Western conifer seed bug

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Western conifer seed bug
Leptoglossus occidentalis MHNT.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Family: Coreidae
Genus: Leptoglossus
Species:
L. occidentalis
Binomial name
Leptoglossus occidentalis
Heidemann, 1910
Western conifer seed bug in Kanagawa, Japan

The western conifer seed bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis), often mistakenly referred to as stink bug, sometimes abbreviated as WCSB, is a species of true bug (Hemiptera) in the family Coreidae. It is native to North America west of the Rocky Mountains (California to British Columbia, east to Idaho Minnesota and Nevada) but has in recent times expanded its range to eastern North America, to include Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Michigan, Maine, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, and has become an accidental introduced species in parts of Europe and Argentina.

This species is a member of the insect family Coreidae, or leaf-footed bugs, which also includes the similar Leptoglossus phyllopus and Acanthocephala femorata , both known as the "Florida leaf-footed bug". Western conifer seed bugs are sometimes colloquially called stink bugs. While they do use a foul-smelling spray as a defense, they are not classified in the stink bug family Pentatomidae. In Chile, it has been confused with kissing bugs (Triatominae), causing unjustified alarm. [1]

Description

The average length is 16–20 millimetres (0.63–0.79 in) with males being smaller than females. They are able to fly, making a buzzing noise when airborne. Western conifer seed bugs are somewhat similar in appearance to the wheel bug Arilus cristatus and other Reduviidae (assassin bugs). These, being Cimicomorpha, are not very closely related to leaf-footed bugs as Heteroptera go; though both have a proboscis, but only the assassin bugs bite even if unprovoked, and L. occidentalis like its closest relatives can be most easily recognized by the expanded hindleg tibiae and by the alternating light and dark bands which run along the outer wing edges on the flaring sides of the abdomen.

Their primary defense is to emit an unpleasant-smelling alarm pheromone; [2] however, if handled roughly they will stab with their proboscis, though they are hardly able to cause injury to humans as it is adapted only to suck plant sap and not, as in the assassin bugs, to inject venom.

Ecology

A WCSB found on a window in Maine in 2005 Western conifer seed bug Maine 2005.jpg
A WCSB found on a window in Maine in 2005

In its native range, the western conifer seed bug feeds on the sap of developing conifer cones throughout its life, and its sap-sucking causes the developing seeds to wither and misdevelop. It is therefore considered a minor tree pest in North America, but becoming sometimes more harmful e.g. in conifer plantations. [3] However, it is not monophagous and even adaptable enough to feed on angiosperms if it has to, though it seems to prefer resiniferous plants that are rich in terpenes. As these are produced by plants to deter herbivores, it might be that in evolving its ability to overcome these defenses, L. occidentalis actually became somewhat dependent on such compounds.[ citation needed ]

Its host plants in the native range include conifers such as Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), and white spruce (Picea glauca). Outside the native range, it is found on species such as eastern white pine (P. strobus) and red pine (P. resinosa) in eastern North America and Europe, and mountain pine (P. mugo), black pine (P. nigra), Scots pine (P. sylvestris) and pistachio (Pistacia vera) in Europe. [3]

The eggs are laid in small groups on the needles or leaf stems of its host plants, and hatch in spring. The nymphs go through 5 instar stages before moulting into adults. In the United States, the species is univoltine, but in southern Europe, it completes two generations a year, and in tropical Mexico even three. In the northern parts of its range, these bugs start to move about widely by September or so to seek crevices for overwintering; they may become a nuisance in areas with extensive conifer woods, as they will sometimes enter houses in considerable numbers. [3] They have the potential to become structural pests, as it has been found that they will sometimes pierce PEX tubing with their mouthparts, resulting in leakage. [4]

Range and invasiveness

This insect is common in its native range along the temperate and warmer regions of the Pacific coast of North America and has steadily expanded eastwards. On its native continent, L. occidentalis has been located as far northeast as Nova Scotia. [5]

In Europe, this species was first reported in 1999 from northern Italy; it had probably been accidentally imported with timber and, as it seems, more than once, as its presence was subsequently reported from that country almost simultaneously from locations a considerable distance apart. By 2007, it had established itself in the northern Balkans (Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia), the Alps (Austria, Switzerland), and parts of the Czech Republic, France, Germany and Hungary; in 2003, it was found to occur in Spain, though this population probably derives from a separate introduction. The 2007 records from Weymouth College (England) and Ostend (Belgium) might also represent one or two further independent introductions. In late 2007, it was found at Wrocław and Miechów (Poland); these animals probably represent a further range expansion out of the Czech Republic. [3] During the autumn of 2008, a large influx of this species arrived on the south coast of England, indicating natural immigration from continental Europe. [6] In late 2009, a large group of western conifer seed bugs invaded Koç University in Istanbul, Turkey. The same thing happened in October 2012 in most of the cities of the French Alps, like Moûtiers. In 2017 it appears for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere, with several records from Chile. [7]

It was also first recorded from Tokyo, Japan in 2008, [8] and some additional records from Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture have been added until 2009.

