Large group of black plant bug nymphs (Irbisia sericans)

Observation by Genelle Winter:

A local boater saw these on the shore of Driest Point on Annette Island, yesterday June 1, 2019.

Derek Sikes, Curator of Insects at the University of Alaska Museum, writes:

They are true bug nymphs. Probably (Irbisia sericans). If so, they feed on grasses.

Comments from LEO Editors:

There are three stages in insect development: larvae, nymph, and adult. In the nymph stage, the body structure resembles that of the adult, which is seen in this observation of black grass bugs or Irbisia sericans (family Miridae).

Adult plant bugs measure anywhere from 1.5-15 mm in length. They generally feed on plants, but some species may prey on other insects. Plant bugs are often found in California, Rocky Mountains and Wyoming, although populations do extend north. The University of Alaska Museum of the North has 253 specimens that have been found across Alaska. Plant bugs lay eggs from late May and early June. Eggs remain dormant over the summer and winter, hatching the following spring. Plant bug larvae generally transition through the nymph stage and become adults over the course of approximately four weeks. Erica Lujan