Two-Lined Burrower Bug - Pangaeus bilineatus
While researching the White Margined Burrower Bug (recently posted for a more in-depth look earlier this month) for information on that specific insect and some of the other Cydnidae relatives that live in North America, I was drawn to a few genera in particular: Cyrtomenus and Dallasiellus specifically. They are (relatively) large compared to the White Margined Burrower Bug, and seem to be better equipped for digging and burrowing thanks to their robust bodies and spine-covered legs. Thanks to the latter trait, my memory was jogged on this insect I found in the garden, but struggled to identify when first found. Three years later, I believe P. bilineatus to be the closest match given its appearance, coloration (especially the eyes), legs, exposure of wings, antennae and texture of the exoskeleton. However, without close-ups of this insect that are in focus, this is an educated guess made using Bugguide's identification key. With the evidence available, this insect could be a different specie within the Tribe Geotomini (Order> Family > Tribe > Genus > Specie) with spiny legs. Melanaethus was another genus I had considered within the Burrower Bug family.
On the assumption that this is indeed a Two-Lined Burrower Bug, we're very lucky to find this Bug above ground! Compared to its white margined relative, this specie prefers to spend its time in the soil, and is content to nourish itself with juices sipped from plant roots. Since it likes to remain hidden, detection of this insect can be difficult without deliberately digging and investigating roots. Moreover, it is a generalist feeder that has been found on trees, smaller plants and important cultivated species such as pear, peanut and strawberry. Both adults and nymphs feed this way. After overwintering beneath the leaf litter or spent plants from the previous year, the adults emerge and place their eggs at similar sites (likely through scent cues) and diligently watch them until they hatch. Upon hatching, the adult Bug supplies them food for a short while before the nymphs set out on their own. This feeding has a triple function: watch over and protect the young, ensure they are feed, and supply them with essential gut bacteria that will aid their nutrient intake! Their strategy seems foolproof, and yet their numbers don't seem to explode often due to the control exerted from parasitic Twisted-winged Insects (Order Strepsiptera), subterranean worms and modern insecticides used for protecting crops.
Pictures were taken on June 14, 2020 with a Google Pixel 4. I shall aim to find more insects like this one and further flesh out the Burrower Bugs of the Order Hemiptera.