Can anyone identify this bug
- Thread starter sizzilky
- Start date
Unga Bunga
Well-Known Member
Google says it's a Twice Stabbed Stink Bug .
Twice-stabbed Stink Bug (Cosmopepla lintneriana)
Cosmopepla lintneriana, the twice-stabbed stink bug, locally called the wee harlequin bug (particularly in Alberta), is a species of insect in the Pentatomidae family. Cosmopepla lintneriana was first described in 1798 by Johan Christian Fabricius as Cimex carnifex and then again in 1865 by...
www.inaturalist.org
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compassionateExotic
Well-Known Member
I can see the insect in your photo clearly — it’s a true bug (Hemiptera), black with distinct red/orange markings.
This looks like a Harlequin bug (Murgantia histrionica) or a closely related shield/stink bug. A few notes for your cannabis grow:
ID & Behavior
- These bugs are sap suckers. They use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant juices.
- Common on cruciferous crops (mustard, kale, cabbage, etc.) but they will probe other plants too.
- They often leave stippling, small yellow/white spots, or leaf distortion where they feed. Heavy infestations can weaken plants.
On Cannabis
- They’re not a primary cannabis pest like spider mites, thrips, or aphids.
- That said, they can still stress plants by piercing leaves and sucking sap.
- Usually you’ll only see them as occasional visitors if other host plants are nearby (they prefer brassicas).
Control Options (IPM-friendly)- Hand-pick and remove if numbers are low. Drop them into soapy water.
- Row covers/traps if you grow brassicas nearby (keeps populations down).
- Neem oil, insecticidal soap, or pyrethrin sprays can work if infestation is heavy, but these are rarely needed on cannabis unless they’re persistent.
- Encourage predators → spiders, assassin bugs, parasitic wasps all feed on them.
In summary: Not a major cannabis pest, but they can do some feeding damage if there are a lot. If you only see one or two, I’d just remove them manually.
