''Sphaerocoris annulus'', common names Picasso bug or Zulu hud bug ( Zulu: "iCikwa"), is a species of shield-backed bugs of the family

Scutelleridae Scutelleridae is a family of true bugs. They are commonly known as jewel bugs or metallic shield bugs due to their often brilliant coloration. They are also known as shield-backed bugs due to the enlargement of the thoracic scutellum into a con ...

Description

''Sphaerocoris annulus'' can reach a length of about . The basic color is green, with eleven ring-shaped spots on the scutellum. The colors and the design of these bugs represent a warning to predators. They also emit a noxious odour when disturbed. Main host plants are ''

Gossypium ''Gossypium'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Gossypieae of the mallow family, Malvaceae, from which cotton is harvested. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Old and New Worlds. There are about 50 ''Gossypi ...

'' species (

Malvaceae Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar o ...

), ''

Coffea arabica ''Coffea arabica'' (), also known as the Arabic coffee, is a species of flowering plant in the coffee and madder family Rubiaceae. It is believed to be the first species of coffee to have been cultivated and is currently the dominant cultivar, r ...

'' (

Rubiaceae The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules ...

), ''

Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is nati ...

'' species (

Rutaceae The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in BoDD – Botanical Der ...

) and '' Vernonia amygdalina'' (

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae ...

). This species reproduces at the beginning of the dry season (November–December). Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves, and nymphs will spend a majority of their time in flowers feeding. Once they molt into adults, however, their feeding becomes more generalized. The full development lasts 56 days. ''Sphaerocoris annulus'' nymphs are a creamy-white color with black stripes and dots, and gain their colorful spots when they reach maturity.

Distribution

This species is present in tropical and subtropical Africa (Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Zambiavan der Heyden, T. (2017): A recent record of ''Sphaerocoris annulus'' (FABRICIUS, 1775) in Zambia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae). - Heteropteron, 49: 23-25.

and Zimbabwe).

References

External links

* * Scutelleridae Hemiptera of Africa Insects described in 1775 Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius {{Pentatomoidea-stub