Leptoglossus in a state of death Leptoglossus o`lim holatida.jpg
Leptoglossus in a state of death

In 2010 the first detection was made in Ukraine, in Dniprorudne, [9] and the next year in Russia, in Rostov-on-Don. [9]

In 2020 it was first reported in Finland. [10]

On October 21, 2020 the first sighting in Andorra was posted to iNaturalist, [11] [12] and in September this species was found in Kozhukhovka in Kyiv region, Ukraine.[ citation needed ]

Present in North Macedonia. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boxelder bug</span> Species of insect

The boxelder bug, also called box bug, maple bug or, inaccurately, box beetle, is a species of true bug native to eastern North America. The western boxelder bug Boisea rubrolineata is a relative of this species and is native to western North America. Boxelder bugs are found primarily on boxelder trees, as well as on maple and ash trees.

<i>Leptoglossus phyllopus</i> Species of true bug

Leptoglossus phyllopus or eastern leaf-footed bug is a species of leaf-footed bugs in the same genus as the western conifer seed bug (L. occidentalis. The Eastern leaf-footed bug is found throughout the southern United States, from Florida to California, through Mexico, and as far south as Costa Rica.

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

Coreidae is a large family of predominantly sap-sucking insects in the Hemipteran suborder Heteroptera. The name "Coreidae" derives from the genus Coreus, which derives from the Ancient Greek κόρις (kóris) meaning bedbug.

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

The Lygaeoidea are a sizeable superfamily of true bugs, containing seed bugs and allies, in the order Hemiptera. There are about 16 families and more than 4,600 described species in Lygaeoidea, found worldwide. Most feed on seeds or sap, but a few are predators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown marmorated stink bug</span> Species of Pentatomid insect

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 countries such as 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.

The term seed bug can refer to several different Hemiptera in the infraorder Pentatomomorpha.

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

Leptoglossus is a genus of true bugs in the leaf-footed bug family and the tribe Anisoscelini. Species are distributed throughout the Americas, with some records in eastern & southern Asia and Europe. Several species are economic pests of agricultural crops. Like members of some other genera in the family, these bugs have leaflike dilations of the hind tibia. Several species are of economic importance, and one species, L. chilensis, has been reported to bite humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anisoscelidini</span> Tribe of true bugs

Anisoscelini is a tribe of leaf-footed bugs in the family Coreidae. It was formerly spelled Anisoscelidini, but the tribal name spelling was incorrectly formed.

<i>Bagrada hilaris</i> Species of true bug

Bagrada hilaris is a species of shield bug known by the common names bagrada bug and painted bug. It could be mistaken for or erroneously referred to as harlequin bug. It is native to southeastern Africa. It is known elsewhere as an introduced species, including California and Arizona, where it was first reported in 2008. It is a major pest insect of Brassica oleracea crops, and related crucifers such as turnips, rape, and mustard. The adult and nymph of the species suck sap from the leaves of the plants, causing wilting, yellowing, and stunting of growth. Besides crucifers, the bugs are known on papaya, sorghum, maize, potato, cotton, caper, pearl millet, and some legumes. Large numbers of the bug congregate on the plants and cause extensive damage.

<i>Thasus</i> (bug) Genus of true bugs

Thasus is an insect genus of the Coreidae, or leaf-footed bugs. It is a genus in the New World Nematopodini tribe that feeds on plants. It is chiefly found in Central America, but species also occur in South America, and as far north as the American Southwest.

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

Dalader is the type genus of coreid bugs in the Daladerini tribe. Species in the genus are distributed in tropical Asia, chiefly Southeast Asia. The genus name is derived from the Sanskrit roots dal meaning leaf and dhru which means bearer. This plant bug genus is distinguished by the which preterminal antennal segment being flattened, pear-shaped, and ridged and the terminal segment being paler. Chalcidoid egg parasites have been recorded from this species. Adults of Dalader acuticosta are fried and eaten in northeastern India.

