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Minute Pirate Bug

Minute pirate bugs are small predacious insects. The mature adults only measure up to one-fifth of an inch long. Among their prey are insect eggs like corn earworm eggs and small soft-bodied insects like aphids, whiteflies, and thrips. The minute pirate bugs life cycle begins by eggs laid inside plant tissue. Eggs are laid so that the top of the egg protrudes from the plant tissue. These eggs take about five days to hatch. After hatching, the pear-shaped larvae shed through five nymph stages of development. In the fifth stage, the nymph becomes an adult with fully functional wings. Adults have sucking mouth parts that they use to pierce their soft-bodied prey and drain them of fluids. These mouth parts are short, stout beaks. Mature minute pirate bugs are dark oval insects with white markings. They have a distinct triangular head. These adult insects live for three to four weeks. Some people might not consider minute pirate bugs a beneficial insect because its eggs are laid in plant tissue, but some people intentionally release these insects into greenhouses and fields to help with harmful insect control.