''Piezodorus lituratus'', the gorse shield bug, is a species of
Pentatomidae
Pentatomidae is a family of insects belonging to the order Hemiptera, generally called shield bugs or stink bugs. Pentatomidae is the largest family in the superfamily Pentatomoidea, and contains around 900 genera and over 4700 species.Robert ...
, a family of shield bugs.
Varieties
*''Piezodorus lituratus var. lituratus'' (
Fabricius, 1794)
*''Piezodorus lituratus var. alliaceus'' (Germar, 1823)
Distribution
This species is present in Africa, in most of Europe, in Northern Asia (excluding China) and in North America.
Catalogue of life
/ref>
Habitat
These shield bugs live in many habitats where host plants are present. They prefer dry and warm habitats, especially with sandy soil.[
]
Description
''Piezodorus lituratus'' can reach a length of . These large shieldbugs occur in two adult colour forms. In the spring when they emerge and mate they are predominantly green, while the new generation that appears in the late summer has purplish-red markings on the pronotum
The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum ( dorsal), the prosternum (ventral), and the propleuron (lateral) on e ...
and corium. In autumn they have a much paler color, prior to hibernation they may become darker, but after hibernation they are bright green.[British Bugs]
/ref>
In ''Piezodorus lituratus var. alliaceus'' the corium shows a uniform yellow-greenish color.
This species could be confused with the green shieldbug, '' Palomena prasina'', but ''Piezodorus lituratus'' has a different habitat and red antennae.
Biology
Mating takes place from May to July, the females lay 10 to 20 eggs on the stems, leaves and fruits of the host plants. The nymphs occur until September. The adults of the new summer generation can be found from the end of July or beginning of August. Hibernation occurs in the imago stage.
The main host plants are various legumes ( Fabaceae), especially common broom ('' Sarothamnus scoparius'') and dyer's greenweed (''Genista tinctoria
''Genista tinctoria'', the dyer's greenweed or dyer's broom, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. Its other common names include dyer's whin, waxen woad and waxen wood. The Latin specific epithet ''tinctoria'' means "used as a ...
''), but also alfalfa (''Medicago sativa
Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as w ...
''), vetches (''Vicia
''Vicia'' is a genus of over 240 species of flowering plants that are part of the legume family (Fabaceae), and which are commonly known as vetches. Member species are native to Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. Some other ...
'' species), sweet-clover (''Melilotus
''Melilotus'', known as melilot, sweet clover, and kumoniga (from the Cumans),Bulgarian Folk Customs, Mercia MacDermott, pg 27 is a genus in the family Fabaceae (the same family that also includes the ''Trifolium'' clovers). Members are known ...
'' species), crown vetches (''Coronilla
The genus ''Coronilla'' contains 8 species of flowering plants native to Europe and North Africa. It cointained about 20 species before being split into ''Securigera''.
Species include:
* ''Coronilla coronata''
* ''Coronilla juncea''
* ''Coron ...
'' species) sainfoins (''Onobrychis
__NOTOC__
''Onobrychis'', the sainfoins, are a genus of Eurasian perennial herbaceous plants of the legume family (Fabaceae). Including doubtfully distinct species and provisionally accepted taxa, about 150 species are presently known. The Flora ...
'' species), lupin (''Lupinus
''Lupinus'', commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet etc., is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America. Smaller centers occur ...
'' species) and others.[
]
Life cycle
File:Piezodorus lituratus.jpg, Adult greening after wintering
File:Piezodorus.lituratus.spring.jpg, ''P. lituratus'' in spring
File:Piezodorus.lituratus3.-.lindsey.jpg, Mating
File:2017 07 19 Piezodorus lituratus.jpg, First instar nymph
File:Piezodorus lituratus 20020905.jpg, Nymph
File:Piezodorus.lituratus.nymph.jpg, Nymph
File: Pentatomidae - Piezodorus lituratus (nymph).jpg, Final instar nymph
File:Piezodorus_lituratus_jeune_adulte.jpg, Young adult
File:Piezodorus.lituratus.autumn.jpg, ''P. lituratus'' in autumn
References
Bibliography
* Gärdenfors Ulf, red (2010). Rödlistade arter i Sverige 2010=The 2010 red list of Swedish species. Uppsala: Artdatabanken i samarbete med Naturvårdsverket. Libris 11818177.
* Henry, Thomas J., and Richard C. Froeschner, eds. (1988), Catalog of the Heteroptera, or True Bugs, of Canada and the Continental United States
* Ekkehard Wachmann, Albert Melber, Jürgen Deckert: Wanzen. Band 4: Pentatomomorpha II: Pentatomoidea: Cydnidae, Thyreocoridae, Plataspidae, Acanthosomatidae, Scutelleridae, Pentatomidae. Goecke & Evers, Keltern 2008, .
External links
Edkins Family Index
Nature Spot
Ipernity
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3023708
Pentatomini
Hemiptera of Africa
Hemiptera of Asia
Hemiptera of Europe
Hemiptera of North America
Insects described in 1794
Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius