DOCSLIB.ORG

Boxelder Bug.Indd

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Boxelder Bug.Indd A Horticulture Information article from the Wisconsin Master Gardener website, posted 3 Oct 2016 Boxelder Bug, Boisea trivittatus Boxelder bugs (Boisea trivittatus, Family Rhopalidae, scentless plant bugs) are common insects from mid-summer through fall, and sometimes in spring. The gray and red adults are about ½ inch long. Nymphs (immatures) are bright red with darker heads and look like the adults, but without developed wings. They tend to be most abundant after summers with a very warm May followed by a dry July, but their numbers also vary a lot from place to place regardless of the previous months’ weather. After the adult bugs emerge from overwintering sites in the spring, females deposit small, red eggs on host plants. The nymphs hatch in 10 to 14 days. During the summer An adult boxelder bug. they are found primarily on female boxelder trees (Acer negundo) where they feed by sucking plant sap from leaves and developing seeds. They can be found on other plants, such as ash, maple and occasionally on strawberries, grasses, and various other plants, but normally cannot complete their development on these other plants. They rarely cause signifi cant damage to any plants. Nymphs mature into adults by mid-summer, and these adults lay eggs for a second generation. The adults that develop from these eggs leave the trees to fi nd places Boxelder bug nymphs feeding on to spend the winter. They boxelder seeds. continue to be active late into the fall, and are often seen congregating in sunny spots on the south sides of buildings, trees and rocks on warm afternoons. In their search for a nice hiding place to spend the winter, boxelder bugs often end up inside buildings. Boxelder bugs like sunny areas and are attracted to buildings with a lot of southern exposure – regardless of the color. They enter buildings through Boxelder bugs congregating on a Lots of boxelder bug nymphs on a boxelder small gaps around windows, house foundation. tree trunk. doors, and pipes and through small cracks in the foundation or siding. They often gather in large congregations on walls or foundations when seeking entry. As long as the bugs remain cold within walls or attics, they are inactive. But should they be warmed up by the furnace or sunshine, they become active and may crawl into the rooms. Although they do not feed or reproduce inside the home, boxelder bugs may stain curtains and walls. They will not bite humans or pets, and they do not damage food or other items in the home. But their mere presence certainly can be a nuisance. What to Do About Boxelder Bugs Removing boxelder trees or spraying heavily infested trees with a registered insecticide in mid-summer may help reduce boxelder bug numbers. Also, remove any accumulations of boxelder, ash, elm and Boxelder bugs often congregate maple seeds since the bugs can feed and reproduce on these, as on sunny sides of buildings. well as on trees. However, the adults are good fl iers, and can move a considerable distance from host trees, so this will not eliminate boxelder bug problems. Choose species other than boxelder when planting shade trees. The best means of preventing problems with boxelder bugs is to prevent entry into your home. If you’ve been invaded by boxelder bugs (or other insects) in the past, try to seal up all possible entry spots. Caulk all openings around windows and doors and in walls, siding or foundations. Clusters of bugs on the sides of buildings can be sprayed with registered insecticides, insecticidal soap or hot, soapy water. Sprays may need to be repeated as more boxelder bugs arrive, especially when using soapy water. Once inside, the best method of control is to suck up the occasional bug with a vacuum cleaner. For A cluster of boxelder bugs on a house. large numbers, a household aerosol spray containing pyrethrins can be used, but these are often not effective. Professional pest control operators may be able to provide more effective treatments. – Susan Mahr, University of Wisconsin - Madison Additional Information: Boxelder Bugs – University of Wisconsin Garden Fact Sheet X1100 at hort.uwex.edu/articles/ boxelder-bugs Boxelder Bugs and Leaf-footed Bugs – Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet HYG-2106-10 at ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-2106.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Pest Alert: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Halyomorpha Halys
    OREGON DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FACT SHEETS AND PEST ALERTS Pest Alert: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Halyomorpha halys Introduction Brown Marmorated Stink Bug The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha adult nymph newly-hatched halys, is an Asian species first detected in North America nymphs in Pennsylvania in 1996, and in Oregon in 2004. BMSB has since been detected in 43 states. In Oregon it is es- tablished statewide, in the western region from Portland to Ashland, and in the north east to Hood River. More recently it has been found in coastal counties and is likely still expanding its range and increasing in abundance around Oregon. A threat to Oregon agriculture BMSB is a major agricultural pest in Asia, attacking many crops. It is a significant agricultural pest in the Mid-At- lantic states of the U.S., attacking tree fruits, peppers, tomatoes, corn, berries, grapes, soybeans, melons, and even damaging young trees by feeding through the bark. BMSB is known to feed on over 170 species of plants. The insect threatens an estimated $21 billion worth of crops in the United States alone. Some commercial agri- cultural damage by BMSB has been reported in Oregon. Some home gardeners have reported extensive damage to beans, cucumbers, raspberries, hops, and several species A brown marmorated stink bug feeding on a mature hazelnut. BMSB of ornamental plants. is able to feed on tree nuts through the shell using its long mouthparts. Damage to crops Stink bugs feed by inserting their long, straw-like mouth parts into plants and sucking out the liquid inside.
    [Show full text]
  • Boxelder Bug
    BOXELDER BUG Integrated Pest Management for Home Gardeners and Landscape Professionals The western boxelder bug (Boisea rubrolineata) is often a nuisance pest around and in homes. Boxelder bugs usually feed on the leaves, flowers, and seedpods of the female or seedbearing box elder tree (Acer negundo), although they may also subsist on male box elder trees and occasionally occur on maple and ash trees. They may feed on the fruits of almond, apple, cherry, peach, Figure 1. Boxelder bug adult and nymphs. Figure 2. Young nymph of western box- pear, and plum trees, and on grapes, (J. K. Clark) elder bug, Boisea rubrolineata. where their feeding punctures cause (J. K. Clark) the fruit to become deformed. Large numbers of the bug usually occur only on female box elder trees. IDENTIFICATION When full grown, the boxelder bug is about 1/2 inch long and one-third as wide. Adults are mostly black and have three red lines on the pronotum of the thorax (one down the middle and on each margin) and several fine Figure 3. Boxelder bug eggs on leaf. Figure 4. Adult squash bug. red lines on each wing (Figure 1). The (J. K. Clark) (J. K. Clark) wings lie flat on the bug’s back when it is at rest. The abdomen is red. The young nymphs are bright red (Figure 2) and when approaching adulthood, become marked with black and begin to develop black wing pads. Eggs are yellow when first laid but become red as nymphs develop inside (Figure 3). Boxelder bugs are true bugs (Order: Hemiptera) in the family Rhopalidae.
    [Show full text]
  • Boxelder Bug Nuisance Management for Homeowners
    CIS 1155 Boxelder Bug Nuisance Management for Homeowners by Danielle Gunn and Edward John Bechinski Boxelder bugs are a common nuisance pest in Figure 1. Idaho homes and yards. Although not particu- Comparative larly harmful, these insects can be aggravating life-size boxelder when they are searching for places to spend the bug 1st-stage winter. nymph (left) and adult (right). This publication will help you understand both the seasonal biology of boxelder bugs in Idaho, and landscape features that increase pest prob- lems. We discuss the relative importance of these insects as pests. Practical steps you can take to reduce nuisance problems include alternatives to insecticides and safe, effective insecticide use. Identification Boxelder bugs develop through three life stages: eggs, nymphs, and adults. Figure 1 shows the actual body sizes of a newly hatched nymph and a mature adult. Adults are the most commonly encountered life Figure 2. Adult boxelder bugs, Boisea trivittata, are stage. Adult boxelder bugs are flattened, elon- distinctively marked with red lines on a slate-gray back- gate insects approximately one-half-inch long ground. (not including antennae). Overall upper body color is slate gray to black. Reddish orange lines appear behind the head and along the sides of the body (Figure 2). The rest of the body under the wings is red with two rows of black spots. Legs and antennae are black. Eggs. Small red eggs occur in clusters on box- elder and maple trees. Elongate eggs one-six- teenth-inch long are laid in groups of about ten on the bark and leaves of host trees and sur- rounding areas.
