Red cotton bug- the sap sucker

 "How are you?, Mr. red cotton bug? and What are you doing here in my cotton crop?", I asked this crimson red and black insect resting on upper surface of cotton leaf.
  "We are fine and leading a normal life here alongwith our families. We need plant sap as food for our normal development and reproduction. Though we prefer the nutritious sap from immature seeds but in emergency we can thrive on sap from leaves and stems of cotton plants.", replied Mr. red cotton bug.
"It means you are harmful insect say pest of cotton crop." I confidently said so.
 " No..No sir, we were born as insects but man had made us pests. Your pesticide industry through your insensitive entomologists defined us as minor pest of cotton. And remember that they can promote us as majors in near future. We solemnly affirm here that we never had any intentions to harm your crops but we have to suck sap from different parts of cotton plants for our survival.  Farmers in your area consider our presence in the cotton crop as strong indicator of fetching higher prices in the market. So this why they call us baniya. Though entomologists in their close society call us Dysdercus singulatus of family Pyrrhocoridae from order Hemiptera.", he explained at length.

"Survival of the fittest in this nature also apllies on us. We also have to struggle very hard for our existence. May I tell you that my wife after mating lays more than 500 eggs. These are laid in groups of 70-80 eggs in the moist soil or crevices or under debries on ground so that some of them may be saved secure from the jaws of predators roaming round the clock in search of food. The different kinds of ground beetles, rove beetles and tiger beetles may consume our eggs. Even lucky new borns from these secure eggs are preyed upon by the nymphs of Antilochus spp. from our own family. Some of thses new borns develop into adults mainly because of their good habit of living and moving together. After attaining adulthood, assasin bug from Reduviidae family and adults of Antilochus bug suck our blood for thier survival. Even spiders do not spare us for thier food requirements.
Some fungal pathogens also kill us." he alongwith a group of his nymphs continued to share the odds.