Campyloneura virgula
Lat. “Campyloneura virgula“ species
of family
“Plant Bugs“ 1 species
Campyloneura virgula is a small bug that grows to about 4-5 millimeters in length. They have distinct features like pale translucent wings, red stripes, and long antennae. These bugs are predators that hunt small insects like aphids and red mites. They are commonly found on trees like hazel and oak from June to October. This bug can reproduce without mating in most areas, except for Sicily and North Africa where males are present.
Description
Campyloneura virgula can reach a length of 4–5 millimetres (0.16–0.20 in). Adults have pale translucent hemelytra, a red stripe on the edge of a pale green pronotum, a yellow scutellum, a black head, long red-banded antennae and bright yellow cuneus that are tipped with dark red. Legs are pale yellow. Nymphs are yellow, with a red stripe on the edge of the pronotum.
Biology and ecology
This common predatory bug hunts for small insects, as aphids and red mites. Adults’ flight time is from June to October during which they could be found on numerous deciduous trees, including hazel, hawthorn and oak. The adults overwinter and nymphs appear in May.
The peculiarity of this bug is that in almost all of its range males are extremely rare, as C. virgula reproduces without mating (parthenogenesis). This characteristic has an exception in Sicily and in North Africa, where the males are commonly present and the species has a normal sexual reproduction.
Distribution
This species is widespread in the Nearctic realm, in Europe and in the Mediterranean area up to Turkestan. It has been introduced in the United States of America.
References
Henry, Thomas J., and Richard C. Froeschner, eds. (1988), Catalog of the Heteroptera, or True Bugs, of Canada and the Continental United States
