Subpage
bugs in the garden: "Water
bugs" Plantbugs
(Miridae) Seed
bugs (Lygaeidae)
Cicadas
Aphids
Nederlands /
Dutch
Pentatomoidea (with shield bugs, burrower bugs, stink bugs,...) in the garden.
Information about bugs:
True bugs can be found both in and on water and on land. They also have a
sucking mouthparts known as a rostrum.
With this rostum they suck juices from all kinds. That can be plants and seeds, but also insects and other animals. They belong to the order Hemiptera
like aphids
and cicadas.
The true bugs have forewings that are hardened at the base and membranous
at the tips. They sit flat over the abdomen hiding the membranous hind
wings. Hemiptera
means “half wing. They
are held flat on the back, with the ends overlapping. (Hardened
forewings like the beetles have, but the forewings of beetles meet
together in a straight line on their back)
The larva (nymph) resembles a miniature wingless adult, although their colour and markings may be very
different. The nymphs progress
through a series of moults (known as instars).
The wings are developed in the last instar. ( incomplete metamorphosis, there is not a pupal
stage). There are five instars.
In and near water, these families are on this website: Corixidae, Gerridae, Hydrometridae, Nepidae, Naucoridae, Notonectidae, Saldidae.
There are many families. Well known is the superfamily Pentatomoidea, which is divided into 14-15 families.
Such as the families Stink bugs (Pentatomidae), Acanthosomatidae, Burrower Bugs
(Cydnidae), Jewel bugs (Scutelleridae), ebony bugs (Thyreocoridae) with in the Netherlands
only the Thyreocoris scarabaeoides and since 2021 the family Plataspidae with in the Netherlands
only the Thyreocoris scarabaeoides.
Other true bugs families on this website are: Minute pirate bugs, Flower bugs (Anthocoridae) , Squash bugs,
Leaf-footed bug (Coreidae) , Seed bugs, Ground bugs (Lygaeidae),
Plant bugs (Miridae), Nabidae, Scentless plant bugs (Rhopalidae), Reduviidae,
Lace bugs (Tingidae).
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On this page the bugs of the superfamily of shield bugs, stink bugs -
Pentatomoidea.
Bugs from the superfamily Pentatomoidea have a well-developed scutellum, which is often (not always) triangular in shape. The antennas usually with five segments.
The bugs have glands in their thorax between the first and the second pair of legs which produce a foul-smelling liquid. This liquid is used defensively to deter predators.
Family Acanthosomatidae. Link
to: All
Acanthosomatidae in the Netherlands on "Waarneming".
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.
.Parent
Bug, Motherly Shield Bug (Elasmucha
grisea). Family Acanthosomatidae.
The colours vary. Gray, green or red brown. On the scutellum is usually a black area.
They live in birch and alder.
The females take care for their eggs and larvae. They guard and protect
them. The nymphs follow their mother.The females lay their eggs in a cluster on the underside of
the leaves.
They hibernate as an adult.
Length 6 - 9 mm. Photos 5-6-2012,
10-6-2012.
It's a common species in many parts of the world. Rare and similar are:
Elasmostethus minor. So far only found on Lonicera xylosteum. The very rare
Elasmucha ferrugata, the pronotum is pointed and Elasmostethus fieberi,. German: Fleckige Brutwanze French: Punaise grise ou
grisâtre. |
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.
.
Elasmucha
fieberi.
Family Acanthosomatidae.
Not in the garden but in the dunes
about 4 km from our house.
It looks like the birch bug. They may be lighter than the bug in the picture.
Differences according to Berend Aukema: E. fieberi is punctured deeper than E. grisea and also much more punctured on the abdominal segments. At the front corners of the
pronotum is clearly a small tooth. Photos 18-6-2013 and a paler one in 24-6-2015.
At the front corners of the
pronotum is clearly a small tooth. |
|
Elasmucha
fieberi.
Family Acanthosomatidae.
This
Elasmucha fieberi has two eegs on its oronotum of a tachinid fly (Tachinidae)
of the subfamily. Photo 24-6-2015. |
..
.
. Birch
Shield Bug, Birch Bug
(Elasmostethus interstinctus).
They can be confused with the
parent bug. They have no black spots along the edge of the body. They are green with red, reddish brown.
The scutellum is also green with red, reddish brown..
Remarkably, the Birch Shield Bug has a kind of antifreeze in its body, making
it survives harsh winter conditions. It is therefore found in the entire Northern Hemisphere.
They live in birch. They are also found on aspen and hazel. In my garden I find them on other plants. But near the birch.
Length: 9-11 mm.
A larger similar species is
Hawthorn shieldbug
(Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale).
Elasmostethus minor is even more similar, but in the Netherlands
they only live in South Limburg (in the Red Honeysuckle) They are
very rare. On a photo the difference is only seen at a segment
of the abdomen. German: Bunte Blattwanze.
Nymphs
Birch
Shield Bug (Elasmostethus interstinctus). |
..
.
.
Hawthorn shieldbug
(Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale).
Family Acanthosomatidae.
The
Hawthorn shieldbug
looks similar to
the Birch
Shield Bug, Birch Bug (Elasmostethus interstinctus),
but it is much lager
and more elongate. The
lateral extensions of the pronotum are also larger. It
is shiny green with black spots and deep red markings.
