''Lygus rugulipennis'', common name European tarnished plant bug, is a species of ''plant bugs'' of the family
Miridae
The Miridae are a large and diverse insect family at one time known by the taxonomic synonym Capsidae. Species in the family may be referred to as capsid bugs or "mirid bugs". Common names include plant bugs, leaf bugs, and grass bugs. It is th ...
.
Distribution and habitat
This common and widespread species is present in most of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
and in the
Nearctic realm. These bugs mainly occur in gardens and in areas with abundant vegetation.
[
]
Description
''Lygus rugulipennis'' can reach a length of .[British bugs]
/ref> These small plant bugs can be identified mainly on the basis of the fine details of the corium, that in this species is very pubescent, with the space among hairs less than the length of one hair. Legs are quite bristly and wings-tips are membranous. The color pattern and markings are quite variable, ranging from purple to yellowish brown. Usually the males are more strongly marked than females, that commonly vary from dark red to light reddish-brown. ''Lygus rugulipennis'' is quite similar to '' Lygus pratensis'' and ''Lygus maritimus
''Heterocordylus tibialis'' is a Palearctic species of true bugEkkehard Wachmann, Albert Melber, Jürgen Deckert: .
''Wanzen''. Band 2: Cimicomorpha: Microphysidae (Flechtenwanzen), Miridae (Weichwanzen) (= ''Die Tierwelt Deutschlands und der ...
''.[Concise Insect Guide]
Bloomsbury[
]
Biology
These polyphagous bugs can be found on many plants. They may feed on ''Trifolium
Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...
'', ''Chenopodium
''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...
'', '' Rumex'', ''Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae () or (the older) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The leav ...
'', '' Fabaceae'', ''Urticaceae
The Urticaceae are a family, the nettle family, of flowering plants. The family name comes from the genus ''Urtica''. The Urticaceae include a number of well-known and useful plants, including nettles in the genus ''Urtica'', ramie (''Boehmeri ...
'' and ''Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
'' species. They also feed on potatoes, cereals, alfalfa and other crops, so they are considered a very harmful pest. Adults are present all year, but they are more abundant in late summer. They usually winter in leaf litter.[J.K.Holopainen, A. Vari]
Host plants of the European tarnished plant bug Lygus rugulipennis Poppius (Het., Miridae)
DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0418.1991.tb00351.x
Bibliography
* Nau, B. S. (2004) Identification of plantbugs in the genus Lygus in Britain
* Jarmo K. Holopinen, Risto Rikala, Pirjo Kailunainen, Jari Oksane - Resource partitioning to growth, storageand defence in nitrogen-fertilized Scotspine and susceptibility of the seedlings to the tarnished plant bug Lygus rugulipennis
* Jarmo K. Holopainen - Damage caused by Lygus rugulipennis Popp. (Heteroptera, Miridae), to Pinus sylvestris L. seedlings
References
Lygus
Insects described in 1911
{{miridae-stub