Parent bug

Stained Parent Bug ( Elasmucha grisea )

The Stained Parent Bug ( Elasmucha grisea ) is a bug from the family of sting bugs ( Acanthosomatidae ).

Features

The Stained Parent Bug is gray yellow, greenish and reddish brown. The body top is dotted with numerous dark spot mines. On underside of the body the respiratory openings ( stigmata ) are only dark. The dyeing is to fall significantly darker reddish brown. The margin of the abdomen ( Connexivum ) is alternately colored light and dark. The bug reached body lengths between six and nine millimeters.

The Stained Parent Bug is the serrated Parent Bug ( Elasmucha fieberi ) are very similar. However, this also has on the underside of the abdomen dark spot mines with a total of more clearly pronounced stippling. Furthermore, the front corners of the pronotum are pulled in this type in much clearer thorns, but which are only visible when the hand lens.

Development

After mating, the female lays in June 40 to 50 eggs on the underside of leaves. Striking is the strong brood care behavior. The female guards for two to three weeks in a row the eggs and remains sitting on the nest. It takes at this time on no food and defend the eggs against ants, spiders, beetles, other species of bugs and parasitic wasps by whirring wings and a defensive secretions. Even after hatching, the female is still two to three weeks during his junior and defended him. The female goes to the first molting with the young larvae together on the search for food. Studies have shown that when the brood almost 100 percent of larvae survive, whereas the mortality rate is unguarded Located about 90 percent.

Nutrition

The Stained Parent Bug lives on birch and alder trees and feeds on sucking on plant juices of the leaves.

Dissemination

The Stained Parent Bug comes mostly common in large parts of Europe and widely used before.

Credentials

• Ekkehard Guard: watch bugs - get to know. J. Neumann - Neudamm, Melsungen, 1989, ISBN 3-7888-0554-4