The thorn insect | Facts & Information

Origin

Prefers ornamental plants from subtropical regions. It is an insect harmful to these plants. It destroys the plant in search of SAP.

There are cases when very large and dense groups of insects gather on the branches of plants. There are so many insects that, despite their size of only 1 cm, it is almost impossible to touch the stem without disturbing any individual.

They live and infest plants year-round.

Feeding The Thorn Insect

Both young and adults feed on the same host plants.

They can often be seen on the same branches.

Features Insect Thorn

The thorn insect is 1cm (0.4 inch) long. It is an insect whose size and color vary depending on the habitat and food. Males are usually yellow or green in color with red stripes and brown spots.

In masuli the thorn (or horn) is more inclined towards the back than in females.

The great advantage of this insect is that this thorn that can be uncomfortable defends it from predators.

The female is harder to spot. Protection comes from confusion with a thorn, such as the one on roses, or from the difficulty of swallowing the insect by smaller birds.

Adults especially prefer the following host plants: wild tamarind (Lysiloma bahamensis), tamarind (Tamarindus indica), rayado bundleflower (Desmanthus virgatus), bottle brush (Callistemon sp.), Jerusalem thorn (Parkinsonia aculeata), dwarf date palm (Phoenix roebeleni) and others ..

Reproduction Insect Thorn

Males attract attention when they fly from one plant to another in search of females. When it reaches a new plant, it moves its abdomen to create vibrations along the entire length of the plant.

After mating females lay around 100 eggs in a crack or in the bark of the stem. They hatch after about 20 days (three weeks).

After hatching, a small colony of 15-50 individuals is formed. The little ones have three horns instead of one, as can be seen in adults.

Maternal care will last six weeks, after this period the female dies. In the first two weeks she protects the eggs from parasites. Nymphs at birth are the size of a sesame seed.

Each year four generations of the thorn insect appear, but each female lays only one row of eggs.