<i>Anisoscelis affinis</i> Species of true bug

Anisoscelis affinis, the flag-footed bug, is a species of leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae. It is found in Central America and Mexico. It was first described by English entomologist John O. Westwood in 1840 as an insect found in Mexico, with no additional location information. In Introduction to Entomology, part of The Naturalist's Library by James Duncan, the species is described as similar, but distinct from, Anisoscelis hymenipherus, and native to Mexico: "A third species, undescribed, closely allied to the latter, but smaller, with the thorax and hemelytra entirely fulvous red, and the legs entirely pale ochreous, is contained in the collection of the Jardin des Plantes, and to which the specific name of affinis may be applied."

<i>Mozena obtusa</i> Species of true bug

Mozena obtusa is a species of leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae. It is found in North America.

<i>Leptoglossus brevirostris</i> Species of true bug

Leptoglossus brevirostris is a species of leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

Mozena buenoi is a species of leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

Mozena brunnicornis is a species of leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

Mozena arizonensis is a species of leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

<i>Leptoglossus fulvicornis</i> Species of true bug

Leptoglossus fulvicornis is a species of leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae. It is found in North America.

Mozena obesa is a species of leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae. It is found in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant mesquite bug</span> Species of insect

The giant mesquite bug is an insect of the order Hemiptera, or the "true bugs". As a member of the family Coreidae, it is a leaf-footed bug. As the common name implies, it is a large bug that feeds on mesquite trees of the American Southwest and Northwestern Mexico.

References

This article draws heavily on the corresponding article in the Italian-language Wikipedia.
  1. ↑ Faúndez, Eduardo I; Carvajal, Mariom A; Villablanca, Javier (5 August 2019). "Alien Invasion: The Case of the Western Conifer-Seed Bug (Heteroptera: Coreidae) in Chile, Overreaction, and Misidentifications". Journal of Medical Entomology. 57 (1): 297–303. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjz127 . PMID   31380562. S2CID   199437443.
  2. ↑ Benelli, Giovanni; Canale, Angelo; Santini, Luciano; Lucchi, Andrea (July 2014). "Scent gland apparatus in the Western conifer seed bug Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann ( Heteroptera: Coreidae)". Entomological Science. 17 (3). doi:10.1111/ens.12063. S2CID   83966531.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Jerzy A. Lis; Barbara Lis & Jerzy Gubernator (2008). "Will the invasive western conifer seed bug Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae) seize all of Europe?" (PDF). Zootaxa . 1740: 66–68. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1740.1.8.
  4. ↑ Bates, S.L. 2005. Damage to common plumbing materials caused by overwintering Leptoglossus occidentalis (Hemiptera: Coreidae). Canadian Entomologist 137: 492-496.[journals.cambridge.org/article_S0008347X00002807]
  5. ↑ Eric R. Eaton & Kenn Kaufmann (2006). Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN   0-618-15310-1.
  6. ↑ Chris Malumphy; Joseph Botting; Tristan Bantock & Sharon Reid (2008). "Influx of Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann (Coreidae) in England". Het News . 12: 7–9.
  7. ↑ Faúndez, Eduardo; Rocca, Javiera; Villablanca, Javier (2017). "Detection of the invasive western conifer seed bug Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann, 1910 (Heteroptera: Coreidae: Coreinae) in Chile". Arquivos Entomolóxicos. 17: 317–320. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  8. ↑ Tadashi Ishikawa & Yusaku Kikuhara (2009). "Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann (Hemiptera: Coreidae), a presumable recent invader to Japan". Japanese Journal of Entomology . new series. 12 (3): 115–116.
  9. 1 2 Gapon, D. A. (2013). "First records of the western conifer seed bug Leptoglossus occidentalis Heid. (Heteroptera, Coreidae) from Russia and Ukraine, regularities in its distribution and possibilities of its range expansion in the palaearctic region". Entomological Review . 93 (2). Pleiades Publishing Ltd: 174–181. doi:10.1134/s001387381302005x. ISSN   0013-8738. S2CID   6206981.
  10. ↑ Van Der Heyden, Torsten (2020). "First records of Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann (Heteroptera: Coreidae: Coreinae: Anisoscelini) in Finland" (PDF). Revista Chilena de Entomología . 46 (1): 73–74. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  11. ↑ Edery, Agustin (2020-10-21). "Western Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  12. ↑ van der Heyden, Torsten (2020-10-26). "First record of Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann, 1910 (Hemiptera: Coreidae) in Andorra". Arquivos Entomolóxicos Galegos . 22: 377–378. ISSN   1989-6581 . Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  13. ↑ "Leptoglossus occidentalis (western conifer-seed bug)". CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International). 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
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