With noses full of needle-like spines and chemicals that turn victims to mush, damsel bugs are among the deadliest creatures in the insect world. These bugs prey on other bugs. They sneak between leaves to locate other insects, then rush in to attack when their targets aren't looking. One stab means death, even for victims larger than the damsel bugs themselves.
Motion Sensors: A damsel bug's large, compound eyes can see in many directions at once. The insects don't see a real clear picture like people do, but their eyes detect the slightest movements around them simple and help the bug figure out the size of what's moving.
Get a Grip: These insects are stronger than they look. Damsel bugs can overpower other insects that are larger than they are; they use their long front legs to pin victims down as they prepare to make the kill.
Sneak, Stab and Slurp[]
Damsel bugs eat any insects they can kill, including larvae.
Damsel bugs are sneaky little predators. They use their flat bodies to slip through vegetation unnoticed and hide on flower petals and the underside of leaves, where victims are most likely to show up. When other insects arrive, the damsel bugs attack quickly. The damsel's beak looks like a solid tube, but actually conceals four thin, needle-like mouthparts that stab through an insect's armor and flood a victim's body with digestive fluids.
Mite-y Meal: Baby damsel bugs, called nymps [sic], look like miniature versions of adults-and the young hunt like adults, too. Young damsels gobble up mites in the soil, then climb onto plants when they're big enough to tackle larger prey.
Sprout: Experts aren't sure why, but damsel bugs are highly attracted to alfalfa plants. Farmers often mix alfalfa with their other crops to attract damsel bugs so the predators will eat the insects that damage the farmers' crops.
Damsel Causing Distress[]
- Seeing a young stink bug nearby, a damsel bug watches this potential meal without moving a muscle. The stink bug doesn't notice its enemy, and begins to feed on a leaf. The damsel bug rushes in when the stink bug is distracted.
- The stink bug panics and tries to run, but the damsel bug is too fast. The damsel bug uses its long front legs to flip the stink bug on its back and hold it down. the victim lies helpless as the damsel bug stabs it with its beak.
Trivia[]
- The "Mite-y Meal" section misspells "nymphs" as "nymps".