them inside plant tissue. They have gradual metamorphosis with the nymphal stages often feeding on the same food type as the adult. And if the prey is scarce, they will eat each other. Start studying Entomology. Adult damsel bugs are 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch long with very slender bodies and a dark triangle at the base of their wings. Common name- Damsel bug ; Order- hemiptera ; Metamorphosis- paurometabolous ; Mouth part- piercing/sucking ; Significance- eat plant pests and there eggs; 37 036Damsel fly. Eggs During warm months, Nabis capsiformis adult females can lay up to 200 eggs that are inserted into the stems of low-growing plants. The compound eyes are large but are more widely separated and relatively smaller than those of a dragonfly. Pest: Damsel Bug(Nabis spp.) Pest Type: Beneficial Insect, Predaceous Beetle Major Identifying Features: Slender, yellowish, gray, or dull brown, 2/5 inch, elongated head, long antennae, nymphs and adults move rapidly when disturbed Life Cycle: Incomplete metamorphosis with nymphs that look similar to adults, females insert their eggs into plant tissue where they are difficult to detect ⦠Damsel bugs undergo gradual metamorphosis and nymphs resemble adults but lack fully developed wings. Habitat and Feeding Preferences: Damsel bug nymphs are found on the soil surface, in leaf litter, or near the base of plants. Many true bugs feed on plant sap. Some of the more common and important true bugs families on vegetable crops include minute pirate bugs, assassin bugs, big-eyed bugs, damsel bugs, and stink bugs (yes, there are beneficial stink bugs! Damsel bugs undergo gradual metamorphosis and nymphs resemble adults but lack fully de-veloped wings. 035Damsel bug. Damsel bugs will also eat other predatorial insects such as the minute pirate bug or assassin bugs. Damsel bugs are whatâs known as a âgeneralist predator,â which basically means they arenât picky eaters. This order includes stink bugs, plant bugs, squash bugs, boxelder bugs, chinch bugs, damsel bugs, the predaceous assassin bugs (Figures 4â13 a-g), scale insects, cicadas, planthoppers, treehoppers, spittlebugs, wooly aphids, and psyllids (Figure 4â14 a-k).