Round Yellow Spotted beetle

[MWP admin]

I have photographed this beetle in a swamp (Chadwick lakes) in end of September and would like to identify it (species name / Maltese name). If someone reckognise this beetle please kindly post a message here.





The beetle was always on the move and quite difficult to take a photo!

[Ke!tH]

Quite a strangely colored bug!
Personally, I have never encountered one, and is neither picted on any of my local insect books!
I then searched the net for Nezara viridula as I knew that the nymphs of this species have the same structure and dorsal body markings, although they are normally green not black. (refer to http://maltawildplants.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10 )
All the results showed the normal green Nezara, except for one. It was found on: http://insektenbox.de/wanzen/nezvir2.htm
Unfortunately, the site is in German! so I didn't understand anything.
This result may show that the very young Nezara may also be found in a black coloration.
Any indication of the size of the bug may confirm my answer to this picture.[/i]

[MWP admin]

Click on the large link below for more pics quite similar to the bug posted above (nezara genus), but not perfectely similar. The link comes from a website which has pics of many insects and a very good site to identify insects.

Still need research to conclude if the bug is actually Nezara virduna



http://images.google.com.mt/imgres?imgu ... D%26sa%3DG

[MWP admin]

http://www.extento.hawaii.edu/kbase/vie ... virid2.jpg

http://www.extento.hawaii.edu/kbase/view/heteropt.htm

http://www.koleopterologie.de/heteropte ... nmann.html

http://www.afleurdepau.com/Faune/Insect ... ridula.htm

These images confirm that the photo shows a Nezara virduna nymph (probably stage 2)