Orius Explained

The genus Orius (commonly called minute pirate bug) consists of omnivorous bugs in the family Anthocoridae (pirate bugs). Adults are 2–5 mm long and feed mostly on smaller insects, larva and eggs, such as spider mites, thrips, jumping plant lice,^[1] and white fly, but will also feed on pollen and vascular sap.^[2]

These predators are common in gardens and landscapes. They have a fairly painful bite, but are not venomous.

Some species are raised commercially and sold to growers as a form of biological control.

In laboratory conditions, the larval development of Orius niger takes 14 days at a temperature of 25°; females have a longevity of 60 days and can lay up to 150 eggs.^[3]

Species

• Orius candiope
• Orius diespeter
• Orius harpocrates
• Orius insidiosus (insidious flower bug)
• Orius minutus
• Orius niger
• Orius pumilio
• Orius tantillus
• Orius thyestes
• Orius tristicolor

External links

• Iowa State University Department of Entomology Iowa Insect Information Notes, minute pirate bug entry (with picture)

Notes and References

1. Hérard, Franck. 1986. Annotated list of the entomophagous complex associated with pear psylla, Psylla pyri (L.) (Hom.: Psyllidae) in France. Agronomie. 6. 1 - 34. 10.1051/agro:19860101.
2. Kiman, Z. B. . Yeargan, K. V. . amp . 1985. Development and reproduction of the predator Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) reared on diets of selected plant material and arthropod prey. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 78. 4 . 464 - 467. 10.1093/aesa/78.4.464 .
3. Jean-Lou Justine (1978) [Contribution to the study of the influence of alimentation on the development and reproduction of ''Orius niger'' Wolff, 1811 (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae)] Contribution à l'étude de l'influence de l'alimentation sur le développement et la reproduction dOrius niger Wolff, 1811 (Heteroptera : Anthocoridae). Masters Thesis, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France, 92 pages [in French with English abstract]