Many people have been asking me about little black bugs biting them this summer. Have you experienced this? I would have to guess they would be minute pirate bugs, also known as insidious flower bugs.
Minute pirate bugs are oval and about 1/5 inches long (hence the “minute” part of the common name). The wings cross over the back and have black and white markings. Adults and nymphs are predatory and feed on a variety of small, soft-bodied insects. Like all predatory true bugs, these insects have piercing-sucking stylets and feed on the fluids of other insects.
Pirate bugs are common to see in field crops, woodlands, and home gardens. Specifically, they like to feed on aphids we consider plant pests. In the fall, they can become nuisance pests because they accidentally probe humans with their stylets. The probing can be surprisingly painful given the small size of the bug. They don’t feed on saliva and are not known to vector any diseases. People can react differently from the pirate bug probes. I personally get a little red welt, but it goes away in a few hours. There really isn’t anything you can do to manage minute pirate bugs; however, an insect repellent may work for you.
Ahoy, matey!
Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Integrated Crop Management News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on October 6, 2016. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.
- Professor
- Extension Entomologist Specialist
- ANR Crops Team Leader