Stenodema pilosa

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Stenodema pilosa
Stenodema trispinosa.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Family: Miridae
Genus: Stenodema
Species:
S. pilosa
Binomial name
Stenodema pilosa
Jakovlev, 1889
Synonyms

S. trispinosa (Reuter, 1904)

Stenodema pilosa is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, first described in 1889. [1] [2] It can be found across transcontinental North America Eurasia.

Contents

Description

Species within the genus Stenodema are elongate with a longitudinal furrow between the eyes and are best distinguished by the coarsely and densely pitted prothorax. S. pilosa is about 8–9 mm long and has three spurs on the hind femora. This distinguishes it from other closely related species, notably S. calcarata which has two femoral spurs. [3] [4]

There are two generations per year. Adults which have overwintered and mated in the spring are green with an orange-brown hourglass marking down their back, and those born later in the year are beige or tan. Males are often darker than females.

Range and habitat

This species has been found across transcontinental North America Eurasia and is commonly observed in grassy fields and wetlands. [5]

Ecology

Stenodema pilosa feeds on grasses such as the meadow foxtail, reed canary grass and common reed. [1] They overwinter as adults and emerge in April, and the new generation is complete by August. [6]

Etymology

Formerly treated as a separate species, S. trispinosa was synomized with S. pilosa in 2024. [2] The specific name trispinosa means "three-spined" and refers to the three small spines on its femurs. [7]

References

  1. 1 2 "Stenodema trispinosa – Plant Parasites of Europe". bladmineerders.nl. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  2. 1 2 Namyatova, AA; Dzhelali, PA; Konstantinov, FV (2024). "Delimitation of the widely distributed Palearctic Stenodema species (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Miridae): insights from molecular and morphological data". ZooKeys (1209): 245–294. Bibcode:2024ZooK.1209..245N. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1209.124766 . PMC   11336388 . PMID   39175835.
  3. "(Miridae) Stenodema trispinosa". www.britishbugs.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  4. "Stenodema laevigata | NatureSpot". www.naturespot.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  5. "Stenodema laevigata | NatureSpot". www.naturespot.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  6. "(Miridae) Stenodema trispinosa". www.britishbugs.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  7. "Species Stenodema trispinosum". bugguide.net. Retrieved 2024-01-19.