Nysius pulchellus Stal

Usinger, Robert L., 1946, Hemiptera Heteroptera of Guam, Insects of Guam II, Honolulu, Hawaii: Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Bulletin 189, pp. 11-103 : 27

17. Nysius pulchellus Stal , Freg. Eugenies Resa, Ins., 244, 1859.

One specimen, Fullaway (1184). Twenty-eight specimens collected as follows: four specimens, Umatac , May 14, 17, on Euphorbia hirta, Usinger.and Swezey ; four specimens, Umatac , May 28, on Pemphis, Usinger ; five specimens, Machanao , Aug. 6, on amaranth, Swezey ; seven specimens, Piti, April 30, May 1, June 3, on Nicotiana , sedge, and Styplielia , Swezey and Usinger ; one specimen, Mt. Tenjo , May 3, Swezey ; one specimen, Upi Trail , May 5, Usinger ; four specimens, Mt. Chachao , May 16, on Styphelia, Usinger ; one specimen, Sumay , Aug. 17, Swezey .

This is a common species known only from Guam, where it was first collected on the Eugenies Resa Expedition. It is nearest to Nysius picipes Usinger from Wake Island. I am indebted to 0. Lundblad for the loan of a cotype of pulchellus from the Naturhistoriska Riksmuseum, Stockholm.

Nysius pulchellus occurs most commonly on Euphorbia hirta, Portulaca , Pemphis , and Vernonia . Eggs are laid rather loosely in composite heads and may be obtained from captive bugs in cotton-stoppered vials, the eggs being inserted into the cotton plugs. After two days, red eye spots appear, becoming more distinct as development progresses. The eggs hatch in seven days. The first-instar nymphs are decidedly reddish in appearance. They molt in three days, becoming considerably more robust and ferrugineous in color with longitudinal stripes on the head and mottled pale testaceous areas over the dorsum. The second instar lasts five days and the three succeeding nymphal instars each last three days. The total period of development from egg to adult is 24 days.