    [Show full text]
  • Hemiptera: Heteroptera) with a Review of the Eggs of This Family
    ACTA ENTOMOLOGICA MUSEI NATIONALIS PRAGAE Published 30.vi.2010 Volume 50(1), pp. 75–95 ISSN 0374-1036 The external morphology of eggs of three Rhopalidae species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) with a review of the eggs of this family Jitka VILÍMOVÁ & Markéta ROHANOVÁ Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44 Praha 2, Czech Republic; e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Abstract. The external morphology of eggs and manner of oviposition of three rhopalid species, Brachycarenus tigrinus (Schilling, 1829), Chorosoma schillingi (Schilling, 1829) and Rhopalus (Aeschyntelus) maculatus (Fieber, 1837) are described. The eggs were studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and the results complete previous observations.The emphasis of the study is on the characteristics of eggs and details of oviposition in representatives of the family Rhopalidae. The chorionic origin of attachment stalk was confi rmed only in the Chorosomatini. A completely smooth egg chorion was recognized in R. (A.) maculatus, as a unique condition within at least the Pentatomomorpha. Key words. Rhopalidae, Rhopalini, Chorosomatini, Brachycarenus tigrinus, Cho- rosoma schillingi, Rhopalus (Aeschyntelus) maculatus, egg structure, micropylar processes, chorion, attachment stalk, oviposition Introduction Heteroptera eggs have a stable shape due to a sclerotized chorion. Egg morphology is helpful for taxonomic and phylogenetic purposes. The morphology of heteropteran eggs varies distinctly among taxa; for details see two monographs: SOUTHWOOD (1956) and COB- BEN (1968). Both authors mentioned that the eggs of the coreoid family Rhopalidae have a specifi c morphological pattern (e.g. two micropylar processes). COBBEN (1968) not only compared the morphology of heteropteran eggs but made phylogenetic inferences from their important characters.
    [Show full text]
  • Boxelder Bug Boisea Trivittata (Say); Family: Rhopalidae
    IDL INSECT DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY Cornell University, Dept. of Entomology, 2144 Comstock Hall, Ithaca NY 14853-2601 Boxelder Bug Boisea trivittata (Say); Family: Rhopalidae Boxelder bug (adult); actual size about 1/2 inch long. Photo © 2012 by Jason J. Dombroskie. Injury The boxelder bug may be a pest of outdoor trees as well as a household nuisance. It is the latter that is of most concern to homeowners. The bugs overwinter as adults and nymphs in protected dry places, often in wall voids or attics of houses and buildings. During warm days in the fall and again in the spring, the bugs become active and invade homes, creating a nuisance. They do not feed while indoors. Description The adult boxelder bug is about 1/2 inch in length, and brownish-black in color, with red stripes on the thorax and wing margins. The body is also bright red. Eggs are straw-yellow to rusty-red in color and are not often seen, as they are deposited on boxelder trees (Acer negundo) or other maples, or near the trees. The nymphs, which are found on the trees, are bright red in color with the front half darker. Nymphs resemble adults but do not have fully developed wings and are not able to reproduce. The change from nymph to adult is a gradual one. Life History The boxelder bugs pass the winter in the adult and sometimes nymphal stages in dry, sheltered places where they have accumulated in gregarious masses. They often choose buildings or houses as a protected place to overwinter. When weather warms up in the spring, the bugs leave their places of hibernation to fly to boxelder trees, where they deposit their eggs.
    [Show full text]
  • SP341-H Boxelder Bugs and Red-Shouldered Bugs
    Agricultural Extension Service The University of Tennessee SP341-H Insects Boxelder Bugs and Red-Shouldered Bugs Karen Vail, Associate Professor, Frank Hale, Associate Professor, Entomology and Plant Pathology, and William Klingeman, Assistant Professor, Plant Sciences & Landscape Systems Originally developed by Harry Williams, Professor Emeritus, Entomology and Plant Pathology Boxelder bugs, Boisea trivittata (Say), are a nui- Identification sance, especially during the cool autumn months when Adult boxelder bugs are flat, about 1/2 inch long, they cluster in large numbers on the sides of trees, 1/3 inch wide and dark brownish-black with three houses and other structures. This pest enters buildings lengthwise red stripes on the pronotum (area behind through cracks and openings and spends the winter the head). Wings are thick and leathery at the base and hibernating behind exterior siding and in attics, soffits, membranous at the tip. There are red veins in the wall voids, window/door casings and similar protected wings; the abdomen is bright red under the wings areas. Boxelder bugs may also take refuge in soil and (Figure 1). The nymphs resemble the adults in shape leaf litter next to foundations. With the onset of warmer except they are smaller, wingless and bright red. Eggs weather in late winter and spring, these bugs become are red (Figure 2). Boxelder bugs are found through- active and emerge from their overwintering sites. As out the state. they attempt to escape to their natural habitat outdoors, It has recently come to our attention that another some inadvertently disperse inward into living areas, bug, the red-shouldered bug, Jadera haematoloma emerging from beneath baseboards, behind window and (Herrich-Schaffer), has been confused with boxelder door frames, from within sash-cord openings and bugs.
