Oncacontias vittatus

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Forest shield bug
Oncacontias vittatus 11.jpg
Scientific classification
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O. vittatus
Binomial name
Oncacontias vittatus
Fabricus

The forest shield bug (Oncacontias vittatus) is a species of shield bugs endemic to New Zealand. Forest shield bug nymphs prefer feeding on grasses, while adults will eat a variety of New Zealand plants including "hard-leaved" plants like rimu. O. vittatus was one of the first insects from New Zealand to be described by a European scientist. [1]

Contents

Dorsal view of Oncacontias vittatus Oncacontias vittatus.jpg
Dorsal view of Oncacontias vittatus
Illustration of Oncacontias vittatus HEMI Acanthosomatidae Oncacontias vittatus f.png
Illustration of Oncacontias vittatus
Oncacontias vittatus carved on Maori pare at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection at Landcare Research, Auckland NZAC Pare - Shield Bug.jpg
Oncacontias vittatus carved on Maori pare at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection at Landcare Research, Auckland


Taxonomy

Oncacontias vittatus, was first described in 1781 by Johan Christian Fabricius as Cimex vittatus. [2] In 1851, C. vittatus was moved to the Acanthosoma genus and was renamed as Acanthosoma vittatum. [3] In 1878, A. vittatum was moved to the Anubis genus and was renamed as Anubis vittatus. [4] In 1903, the species was independently described again as Oncacontias brunneipennis. [5] In 1906, Anubis vittatus was moved into the Oncacontias genus and O. brunneipennis was recognized as a synonym of O. vittatus. [6]

Distribution/habitat

Oncacontias vittatus, is widespread throughout New Zealand and can be found from lowland to alpine altitudes. Individuals can be found on a variety of habitat types such as native and exotic forest, tussock lands and on riverbanks. O. vittatus occurs throughout the year with adults present from October to January. Adults are collected in leaf litter, moss, under logs and the base of plants. They have been found on a variety of plants including Rimu, Monterey Pine, ferns and Nothofagus trees, however, the sap-sucking nymphs have a more restricted diet being found on grasses. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemiptera</span> Order of insects often called true bugs

Hemiptera is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from 1 mm (0.04 in) to around 15 cm (6 in), and share a common arrangement of piercing-sucking mouthparts. The name "true bugs" is often limited to the suborder Heteroptera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentatomoidea</span> Superfamily of true bugs

The Pentatomoidea are a superfamily of insects in the Heteroptera suborder of the Hemiptera order. As Hemiptera, they share a common arrangement of sucking mouthparts. The roughly 7000 species under Pentatomoidea are divided into 21 families. Among these are the stink bugs and shield bugs, jewel bugs, giant shield bugs, and burrower bugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentatomidae</span> Family of insects

Pentatomidae is a family of insects belonging to the order Hemiptera, generally called shield bugs or stink bugs. Pentatomidae is the largest family in the superfamily Pentatomoidea, and contains around 900 genera and over 4700 species. As hemipterans, the pentatomids have piercing sucking mouthparts, and most are phytophagous, including several species which are severe pests on agricultural crops. However, some species, particularly in the subfamily Asopinae, are predatory and may be considered beneficial.

<i>Geocoris</i> Genus of true bugs

Geocoris is a genus of insects in the family Geocoridae. Commonly known as big-eyed bugs, the species in Geocoris are beneficial predators, but are often confused with the true chinch bug, which is a pest. There are more than 140 described species in Geocoris.

<i>Blissus leucopterus</i> Species of insect

Blissus leucopterus, also known as the true chinch bug, is a small North American insect in the order Hemiptera and family Blissidae. It is the most commonly encountered species of the genus Blissus, which are all known as chinch bugs. A closely related species is B. insularis, the southern chinch bug.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acanthosomatidae</span> Family of true bugs

Acanthosomatidae is a family of Hemiptera, commonly named "shield bugs," for which Kumar in his 1979 world revision recognized 47 genera; now this number is 55 genera, with about 200 species, and is one of the least diversified families within Pentatomoidea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Planthopper</span> Superfamily of insects

A planthopper is any insect in the infraorder Fulgoromorpha, in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, a group exceeding 12,500 described species worldwide. The name comes from their remarkable resemblance to leaves and other plants of their environment and that they often "hop" for quick transportation in a similar way to that of grasshoppers. However, planthoppers generally walk very slowly. Distributed worldwide, all members of this group are plant-feeders, though few are considered pests. The infraorder contains only a single superfamily, Fulgoroidea. Fulgoroids are most reliably distinguished from the other Auchenorrhyncha by two features; the bifurcate ("Y"-shaped) anal vein in the forewing, and the thickened, three-segmented antennae, with a generally round or egg-shaped second segment (pedicel) that bears a fine filamentous arista.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green stink bug</span> Species of true bug

The green stink bug or green soldier bug is a stink bug of the family Pentatomidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawthorn shield bug</span> Species of true bug

The hawthorn shield bug is a common European shield bug. Its chief food is haws, the fruit of the hawthorn tree, but adults can overwinter on a diet of leaves, and individuals can be found on many potential food plants, including pedunculate oak, sessile oak and whitebeam. They may grow up to 17 mm (0.67 in) long, and are camouflaged in shades of green and brown. Like many so-called "stink bugs", they may release unpleasant odours when disturbed.

<i>Cercopis vulnerata</i> Species of insect

Cercopis vulnerata is a species of froghopper in the family Cercopidae.

Ischnodemus variegatus is a species of insect in the order of true bugs known by the common name myakka bug. It is native to Central and South America. It is also known as an introduced species in Florida in the United States.

<i>Stenotus binotatus</i> Species of true bug

Stenotus binotatus is a species of plant bug, originally from Europe, but now also established across North America and New Zealand. It is 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) long, yellowish, with darker markings on the pronotum and forewings. It feeds on various grasses, and can be a pest of crops such as wheat.

<i>Stagonomus venustissimus</i> Species of true bug

Stagonomus venustissimus, common name woundwort shieldbug, is a species of shieldbug belonging to the family Pentatomidae, subfamily Pentatominae.

<i>Calliphara nobilis</i> Species of jewel bug

Calliphara nobilis is a species of jewel bug found in Asia. Like all species of jewel bugs, it is phytophagous, feeding on the leaves, fruit and seeds of its host plants. This insect is notable for its multiple defense mechanisms: it is highly mobile and swarms disperse with a loud buzz when disturbed; it is aposematically colored, which serves as a warning to any would-be predators that it is unpalatable; and it possesses a robust chemical defense mechanism: it can secrete an irritating and toxic fluid from a pair of metathoracic scent glands when threatened.

<i>Philaenus spumarius</i> Species of insect

Philaenus spumarius, the meadow froghopper or meadow spittlebug, is a species of insect belonging to the spittlebug family Aphrophoridae. In Italy and America, it is economically important as one of the vectors of Pierce's Disease .

<i>Issus</i> (planthopper) Genus of true bugs

Issus is a genus of planthoppers belonging to the family Issidae of infraorder Fulgoromorpha of suborder Auchenorrhyncha of order Hemiptera. Like most members of the order Hemiptera they live on phloem sap that they extract with their piercing, sucking mouth parts.

<i>Cosmopepla lintneriana</i> Species of true bug

Cosmopepla lintneriana, the twice-stabbed stink bug, is a species of insect in the family Pentatomidae. Cosmopepla lintneriana was first described in 1798 by Johan Christian Fabricius as Cimex carnifex, and then again in 1865 by Thomas Say as Cosmopepla bimaculata. Cosmopepla lintneriana is hosted by a variety of plants, including milk thistle, echinacea, asparagus, oats, mint and goldenrod, and is widespread throughout North America, from Canada to Mexico. Adult C. lintneriana are black with a red, orange, or yellow band across the pronotum and a short red stripe along the midline, and two red spots at the apex of the scutellum. Nymph coloration ranges from red to white with black markings that change as they grow.

<i>Schizaphis graminum</i> Species of true bug

The greenbug, or wheat aphid, is an aphid in the superfamily Aphidoidea in the order Hemiptera. It is a true bug and feeds on the leaves of Gramineae (grass) family members.

<i>Monteithiella humeralis</i> Species of shield bug of the family Pentatomidae

Monteithiella humeralis, commonly known as the pittosporum shield bug is a species of herbivorous shield bug native to Australia and introduced in New Zealand. As its common name suggests, it is most commonly observed feeding on Pittosporum plants.

<i>Dictyotus caenosus</i> Species of true bug

Dictyotus caenosus, commonly known as the brown shield bug, is an Australian species of stink bug that has been introduced into New Zealand and New Caledonia.

References

  1. "Shield bug". Landcare Research. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  2. Fabricius, J. C. 1781: Species Insectorum exhibentes eorum differentias specificas, synonyma auctorum, loca natalia, metamorphosin adjectis observationibus, descriptionibus 2:1-517. Hamburgi et Kiloni: Bohn
  3. Dallas, W. S. 1851: List of the specimens of hemipterous insects in the collection of the British Museum 1: 1– 368. London: Trustees of the British Museum.
  4. White, F. B. 1878a–1879a: List of the Hemiptera of New Zealand. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 14 (1878)
  5. Breddin, G. 1903: Ueber Missdeutete und neue HemipterenArten der indoaustralischen Fauna. 1. Der Catacanthus incarnatus der Autoren. 2. Die javanischen Acanthos-ominen und verwandte Formen. Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin (5): 195–223
  6. Kirkaldy, G. W. 1906c: Notes on the Hemiptera of the “Index faunae novae-zealandiae”. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 38: 61–62.
  7. Larivière, M-C; Larochelle, A 2004. Heteroptera (Insecta: Hemiptera): catalogue. Fauna of New Zealand 50, 330 pages.(ISSN 0111-5383 (print), ; no. 50. ISBN   0-478-09358-6 (print),). Published 14 May 2004. ZooBank: http://zoobank.org/References/A7CCCF4B-BAEA-4515-AE1A-740523FD1289