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Bugs

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Daisy

  • Sr. Member
Bugs
« on: September 02, 2011, 08:56:34 AM »
These beetles? moved on to my bronze fennel in their hundreds a few weeks ago.
They don't appear to be doing any damage, but I would love to know what they are, and why they have moved in, in such large numbers.
Any ideas?
Daisy :)

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Amateur gardener, who has gardened in Surrey and Cornwall, England, but now has a tiny garden facing north west, near the coast in north east Crete. It is 300 meters above sea level. On a steep learning curve!!! Member of both MGS and RHS
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JTh

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Re: Bugs
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2011, 12:09:10 PM »
Looks like Italian stink bugs (Graphosoma italicum), or Shield bugs, they are usually found on umbelliferous plants, like your fennels. They are probably so abundant because of having few predators (scary colouring and stinking?). I found some interesting information about this here: http://www.apcon.gr/pelion/fauna_heteroptera_gitalicum.html
« Last Edit: September 02, 2011, 04:28:31 PM by JTh »
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Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

Daisy

  • Sr. Member
Re: Bugs
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2011, 04:25:15 PM »
Thanks JTh. It's good to know who my visitors are.
Although they must be eating, there is no discernible damage to the fennel.
I wish all my insect visitors were as benign. ::) ::) ::)
Daisy :)
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Amateur gardener, who has gardened in Surrey and Cornwall, England, but now has a tiny garden facing north west, near the coast in north east Crete. It is 300 meters above sea level. On a steep learning curve!!! Member of both MGS and RHS
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JTh

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Re: Bugs
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2011, 04:40:29 PM »
Enjoy your fennels and your bugs, Daisy, they (the bugs) seem to be very colourful, do they stink? Many bugs (Heteroptera) stink, like the bedbug and those that are ruining the taste of rasberries and other berries.
Jorun
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Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.
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MikeHardman

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Re: Bugs
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2011, 09:03:59 PM »
I find true bugs fascinating, especially regarding their patterns. Eminently photographable.
Within their group, the shield bugs (Pentatomoidea) are my favourite.

It is worth noting that, unlike butterfiles, moths and beetles and some other groups of insect, they end-up as adults having passed through a progression of immature stages (nymphs), gradually get more like the adult. The nymphs moult to get from one stage to the next; there is no pupal stage. As you get to know and recognize more species of heteroptera, be prepared to find ones that look familiar but 'not quite right'; they are probably near-adult nymphs.

This year the capers on the bank at the back of my property were looking very healthy. ...Until beset by young nymphs of some sort of bug; I think one of the shield bugs. Within a couple of days, the leaves had been sucked dry, many falling off. I was hoping to see a progression in the nymphs, hopefully eventually seeing what the adult looked like. But they have all gone!
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Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

hilberry

  • Newbie
Re: Bugs
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2011, 05:55:48 PM »
Is there a good book or internet site for bug nymphs? 

there are loads of red and black beetles in my garden.  In French they are called "gendarmes".  they don't seem to do any damage.  Also there are plenty of stinking shield bugs, which try to find their way into my bedroom in Autumn to hibernate. :o

I don't mind a bit of insect damage in the garden and as the garden is somewhat isolated, there are few problems of infestations.  I saw a beautiful great green bush cricket today.  :)
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Retired artist/potter.  Amateur gardener searching for suitable plants for my hot dry summers, cool wet winters.  Redesigning the garden to have a shady area under trees, so searching also for dry shade plants and ideas for the type of soil needed.  I live in S.Loire Atlantique, France
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MikeHardman

