Edessa Rufomarginata
Like many good creatures, the journey of an Edessa rufomarginata begins on a host plant, preferably a Solanum erianthum. This plant smells terrible but E. rufoarginata does not mind, being a stinkbug that smells not marvelous itself.
To set the scene, this is a Solanum erianthum. An E. rufomarginata will live his whole life here, with a huge extended family group, for this species is not a solitary one.
A few times a year, it seems that all the E. rufomarginata are engaged in this particular act. These are large and colorful insects that are, in the best of times, not very good flyers. They do not need to be! They have no natural predators that I have seen. (See: stink.)
They are also very prolonged in this act. And because they are awkward, they sometimes fall off their perches whilst in this act, so one must watch where one steps lest one step on a happy couple. (Did I mention they are stinkbugs? In nature bright coloration can sometimes serve as a warning. In this case it is a signal that the stink is to the nth degree. Tread carefully.)
Soon thereafter, lots of this occurs.
A very cool thing about this species is that they show no awareness of any other species so you can watch them at length. In doing so I have learned that eggs are always laid in the same order and always in those two rows, totaling fourteen.
Usually the eggs are laid on the undersides of leaves of the S. erianthum but I have also found them on the undersides of wide blades of wild grass that were accessible via sky-walking from the S. erianthum and once after a bonanza mating season on a wild tobacco also touching the S. erianthum. (These eggs never did as well though.) By “never did as well”, I not only mean that fewer of the eggs came to maturity (usually 11 or 12 minimum on the S. erianthum), they were more prone to danger.
While the adult E. rufomarginata has few predators, likely due to its aroma, the clutches of eggs face dangers such as hungry ants and parasitoid wasps.
BUT, if the yellow eggs are in the right place and somehow manage to avoid ants and wasps, they will turn orange shortly before this happens.
At first the nymphs are solid orange with no little “sewing lines” (my term), but they quickly get their first, followed by their second, followed by the little ones on their backs.
I know I have said unkind things about the way these insects smell, but I really admire their social structures. Not only are the adults attentive to the young, the older young are attentive to the younger young.
When a juvenile begins to get a dark patch across their shoulders, they are on the verge of adulthood. There is a noticeable color shift and a jump in size.
The old age of an E. rufomarginata is marked first by a subtle fading, then the body begins to lose volume and then the wings begin to not be held smoothly against the body.
And that is the lifecycle of the Edessa rufomarginata.
(edit to take out all photos. Sorry @bouteloua.)