Plant bug

Description

Agnocoris rubicundus is small plant bug. It occurs in Europe, where it is common, and in North America, where it is uncommon.

Adults are 3⁄16″ (4.7 to 5.2 mm) in length. The body is elongated oval, soft, and reddish-brown to brick red, with both yellowish (pale) and dark brown or blackish-brown (dark) markings.

The head is vertical. There are two large compound eyes and no simple eyes (ocelli). There is a raised ridge (carina) between the eyes, but this feature is difficult to see in photographs. The top of the head (vertex) is reddish-brown with both pale and dark markings. The mouth parts take the form of a long, 4-segmented beak (rostrum) that projects downward and is optimized for piercing and sucking. The antennae are slender, thread-like, and short. They have 4 segments. The first segment does not have numerous flattened hairs. The second segment is very short, shorter than the width of the head.

The exoskeletal plate covering the first segment of the thorax (pronotum) is widest at the base and much narrower behind the head. It has a distinct, exposed collar. There is a small rounded tubercle (callus) at the front outer angle on each side of the pronotum behind the collar. The front half of the pronotum is reddish-brown with both pale and dark markings. The back half is reddish-brown and unmarked. There is a thin, pale, longitudinal stripe in the middle.

The exoskeletal plate between the wing bases (scutellum) is large, triangular, and dark, with a small white spot at the tip. There are two pairs of wings. The front wings (hemelytra) are longer than the hind wings and a little longer than the body. They are held flat over the body when at rest. They are reddish-brown and densely covered with hairs. They have a thickened, leathery part at the base and a thin membranous part at the tip with a clear dividing line between the two. The thickened part is comprised of the narrow area (clavus) behind the scutellum when the wings are closed, and the broad marginal area (corium). At the end of the corium there is a small but distinct triangular area (cuneus). The cuneus is usually pale in the center and always dark at the tip. The membranous portion of each hemelytron is mostly clear but has a dark arc and two closed cells. The veins are pale. The hindwings are completely thin and membranous.

The legs are long, slender, and mostly pale, with reddish-brown and dark spots. The last part of each leg (tarsus), corresponding to the foot, has 3 segments. The first tarsal segment on the hind leg is shorter than the second and third segments together. There is a pair of claws at the end of the third segment. There is a soft pad at the base of each claw. Between the claws there is a pair of long appendages (parempodia). The parempodia are large, membranous, and diverge toward the tip.

Size

Total length: 3⁄16″ (4.7 to 5.2 mm)

Similar Species

Habitat

Poplar and willow

Ecology

Season

Spring through fall

Behavior

Life Cycle

Larva Food/Hosts

Adult Food

Poplar and willow