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Re: Bugs
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2011, 07:56:56 PM »
Book on bug nymphs...
I don't think there is a complete book on bugs (sensu hemiptera/heteroptera) worldwide. Ditto for shield bugs. Even less likely to find one with good coverage of the nymphs as well.
You'd need to aim for a book specific to your region. For instance, in the UK:
"Evans, M.; Edmondson, R.
A Photographic Guide to Shieldbugs and Squashbugs of the British Isles
Field Guide with colour photos, identification features and life histories for each of the 33 shield bugs and 10 squashbugs resident in Britain (Acanthosmatidae, Scutelleridae, Cydnidae, Thyreocoridae, Pentatomidae, Coreidae). Colour key with side by side photographs
206 col photos. 123pp.
[13228]  2005  PB  £14.95"
(http://www.pembooks.demon.co.uk/new06.html)
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Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

The Cypriot

  • Newbie
Re: Bugs
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2011, 05:21:11 PM »
flying beetle
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JTh

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Re: Bugs
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2011, 06:23:35 PM »
I don't know what this is, but I know they are not proper beetles (belonging to the order Coleoptera), which have a sort of hard shield which covers the wings more or less completely when they are not flying. This one seems to be more like a Hemiptera/Heteroptera ('bugs'). Hilberry previously asked for some books/info about bugs, I found something that might be a short introduction called Bugguide at http://bugguide.net/node/view/94266. One interesting piece of information there:
'How to tell a bug from a beetle:
[copied from Jim McClarin's comment on an image no longer available]
The first thing I look at is the antennae. If they are long-to-medium length but have fewer than six segments (4-5), then it's a bug. Beetles have many more segments (antennomeres) in their antennae.'
The one  showed by the cypriot have few (4?), but long segments.
« Last Edit: September 19, 2011, 08:14:15 AM by JTh »
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Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.
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MikeHardman

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Re: Bugs
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2011, 10:48:43 PM »
It is one of the assassin bugs, probably in the family Reduviidae.
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Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

David Bracey

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Re: Bugs
« Reply #10 on: September 19, 2011, 04:43:00 PM »
Dear Cypriot your beetle is probably the famous gendarme beetle, Pyrrhocoris apterus but then it could be Lygaeus equestris or even Hylecoetus dermestoides!! They are Heteroptera or plant bugs with piercing and sucking mouthparts with modified forewings....the majority are plant feeders.
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 I have gardened in sub-tropical Florida, maritime UK, continental Europe and the Mediterranean basin, France. Of the 4 I have found that the most difficult climate for gardening is the latter.

hilberry

  • Newbie
Re: Bugs
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2011, 05:35:17 PM »
Cypriot's gendarme isn't the same as "my" gendarme, which has a total hard casing along it's body [ie, all red and black, must look closer]  Similar shape though.
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Retired artist/potter.  Amateur gardener searching for suitable plants for my hot dry summers, cool wet winters.  Redesigning the garden to have a shady area under trees, so searching also for dry shade plants and ideas for the type of soil needed.  I live in S.Loire Atlantique, France

hilberry

  • Newbie
Re: Bugs
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2011, 05:43:33 PM »
Thanks for the beetle site, JTh.  I know exactly where "my" gendarmes are gathering together under a stone, so I'll check them tomorrow.
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Retired artist/potter.  Amateur gardener searching for suitable plants for my hot dry summers, cool wet winters.  Redesigning the garden to have a shady area under trees, so searching also for dry shade plants and ideas for the type of soil needed.  I live in S.Loire Atlantique, France
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JTh

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Re: Bugs
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2011, 06:10:00 PM »
I don't think it looks like Hylecoetus dermestoides, but more like Pyrrhocoris apterus and Lygaeus sp,, (milkweed bugs) or even elderbox bug (Boisea trivittatus), but not exactly like any of them
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Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.
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MikeHardman

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Re: Bugs
« Reply #14 on: September 20, 2011, 07:23:23 AM »
I agree with "Lygaeus sp,, (milkweed bugs) or even elderbox bug (Boisea trivittatus)."
Bear in mind when having trouble finding exact matches, you could be looking at a late instar rather than an adult.

Also, it could be that the red/black markings are naturally variable - as happens to some extent with the various burnet moths and with lady birds (beetles) (Hmmm.... Why are red/black markings in insects/invertebrates prone to variability?)
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Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England
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