Above: Nabid lifecycle, click on picture to enlarge.
Below: Photograph of an immature nabid. The immature nabid is smaller than
the adult and the wings are not fully developed.
Nabids
(damsel bugs) feed on small, soft-bodied arthropods in wheat fields. Both adults
and immatures are predaceous. Nabids are widely distributed in wheat and other
crops, and are frequently among the most abundant predatory insects in wheat
fields. Adult nabids are winged and highly mobile. Nabids are not considered
highly effective at controlling aphids because they lack the prey specificity
associated with highly effective aphid predators. However, they contribute to
the control of aphid infestations.