    [Show full text]
  • Eastern Boxelder Bug, Boisea Trivittata (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae) Confirmation in Arkansas S
    Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science Volume 69 Article 24 2015 Eastern Boxelder Bug, Boisea trivittata (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae) Confirmation in Arkansas S. W. Chordas III Ohio State University C. T. McAllister Eastern Oklahoma State College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Chordas, S. W. III and McAllister, C. T. (2015) "Eastern Boxelder Bug, Boisea trivittata (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae) Confirmation in Arkansas," Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 69 , Article 24. Available at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol69/iss1/24 This article is available for use under the Creative Commons license: Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0). Users are able to read, download, copy, print, distribute, search, link to the full texts of these articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This General Note is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science, Vol. 69 [2015], Art. 24 The Eastern Boxelder Bug, Boisea trivittata (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae): Confirmation in Arkansas S.W. Chordas III1 and C.T. McAllister2* 1Center for Life Sciences Education, The Ohio State University, 260 Jennings Hall, 1735 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 2Science and Mathematics Division, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Idabel, OK 74745 *Correspondence: [email protected] Running Title: The Eastern Boxelder Bug in Arkansas The documented hemipteran fauna of Arkansas has grown tremendously since taxa listed in Henry and Froeschner (1988).
    [Show full text]
  • Investigations of Posible Chemical and Acoustic
    PEAR PEST MANAGEMENT RESEARCH FUND PROJECT REPORT: 2006 Title: Investigations of Possible Chemical and Acoustic Communication in Boxelder Bug, Leptocoris (=Boisea) spp. (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae) Principal Investigator: Jocelyn G. Millar, Professor, Dept. of Entomology, University of California, Riverside CA 92521. FAX: 951 827 3086. Email: [email protected] Cooperator: Lucia Varella, IPM Advisor, North Coast Abstract: Box elder bugs proved to be easy to maintain and lived a long time in the laboratory as adults, but it was remarkably difficult to induce the adults to break reproductive diapause. We found no evidence of acoustic or vibrational signals being used for communication. However, male bugs were strongly attracted to odors of live males or females in two-choice Y-tube olfactometer bioassays; females appeared to be less strongly attracted. Bioassays using live bugs in cages were not successful: the test bugs simply aggregated at the top of the cage. The profile of odors collected from males and females appeared to be similar, and the antennae of males and females showed the same pattern of relatively weak responses to components in the odor extracts. Thus, the formation of the aggregations of bugs seen in the field and in the laboratory may be mediated by species-specific but not sex-specific blends of insect-produced odors. The detailed analysis and reconstruction of these blends will be the focus of work in the coming year. Introduction: Boxelder bugs (Leptocoris or Boisea spp.) are chronic pests of pears in some parts of California, particularly near riparian areas (Anonymous 1991). These insects tend to be found in clumped distributions in the field, and they are well known from their large, overwintering aggregations, in which they often invade houses and create a nuisance for homeowners.
    [Show full text]
  • Common Nuisance Invaders of Homes in Colorado
    Common Nuisance Invaders of Homes in Colorado Whitney Cranshaw Colorado State University Nuisance Invader • The insect originates from outside the building Nuisance Invader • The insect originates from outside the building • The insect does not feed on anything or do any significant harm to anything within the building Nuisance Invader • The insect originates from outside the building • The insect does not feed on anything or do any significant harm to anything within the building • The insect does not reproduce within the building Nuisance Invader • The insect originates from outside the building • The insect does not feed on anything or do any significant harm to anything within the building • The insect does not reproduce within the building • The problem is that it is a bug in a building, period Nuisance Invaders Issues Vary with the Season Spring time brings: • Wake up of overwintered insects in homes • Ants foraging indoors until soils warm • Clover mites • Army cutworm migrations • Millipede migrations • Swallow bugs Boxelder Bug Western conifer-seed bug The Big 3 Winter Cluster Flies Time Residents of Colorado Homes Arthropods found in homes in spring often result from seasonal migrations Clover Mites Clover mite activity – Late February through Late April Clover mites often accidentally enter buildings during warm days in late winter and early spring Clover mite activity is concentrated around buildings, trees, shrubs and other aboveground objects Buildings serve as surfaces on which they may molt and lay eggs. Entry into living areas in incidental. Turf – Water = Mites in spring Clover Mite Control Products? (Post Organophosphate Period) • Talstar • Scimitar •Extra Irrigation Powdery materials (baby powder, corn starch, diatomaceous earth, etc.) can provide an impenetrable barrier to clover mites coming into homes around windows and other points of entry Clover mites trapped on a sticky note Field Ants Formica spp.
