Diptera.info

Posted by fleabag on 17-08-2006 11:54

Hi,

If possible,please could someone help me id these bugs.Both from West Sussex.

The first and second were on the same plant,but I've not been able to figure out what the plant it is,they're quite common i think,and i usually see them growing among nettles,they look kind of dead or dry and are about nettle hight.
We thought they might be shield bugs of some sort.

The last one was found a few months ago in open grassland.

pic 1 bug was smaller(younger?) about 6mm

pic 2 and 3 bugs about 11mm ish

Thankyou

Posted by LordV on 17-08-2006 12:28

Suspect first bug is an assassin bug.
2nd bug is a shield bug possibly a tortoise bug Eurygaster maura

Brian V.

Posted by Paul Beuk on 17-08-2006 13:33

The first to pictures are not nymphs of assasin bugs (Reduviidae) but of Coreidae.

Posted by Tony Irwin on 17-08-2006 14:58

Top photo is second instar, middle is third instar of Coreus marginatus. The plant is Rumex obtusifolius - Broad-leaved Dock, one of a number of foodplants (all related).
I agree with Brian that the third photo is Eurygaster maura - feeds on grasses among others.

Posted by lweit on 17-08-2006 18:14

Hello
It's looks like this bug : Eurygaster testudinaria (Geoffroy, 1785)

Louis

Posted by Tony Irwin on 17-08-2006 18:49

Louis is right - both Eurygaster testudinaria and E. maura are very similar, and examining the genitalia is often the only way to separate them reliably. Checking up on their British distribution, it looks like testudinaria is the most likely species in Sussex, though maura does occur in neighbouring counties and is associated with drier grassland. Unless there are other recent records from Sussex, I guess it would be safer to go with testudinaria.

Posted by lweit on 17-08-2006 20:04

Here another species of Eurygaster : it's E. austriaca (Schrank, 1776)

Louis

Posted by fleabag on 17-08-2006 20:05

#10

Thats great,thanks everyone for being so helpfull.

thanks Tony...very usefull + for telling me what the plants are.

intriguing little things these bugs.

regards:)

Posted by cthirion on 17-08-2006 22:28

#11

Scutelleridae

???????Odontoscelis fuliginosa

http://www.koleopterologie.de/heteroptera/index.html

Posted by Tony Irwin on 18-08-2006 09:28

#12

One of the characters of Odontoscelis is that they are very hairy. This can be seen in the photos on the http://www.koleop...index.html site. The site also shows how similar the Eurygaster species are, both testudinaria and maura showing a range of colour forms, including the yellow and pink variety which fleabag posted.