''Hypsithocus hudsonae'', sometimes called the alpine shield bug
or black alpine shield bug, is a species of flightless
shield bug endemic to New Zealand. Few specimens have ever been collected and these have come from a relatively narrow geographical range. The
New Zealand Department of Conservation classifies this species as 'At Risk,' with qualifiers 'data poor' and 'range restricted.'
Description
''H. hudsonae'' are dark brown shield bugs, 7–9 mm in length. Their bodies are oval shaped and flattened.
Nymphs appear similar to adults except the margins of their bodies are pale brown.
It is the only flightless New Zealand shield bug.
Life history
As with many species of Pentatomidae, ''H. hudsonae'' nymphs hatch from eggs and pass through five
instars before reaching adulthood.
Ecology
Specimens have only ever been collected from a small number of mountain sites in
Central Otago
Central Otago is located in the inland part of the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The motto for the area is "A World of Difference".
The area is dominated by mountain ranges and the upper reaches of the Clutha River and tributa ...
1200–1700 m above sea level.
Their limited range may be explained by a lack of dispersal ability, as adults are flightless.
The species is herbivorous, and has been collected from ''
Veronica odora
''Veronica odora'', known as the boxwood hebe, mountain-box, ''Hebe odora'' or ''Hebe buxifolia'', is a plant in the family Plantaginaceae, and it is native to New Zealand. ''Veronica odora'' was discovered on the Auckland Islands by J.D Hoo ...
'', so may feed on that species.
Mating is likely to occur in summer and the species probably only has a single brood each year.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10530820
Hemiptera of New Zealand
Pentatomidae
Insects described in 1927