Geocoris pallidipennis is a tiny big-eyed bug (adults of this group are about 1/8 inch, 3–4 mm long) that hunts aphids and whiteflies in Korea and China. It isn't found in the United States, but close relatives such as the western bigeyed bug (Geocoris pallens) are familiar predators of small pests on American farms and gardens.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Adults of this group of bugs are about 1/8 inch (3–4 mm) long. Young bugs () go through five stages before becoming adults.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Greenhouses
- Range
- Recorded from Korea and China; Korean sources also list Japan. It does not occur in the United States.
- Preferred conditions
- In Korea it is being studied as a natural enemy for greenhouse crops such as chili peppers, Korean melons, and bell peppers.
Behavior
- Diet
- It pierces small prey with its beak and sucks their body fluids: aphids, whiteflies, thrips, and the eggs and young caterpillars of moths.
- Activity
- It handles heat unusually well. Nymphs can develop at up to 99.5°F (37.5°C), and adults still laid eggs and fed on whiteflies at 104°F (40°C).
Life cycle
- Reproduction
- Females lay eggs on the undersides of leaves. At 77°F (25°C), it takes about 43 days to go from egg to adult, and a female lays about 80 eggs.
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- Researchers in Korea are studying it as a way to control sweetpotato whiteflies in hot summer greenhouses, where many other stop working above 95°F (35°C).
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