| Rhaphigaster nebulosa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Adult of Rhaphigaster nebulosa | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Pentatomidae |
| Genus: | Rhaphigaster |
| Species: | R. nebulosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Rhaphigaster nebulosa (Poda, 1761) | |
Rhaphigaster nebulosa, common name mottled shieldbug, is a species of stink bug in the family Pentatomidae. [1] [2]
This species is distributed throughout the Palearctic region, more commonly in the southern than in the northern parts of Central Europe (Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom), and is not known to occur in the United States. [3] [4]
Mottled shieldbugs prefer warm deciduous forests, parks and gardens. [3]
Rhaphigaster nebulosa can reach a length of 14–16 millimetres (0.55–0.63 in). These large shieldbugs are hairless and coloured dirty yellowish-grey to brown with irregularly-distributed fovea on the top side of its body. The membrane of the forewings is often speckled dark brown, although these speckles are quite variable in extent. The lateral edge (connexivum) of the abdomen has black and yellow markings. [3] The antennae are ringed with black and yellow markings on the 3rd to 5th segments. The underside of the body is light coloured and shows dark spots. On its underside, between the hips (on the 1st sternite), there is a long spur or spine. This species is similar to Dolycoris baccarum , but it lacks hairs. [1] [5]
Other species of Rhaphigaster can be confused with this species. In R. nebulosa, the spur on the underside is long enough to reach at least the anterior margin of the procoxae (shorter in R. brevispina). The femurs, mainly the hind femurs, have an isolated black spot on the anteroventral side of the apical half (absent in R. haraldi). The last tarsomere of each leg is largely blackish, and sometimes the first and second tarsomeres have brown or black apices (in R. haraldi all tarsomeres are pale). [6]
Mottled shieldbugs are polyphagous, feeding on sap from a range of broadleaved woody plants such as birch and hazel (Betulaceae); Arbutus (Ericaceae); beech and oak (Fagaceae); plane tree (Platanaceae); hawthorn, apple, plum and whitebeam (Rosaceae); Johnson grass (Poaceae); poplar and willow (Salicaceae); and Ulmus minor (Ulmaceae). They are also known to feed on freshly dead insects such as leaf beetle larvae. [2]
In late spring, the female sticks around 40 eggs in lines or discs on different parts of plants. The young that hatch vary in colour and are flightless. Wing stumps are only recognisable after the third nymph stage. [3] To protect against predators, young bugs have stink glands on their back; in the case of adults, these are to be found on the underside of the thorax. If threatened, a strong-smelling secretion is released. [3] Adults can be found all year. [1] They are not good fliers; their sluggish flight makes loud humming noises. [3]
This species displays diurnal, thermophilic activity. As with most Pentatomidae, it produces only one generation per year. [3] It likes to overwinter on walls covered with ivy. In its search for suitable winter quarters (splits and cracks) it often unwittingly finds its way into houses.
This species produces a plethora of eggs when disturbed in its habitat. Angering or threatening the bug makes it produce an off-white colored secretion that can be harmful if swallowed. Chemicals in the secretion allow the eggs to continue to fertilize in any environment, even those that are highly acidic or basic.[ citation needed ]
Eggs of R. nebulosa, like those of some other stink bugs, are parasitised by the samurai wasp Trissolcus japonicus (Scelionidae). [7]
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.
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.
Acanthosomatidae is a family of Hemiptera, commonly named "shield bugs" or "stink bugs". Kumar in his 1974 world revision recognized 47 genera; now this number is 55 genera, with about 200 species, and it is one of the least diverse families within Pentatomoidea. The Acanthosomatidae species are found throughout the world, being most abundant in high-latitude temperate regions and in subtropical regions at high altitudes.
The green shield bug is a European shield bug species in the family Pentatomidae. The name might equally apply to several other species in the tribe Nezarini, or if referred-to as a "green stink bug", it might more appropriately belong to the larger North American bug, Chinavia hilaris. The adult green shield bug ranges in the colour of their backs from bright green to bronze, without any substantial markings. Green shield bugs are a very common shield bug throughout Europe, including Great Britain & Ireland, and are found in a large variety of habitats, including gardens. They have been found as far north as 63° N latitude.
The green stink bug or green soldier bug is a stink bug of the family Pentatomidae.
The brown marmorated stink bug is an insect in the family Pentatomidae, native to China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian regions. In September 1998, it was collected in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where it is believed to have been accidentally introduced. The nymphs and adults of the brown marmorated stink bug feed on over 100 species of plants, including many agricultural crops, and by 2010–11 had become a season-long pest in orchards in the Eastern United States. In 2010, in the Mid-Atlantic United States, $37 million in apple crops were lost, and some stone fruit growers lost more than 90% of their crops. Since the 2010s, the bug has spread to the nation of Georgia and Turkey and caused extensive damage to hazelnut production. It is now established in many parts of North America, and has recently become established in Europe and South America.
Picromerus bidens, the spiny shieldbug or spiked shieldbug, is a carnivorous species of shield bug in the family Pentatomidae.
Dolycoris baccarum, the sloe bug or hairy shieldbug, is a species of shield bug in the family Pentatomidae.
Apodiphus amygdali is a species of shield bug belonging to the family Pentatomidae, subfamily Pentatominae.
Stagonomus venustissimus, common name woundwort shieldbug, is a species of shieldbug belonging to the family Pentatomidae, subfamily Pentatominae.
Trissolcus japonicus, the samurai wasp, is a parasitoid wasp species in the family Scelionidae, native to east Asia but now found in Europe, North America, and Chile. It is chiefly known for parasitizing Halyomorpha halys. It deposits eggs into the eggs of the stink bug, and as the wasp larvae develop, they kill the stink bug eggs. A single adult wasp emerges from each stink bug egg.
Rhacognathus punctatus, the Heather Bug, is a species of stink bugs.
Peribalus strictus, common name Vernal Shieldbug, is a species of shield bugs in the family Pentatomidae.
Euthyrhynchus floridanus, the Florida predatory stink bug, is a species of carnivorous shield bug in the family Pentatomidae, the only species in the genus Euthyrhynchus. It is native to the hottest parts of the southeastern United States and is considered beneficial because it feeds on many species of pest insects. They also feed on things such as grasshoppers and other small insects. This species also hunts in a pack, with up to twelve.
Rhaphigaster is a genus of stink bugs in the family Pentatomidae. Its most well-known member is the mottled shieldbug, Rhaphigaster nebulosa.
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.
Trissolcus basalis, or the green vegetable bug egg parasitoid, is a parasitoid wasp in the family Platygastridae known primarily for parasitising the horticultural pest Nezara viridula, the green vegetable bug.
Trissolcus oenone is a parasitoid wasp in the family Platygastridae, native to Australia and New Zealand. It parasitises the eggs of stink bugs (Pentatomidae), but little is known about its biology.
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.
Cuspicona simplex, commonly known as the green potato bug, is a herbivorous species of stink bug native to Australia and introduced to New Zealand. It feeds on nightshades. It is primarily known as a pest of potatoes, tomatoes, and other crops in the nightshade family.
