Forest Bug
Lat. “Pentatoma rufipes“ species
of family
“Stink Bugs“ 1 species
The Pentatoma rufipes is a large, flat shield bug that can reach a length of 11-14 mm. It has a dark brown body in autumn and lighter in summer, typically bronze-colored. It feeds on several species of oak trees, as well as alder, hazel, apple, and cherry trees. Its larvae are dark but become lighter with age. The bug is also a pest to agricultural and garden areas, as it feeds on fruit and nut trees.
Description
P. rufipes can reach a length of 11–14 mm (0.43–0.55 in). These large and flat shield bugs are shaped like an escutcheon-type shield. They have a dark brown body in autumn, lighter in summer, usually bronze-colored. They show red-orange to cream markings at the tip of their scutella. The connexium usually has dark brown, reddish, and light blue bands. The legs and the first segment of the antennae are usually red-brown or bright orange. Its distinguishing characteristic is a pair of projections extending forward from the shoulders at the front of its dorsal thorax. The larvae are dark, but become lighter, especially at the hind body, with increasing age.
Biology
Forest bugs are polyphagous. Their main food source is any of several species of oaks, but they can also be found on alder, hazel, and other deciduous trees, including apple and cherry.They are sap-feeders and use piercing mouthparts to withdraw the liquid. Occasionally, adults consume insects, especially caterpillars, as well as fruits. Adults can be found from July to November. Females lay eggs during the summer in the cracks of tree bark, or on a leaf top, and the larvae hatch the following spring. Forest bugs are also an agricultural and garden pest, as they feed on fruit and nut trees.
Further reading
Michael Chinery, Insectes de France et d’Europe occidentale, Paris, Flammarion, août 2012, 320 p. (ISBN 978-2-0812-8823-2), p. 74-75
External links
Media related to Pentatoma rufipes at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Pentatoma rufipes at Wikispecies
