''Eurygaster maura'', also known as tortoise bug, is a species of

true bugs Hemiptera (; ) is an order (biology), order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, Reduviidae, assassin bugs, Cimex, bed bugs, and shield bugs. ...

or shield-backed bugs belonging to the family

Scutelleridae Scutelleridae is a family of true bugs. They are commonly known as jewel bugs or metallic shield bugs due to their often brilliant coloration. They are also known as shield-backed bugs due to the enlargement of the thoracic scutellum into a con ...

Distribution

This species is widespread in Europe, but also in large parts of Asia and North America.Ekkehard Wachmann, Albert Melber, Jürgen Deckert: Wanzen. Band 4: Pentatomomorpha II: Pentatomoidea: Cydnidae, Thyreocoridae, Plataspidae, Acanthosomatidae, Scutelleridae, Pentatomidae. - Goecke & Evers, Keltern 2008,

Habitat

Their habitats are calcareous grasslands with wild grasses.

Description

''Eurygaster maura'' can reach a length of .Insekten Box

/ref> The body is oval and slightly convex and the head is triangular and smoothly rounded, with a small pair of compound eyes. The pronotum has slightly protruding hind corners. The scutellum covers the wings and the whole

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the to ...

. The ground color is mostly brown, but can be light gray or also black. This species is rather similar to '' Eurygaster testudinaria'', but it is slightly smaller and smoothly rounded, with less protruding hind corner.

Biology

''Eurygaster maura'' is a

univoltine Voltinism is a term used in biology to indicate the number of broods or generations of an organism in a year. The term is most often applied to insects, and is particularly in use in sericulture, where silkworm varieties vary in their voltinism. ...

species. These shield-backed bugs can be found from May to August, becoming adult from July. The females lay their eggs in the spring in small packages on the underside of the leaves surface. After a few weeks the eggs hatch the young nymphs. After five molts, they are fully developed and ready to overwinter in leaf litter. ''E. maura'' is a sunn pest - both the adults and their larvae are very harmful to crops.Economic Plants and their Diseases
/ref> They feed on various grasses and grain plants (wheat, rye, barley and sometimes oats, corn and millet). Blandino et al 2015 find the Mixolab test to provide accurate data about the effects of ''E. maura'' damage, insecticide application, fungal pathogens vectored by the pest, and

fungicide application Pesticide application refers to the practical way in which pesticides (including herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, or nematode control agents) are delivered to their ''biological targets'' (''e.g.'' pest organism, crop or other plant). ...

, on both

common wheat Common wheat (''Triticum aestivum''), also known as bread wheat, is a cultivated wheat species. About 95% of wheat produced worldwide is common wheat; it is the most widely grown of all crops and the cereal with the highest monetary yield. T ...

and

durum Durum wheat (), also called pasta wheat or macaroni wheat (''Triticum durum'' or ''Triticum turgidum'' subsp. ''durum''), is a tetraploid species of wheat. It is the second most cultivated species of wheat after common wheat, although it represe ...

Gallery

File:Life cycle of Eurygaster maura L..svg, Life cycle:
1: Wintering imago
2: Egg layering in spring
3: Flight for cereals
4: Feeding
5: Symptoms of damages
6: Pupation and new generation overwintering
7: Herb feeding on wintering place File:Scutelleridae - Eurygaster maura - nymph.JPG, Early nymph File:Eurygaster maura 01.JPG, Late stage nymph File:Eurygaster maura01.jpg, Imago

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1500657 Bugs described in 1758 Hemiptera of Europe maura Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus