Pests, Beneficials, Diseases and Disorders of Mangoes - Northern ...

Graptostethus bugs
Graptostethus spp. (Family Lygaeidae)
Description:
Eggs: Unknown (not normally seen).
Immatures: Similar to adult but smaller (not normally seen).
Adults: Orange-red with a ‘cross’ pattern made by the folded wings.
Size: 7–9 mm in length.
Life Cycle: Development time from egg to adult is 45–81 days. Eggs
take 14–21 days to hatch, nymphs develop in about 30 days, adults
live for about 80 days.
Similar to: A variety of similarly coloured swarming bugs.
Damage: May occur on flowers and shoots in very large numbers but
they do not feed on fruit trees. Some scratch marks may be seen on
trees affected by large swarms.
Critical Control Period: Spray only if there is physical damage to
flowers, scratching damage to fruit, or the likelihood of structural
damage to branches.
Other comments: Four species are recorded from the Northern
Territory. These bugs feed on seed pods of some field crops, native
plants and weeds.
Monitoring: Look for swarms in flowers and on leaves.
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