Popping the lids..

There was much life on the underside of a rosemarine leave in the vegetable garden this morning as the lids of the stink-bug eggs popped open and out came the tiny nymphs, one after the other, only few days after the mum layed the eggs. The exoskeleton of the nymph is softer than that of the adult, which explaines how it could fit into the egg that is smaller than the nymph! From now on this group of brothers and sisters will be feeding on the rosemarine leaves (my mother in law will not be happy) and grow until the exoskeleton becomes too tight for them, then they will break down the softer inner layer of the exoskeleton and secret a new wrinkled soft layer that is bigger than the outer layer. The nymph then takes in water and air and blows up like a balloon (not really) and breaks off the hard outer layer which will become an abandoned exuvia, whereas the new layer, once expanded and wrinkles straightened will become harder. When that is done the nymph will continue with business as usual, eating, molting (5 times in total) until the adult emerges. I imagine that the whole process is automatic but I wonder if the nymphs are conscious of what happens to them or whether they are just mindless eat-machines and all just happens as a surprise to them (do they experience surprise?). And if you were wondering, the nymphs can defend themselves with stinking chemicals (at least feom the 5th instar) which makes them a lot less cute!