Forest bug

Rotbeinige stinkbug ( Pentatoma rufipes )

The Rotbeinige stinkbug ( Pentatoma rufipes ) belongs to the family of stink bugs ( Pentatomidae ). The epithet rufipes means " rotfüßig " or " rotbeinig " and refers to the red legs of the bug reference. She is one of the largest Central European species of bugs.

Characteristics and lifestyle

The Rotbeinige Baumwanze reach body lengths of 13-15 mm. She is in the autumn dark brown, lighter in the summer, usually colored bronze. The lateral edges of the pronotum ( pronotum ) are strongly curved upwards and run in nearly rectangular angled and each provided with a pointed toothed lobes from. The tag ( scutellum ) is colored bright orange at the top. The legs and the first segment of the sensor are mostly red-brown. The thin proboscis ( rostrum ) is very long and reaches the posterior margin of the second abdominal segment. The larvae are dark, but are mainly on the abdomen with age brighter.

The animals feed inlet of tree fruits. Sometimes insects are captured or sucked dead arthropods. The females lay eggs after mating on a leaf surface from. Pentatoma rufipes wintered in contrast to other stink bugs as young larvae in the second instar larvae under the bark and not as a fully developed animal. Further development to the imago takes place on deciduous trees.

Distribution and habitats

The species is distributed regularly and frequently and throughout Europe to Asia Minor and Siberia. Among the habitats of Rotbeinigen Baumwanze include forest edges, parks and gardens. Here she lives in bushes and deciduous trees such as oaks, lindens and maples mostly in the treetops. In fruit trees, they can cause damage to the fruits of mass occurrence. Sometimes they penetrate into the towns, attracted by the light where they fly even in apartments.

Pictures

Head

Abdomen

Larva