Classification: | Phylum: Arthropoda | Class: Insecta | Order: Hemiptera | Family: Coreidae | Genus: Dalader |

The unique feature of this bug is the dilated third segment of the antennae. The host plant of this particular Dalader species is the Air Potato Vine (Dioscorea bulbifera). I had seen it aggregating in large numbers, along the stem of the air potato vine. Also its nymphs in different stages of development had been found on the Air Potato Vine. As I had seen them in this vine on a few occasions, I am quite certain that this vine is one of its host plants. However, I has yet to locate a reference that link this bug to the vine when I last update this page in July 2014.

Based on the report by Brailovsky in 2005 [1], there are 5 Dalader species in in Malaysia, namely D. acuticosta, D. anthracinus, D. planiventris, D. shelfordi and D. pulchrus. The latest one, D. pulchrus, was described in 2005. Two of the species, D. acuticosta and D. planiventris were also found in India [2]. Since I am not an entomologist, the 2 articles with no live picture of the bugs is not helpful to me on the identification of this Air Potato Vine bug.

Reference article(s):

Brailovsky H. 2005. A new species of Dalader Amyot and Serville, with a key to the Malaysian Species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae: Coreinae: Dalederini). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 107 (4): 883-886.

Parveen S, Ramamurthy VV. 2009. Redescription of two Species of Genus Dalader Amyot and Serville (Coreidae: Coreinae: Daladerini) from India. Indian Journal of Entomology. 71 (4): 331-333.