    [Show full text]
  • Scentless Plant Bugs, Jadera Sp
    Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office. EENY-130 Scentless Plant Bugs, Jadera sp. (Insecta: Hemiptera: Rhopalidae)1 F. W. Mead and T. R. Fasulo2 Introduction Two species of Jadera are known from Florida, J. antica Walker and J. haematoloma (Herrich-Schaeffer), but only the latter species is common. When J. haematoloma appears in large colonies in yards and gardens, people become curious and/or alarmed and contact agricultural officials for information. Mothers often become upset over their children's clothes being stained red from the squashed bodies of J. haematoloma, due to their children playing on infested lawns. The bugs Figure 1. Nymphs of the Jadera bug, Jadera aggregate to feed on seeds that have dropped to the haematoloma (Herrich-Schaeffer), on the side of a house. ground from trees overhead, especially from Credits: Robert E. Wilt, Jr. goldenrain trees, Koelreuteria spp., (Sapindaceae). Wheeler (1982) documented J. haematoloma as a Synonymy nuisance insect in Texas, and having invaded homes from nearby Chinaberry trees in Oklahoma. Jadera Jadera haematoloma was described previously in bugs are often confused with the boxelder bug, the genus Leptocoris and has been recorded in Boisea trivittatus (Say), but they are different species Serinetha, Lygaeus, and Pyrrhotes. Jadera antica in the same insect family. Boxelder bugs also cause (Walker) is the name currently accepted for Jadera concern when they appear in great numbers at the end sanguinolenta (Fabricius) of various authors having of summer or early fall in states to the north and west reported it in southern Florida and southward.
    [Show full text]
  • Boxelder Bugs
    Boxelder Bugs O & T Guide [O-#04] Carol A. Sutherland Extension and State Entomologist Cooperative Extension Service z College of Agriculture and Home Economics z October 2006 These exceedingly common and widely Adult: Most of the bug’s head, thorax and distributed black and red bugs are more forewings are rusty-brown edged with brick annoying to homeowners than they are red; the bulbous compound eyes are dark red destructive pests. with the antennae, legs and ends of the wings black. Adults are about ½ inch long; their Scientifically: Boxelder bugs are members of bodies appear flat on top with a prominent the insect order Hemiptera, family Rhopalidae. triangle between the bases of the forewings, as is typical of many adult Hemiptera. Metamorphosis: Simple Mouth Parts: piercing-sucking Pest Stages: nymphs, adults Typical Life Cycle: Eggs of spring or first generation bugs are laid in irregular masses of 10-25 on clusters of dropped host seed. Second or late summer generation eggs are laid on host foliage or developing seed. Æ five stages of Nymphs can be found in the same habitats as the adults---in the soil litter around host plants, on those plants or resting in large congregations on various surfaces Æ Adults are winged but fly infrequently. Most stay Boxelder bug adult, Boisea trivittata, about ½ close to their host plants, mingling with the inch long. This eastern species is found in various ages of nymphs. Two generations New Mexico, along with a Western species occur annually. that seems generally less troublesome. Photo: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Description of Life Stages: Extension Slide Series, , www.forestryimages.org Egg: Eggs are oval, dark or rusty red, and Habitat and Hosts: Boxelder bugs overwinter about 1/10 inch long.
    [Show full text]
  • Stink Bugs of Oregon
    OREGON DEPARTMENT INTRODUCTION BODY PARTS LIFE CYCLE PREDATORS OF AGRICULTURE GUIDES Stink bugs are insects in the order Hemiptera, known When the weather warms in the spring and the days get to entomologists as the “true bugs.” True bugs are longer, adult stink bugs come out of hibernation to feed, Apoecilus bracteatus P. maculiventris, Adult Adult Podisus brevispinus, characterized by having sucking mouthparts that mate, and lay eggs. These adults will die a few weeks Size: 13 – 17 mm Podisus maculiventris they use to suck juices from plants or prey. More later, but their offspring will hatch and develop through Description: Pale orange, pink, or tan Spined soldier bugs specifically, stink bugs are in the family Pentatomidae, the summer. Stink bug egg clusters can have seven to as with solid red antennae. Abdomen Size: 8.5 – 13 mm and are distinguished from other hemipterans by many as fifty eggs, varying by species. After hatching, the with alternating dark bands along having five antennal segments (penta = five, tomo young insects, called nymphs, go through five “instars”, or the edge. Apoecilus is univoltine Description: Adults are mottled light brown to tan dorsally, but can = part); other hemipterans have four or less. When immature stages, before molting into a winged adult. The and overwinters in the egg stage. The defensive fluid smells putrid. appear to be slightly red or pink disturbed, stink bugs emit defensive liquids from first instars generally remain on the egg cluster but later It has been reported that nymphs and adults are generally or on the hemelytra. Pronotum their scent glands that can have a strong odor and instars can be very mobile.
    [Show full text]