Bugs stuck to Beans

Pole beans seem to have very "sticky" undersides (velcro-like texture) and I frequently find arthropods stuck to the leaves (usually underneath, but sometimes on top). Not just one or two bugs either - in late summer almost every leaf has something stuck to it, and sometimes there are multiple bugs per leaf. The most I've found on one leaf is three parasitoid wasps.

Anyone know why this happens? Is the bean plant "delibrately" trying to catch bugs (i.e. it benefits the plant somehow) or does it have "sticky" leaves for another purpose, and the bug-catching is just a side effect? Found this article that talks about bean leaves being used to catch bed bugs, but it doesn't seem to go into much detail about the leaves catching other bugs as well: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3645427/

Here is a list of bugs I have found stuck to bean leaves:

Wasps:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237880895 (Ichneumonidae)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237880892 (Ichneumonidae)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237880884 (Ichneumonidae)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/236534511 (Ichneumonidae)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/240546716 (Ichneumonidae)
https://inaturalist.ca/observations/240553226 (Ichneumonidae)
https://inaturalist.ca/observations/240553225 (Ichneumonidae)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/236534514 (Ichneumonidae/Brachonidae)

Sawflies:
https://inaturalist.ca/observations/240553221

Beetles:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/240546715 (Adalia bipunctata)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/241776922 (Adalia bipunctata)

Caddisflies:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237880885

Mayflies:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/240635803 (Baetis)

Aphids:
https://inaturalist.ca/observations/240553223

Flies:
https://inaturalist.ca/observations/240553222 (Chironomidae)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/241776928 (Muscoidea)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/241776921 (Acalyptratae)

Mites:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237880882

Posted on August 25, 2024 04:11 PM by little_blue_heron little_blue_heron

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