Cotton Stainer - Dysdercus suturellus, Eco Pond, Everglades National Park, Homestead, Florida

Description:

Description: English: Cotton Stainer - Dysdercus suturellus, Eco Pond, Everglades National Park, Homestead, Florida. Per Bugguide, this insect is a pest of cotton; "Feeding on the cotton bolls stains them an indelible yellow as plant sap seeps out of the puncture wound, and microorganisms and fungus grows at the site. The feeding habit also damages the fibres by cutting them, and affects the growth of the cotton boll.". Date: 7 December 2015, 16:55:57. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/52450054@N04/24007431246/. Author: Judy Gallagher.