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Fotos / Sons

Observador

madisonzitoli

Data

Outubro 9, 2018 04:25 PM EDT

Descrição

Scientific & Common Name(s)
Boisea trivittata
Eastern Boxelder Bug

Habitat & Geographic Range
The eastern boxelder bug habits a range of North America, excluding Mexico (Chordas & McAllister, 2015). As of 2015, there are currently 35 states in the United States and 4 provinces in Canada that considered within the distribution of this bug (Chordas & McAllister, 2015). This aerial bug tends to select the base of trees, logwood, or the siding of houses as their overwintering sites (Klass, 2009). They are closely tied to the tree they are named after, the boxelder tree (Acer negundo), specifically the female tree (Day, 2016), which is where they can lay their eggs in the spring (Klass, 2009). They prefer warmer temperatures and are usually find out in the sun, clustering on the south and west sides of buildings (Klass, 2009).

Size/Weight & Lifespan
The size of this insect is about half an inch in length and a third of an inch in width (Day, 2016). The eastern boxelder bug has a short life span, with the males surviving for a mean of 1-22 days and females surviving for a mean of 1-20 days (Yoder & Robinson, 1990). A life of a boxelder bug consists of overwintering beginning in mid-autumn until April, then choosing urban settings or tree bases for nesting in the spring (Tinker, 1952). Tinker (1952) noted that by July aggregations of nymphs can be seen on the ground and in low vegetation, and one or two generations can be seen by the end of their active season in the warmer months (Day, 2016).

Diet
This bug feeds mainly on the trees of maple and soapberry (Chordas & McAllister, 2015). Though this bug has a tie to the tree species donned with the same name, boxelder trees (Acer negundo), it is not limited to a diet of only this tree and been accounted for consuming the seeds and fruits of maples (Acer speices) and other tree species (Scott, 2010). They feed with piercing-sucking mouths that actually cause harm to the trees they feed on (Scott, 2010).

Reproduction & Communication
Through laboratory studies, it was found that the mean number of eggs produced after mating was 30 (Yoder, 1988). Females lay eggs in cracks in bark (Klass, 2009) about 1-5 days after mating has occurred and eggs will incubate for an average of 10 days (Yoder & Robinson, 1990). The only known parental investment is the female protection of eggs while they are in her body (Grimmes et al, 2004). Millar (2006) found it was not possible to execute experiments to distinguish the parameters of mating behaviour of this species due to failed attempts of breaking suspended reproductive development after ceasing overwintering behaviour. Research by Millar (2006) was also conducted to assess chemical and vibrational communication of boxelder bugs. Chemical communication was seen through bioassays where bugs held in a Y-tube were equally attracted to an odour produced by male or female, which lead the research team to believe that scent plays a role in aggregation tendencies of the species and is not sex specific. Visual and acoustic cues were eliminated in this study, but acoustic cues were tested for in separate study. In this experiment done by Millar (2006), sexually mature bugs were recorded and videotaped on a loudspeaker membrane for any acoustic or vibrational signals, which held no significant results to show that vibrational or acoustic signals are not part of the communication system of the insects (Millar, 2006).

Predation: Does the animal have any predators?
This bug has few predators that include rodents, a few bird species, and even other insects, like spiders, grasshoppers, and praying mantis (Davidson, 2018). Most notably, the guinea hen has a diet that consists of 90% insects, which include boxelder bugs (Davidson, 2018). However, it is to be noted that amongst these predators, the boxelder is not of most desire, but will be eaten if present to these species. The reason for these decreased interest of predation on this insect is due to the bright red lines that ornate its shell, which is a signal sent to other organisms to warn that it is a poisonous or distasteful food source (Davidson, 2018).

Conservation Status
The eastern boxelder bug is not considered to be under any ecological stress or faced with a possibility of being endangered. This is due to the reason that this insect is thought of as a pest, as stated by countless sources online. It is high in numbers across North America (Robinson, 2005), and can be found in condense aggregations in urban settings in spring or fall (Day, 2016). Ways of controlling these pests are by chemical or non-chemical means, like spraying hot water, using shop vacuum (Scott, 2010), or insecticide spray on trees that they consume (Klass, 2009).

Did You Know?
This bug as an affinity for inhabiting human environments, like homes, for participating in overwintering tendencies (Swanson, 2011). This species also has habits of aggregating on anthropogenic structures. Which was personally proven to be true as the photos used for this assignment were taken outside a local coffee shop on a busy road! Another fun fact that their scientific name is composed from their characteristic three red stripes on their shell, with Latin words tri (three) + vattata (banded).

References
Chordas, S. W. III, McAllister, C. T. (2015). Eastern boxelder bug, Boisea trivittata (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae) confirmation in arkansas. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.ca/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=boxelder+bug+arkansas&btnG=&oq=boxelder+bug+arkan&httpsredir=1&article=1023&context=jaas'

Day, E. (2016). Boxelder bug. Retrieved from https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/75371/ENTO-186.pdf?sequence=1

Davidson, Elaine. (2018, March 13). What eats boxelder bugs? Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/eats-boxelder-bugs-8528486.html

Klass, C. (2009). Boxelder bug. Retrieved from http://ccetompkins.org/resources/box-elder-bug-factsheet

Grimmes, K. A., Miller, D., Wyman, A. J. (2003). Egg production in boxelder bug Boisea trvittata (Hemipter: Rhopalidae). Retrieved from https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol36/iss2/8/

Millar, J. G. (2006). Investigations of possible chemical and acoustic communication in boxelder bug, Leptocoris (=Boisea) spp. (Hemiptera:Rhopalidae). Retrieved from http://www.calpear.com/_pdf/research-reports/2006/Entomology/Millar%20-%20Investigations%20of%20Posible%20Chemical%20and%20Acoustic%20Communication%20in%20Boxelder%20Bug.pdf

Robinson, W. (2005). Urban Insects & Arachnids: A Handbook of Urban Entomology. Cambridge, United Kingdom: University Press.

Scott, J. M. (2010). Boxelder bugs. Retrieved from https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/boxelder-bugs/

Swanson, D. R. (2011). A synopsis of the Coreoidea (Heteroptera) of Michigan. Retrieved from https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol44/iss2/4/

Yoder, K. M., Robinson, W. H. (1990). Seasonal abundance and habits of the boxelder bug, Boisea trivittata (Say), in an urban environment. Retrieved from https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19911155420

Yoder, K. M., Robinson, W. H. (1988). The ecology and management of the boxelder bug, Boisea trivittata (Say), (Hemiptara: Rhopalidae) in the urban environment. Retrieved from https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/50100/LD5655.V855_1989.Y634.pdf?sequence=1

Fotos / Sons

Observador

madisonzitoli

Data

Outubro 9, 2018 04:25 PM EDT

Fotos / Sons

Observador

madisonzitoli

Data

Outubro 9, 2018 04:26 PM EDT

Descrição

Not sure what these bugs are called, any help would be very appreciated!

Feeds : Átomo