Have you ever been out in the garden weeding or monitoring your tomatoes, then froze when you noticed some objects that looked remarkably like a handful of ideal little blueberries attached to the stems of your plants? They are shiny, round, the same appealing deep blue color, and your brain goes “hey, free snack.” But the good news is you really don’t want to eat them and the bad news is what you are looking at is likely not a fruit. It is a bug, more specifically, Homaemus proteus, more commonly known as the Jewel Bug or Shield Bug.
The “Blueberry” Impostor
So, let’s imagine that you are hunched down on the soil, somewhat distracted, and your vision catches those bright beads located along the leaves. They look real enough you could almost grab one and place it directly in your mouth. However, looks can be deceiving, and if you