The
scutellum is green.
It can be seen in
hedgerows, on the edges of woodlands. It is feeding mainly on hawthorn
berries. It will feed on leaves other deciduous trees, including oak, hazel and
birch.
Length: 13 - 15 mm. Photos 3-7-2011. German: Wipfel-Stachelwanze. |
Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
The bugs of this family have a large triangular scutellum.
Link
to:
All
Pentatomidae in the Netherlands on "Waarneming".
The bugs from the family Pentatomidae in the Netherlands can be divided into the
subfamily Asopinae (predatory), Pentatominae (The largest group, mainly sucks on plants) and Podopinae
(In the Old World. In Europe a small group, in the Netherlands only the Graphosoma lineatum.
The scutellum is greatly enlarged).
Some True Shieldbugs I
photographed in the dunes. This
is a photo of the place I photographed the most of
these bugs.
Subfamily Asopinae
Nymph: .
.
Arma
custos. Subfamily
Asopinae. Family
Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
I found some nymphs in the garden. It's a predatory bug. The second nymph, I found, has grown up into an adult. (See collage)
Characteristic: A leathery light-to-dark brown colour, sometimes confused with a Coreus
marginatus. Shoulders are sticking out, but not pointed. The antenna is partially yellowish and black. The last segment is yellowish.
Length: 11 - 13.5 mm.
The adult overwinters. Europe (not in Great Britain), Asia. Photos: 5-7-2017, 11-7-2017,
11-8-2017, 13-8-2017.
Collage from nymph to an adult. |
..
Nymph: .
Picromerus bidens.
Subfamily
Asopinae. Family
Stink bugs (Pentatomidae). Bug on large photo in the garden. The others in the dunes about 4 km from our house..
The Picromerus bidens
is brown with a copper sheen.
On the front of the pronotum.it has a 'thorn'. The last part of the
scutellum is yellow. The antennae are orange.
The nymph is shiny grey black with
pale bands around the legs. The abdomen of young nymphs are dark red.
Length: 12 - 13 mm.
It overwinters as an egg, sometimes as a larva.
July - October. Palearctic, introduced in North America. Photos:
19-8-2013, 16-9-2013, 2-8-2020. |
Heather Shieldbug
(Rhacognathus
punctatus).
Subfamily
Asopinae. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
Not in the garden but in the dunes
about 4 km from our house.
A dark bug with a metallic bronze sheen. The legs have white or orange red bands. It is a predatory bug. It
is feeding mainly on heather beetles (Lochmaea suturalis) and the larvae
of these beetles.
It is therefore in areas with heather.
Length: 7-9 mm.
Overwinters as an egg, larva sometimes.
Throughout the year. Palearctic, introduced in North America. Photos: 19-8-2013. |
Nymph: ..
.
Troilus
luridus.
Subfamily
Asopinae. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae). Not in the garden but in the dunes
about 4 km from our house.
The adult bug has an orange band around the antenna (like this nymph) and shiny brown. It is apredatory
bug.
The nymph feeds on both larvae, caterpillars and plant juices. The head, pronotum and part below the
pronotum is shiny and dark. On the side of the pronotum is a white part. The young nymphs are easily confused with some other nymphs.
Throughout the year. Europe.
Photos: 3-9-2013, 27-9-2013, 24-10-2013. |
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Zicrona caerulea.
Subfamily
Asopinae. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae). Not in the garden but
Niet
in de tuin, maar bij een weiland 3 km van ons huis, vlakbij de duinen.
A bug with a blue-green, shiny metallic
colour.
In the Netherlands especially on the sandy soils. Open or partly shaded low vegetation of herbs and bushes on moist soil, often in
heathlands.
It is predatory and not bound to a particular plant.
Overwinters as adult bug. From February to November.
Length 5-7.5 mm. Photos 28-8-2017.
A holarctic species.
26-6-2022.
For the first time also in our garden. |
Subfamily Asopinae
..
.
. Bishop's Mitre
Shieldbug (Aelia acuminata).
Subfamily Pentatominae. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
An elongated light brown bug with his body light and dark longitudinal stripes. The head is tapered.
Because of the shape of the body it is called
Bishop's Mitre Shieldbug.
It feeds on grasses. Here on a bamboo leaf in our garden. Nymphs feed on seeds of various grasses.
Length: 7,8 - 9,3 mm.
One generation in a year. The adult bug overwinters.
Europe, Asia, Africa.
Photos: 16-4-2014. German: Getreidewanze,
Spitzling. |
..
Aelia
klugii. Subfamily
Pentatominae. Family
Stink bugs (Pentatomidae). Not in the garden but in the dunes
about 4 km from our house.
Is very similar to Aelia acuminata. It is on average slightly smaller. A. acuminata has two black dots on the underside of the thighs, these dots lacks A
Klugii. A Klugii a patch or lump at the front side of the 'nose'. The dark colors sometimes seem a little more
contrasty.
It feeds on grasses. Nymphs feed on seeds of various grasses.
Length: 6.5-8.2 mm.
One generation per year. The adult bug overwinters.
Europe (not in Great Britain). Photos: 1-8-2016. |
..
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Chlorochroa pinicola
Old name: Pitedia pinicola. Subfamily
Pentatominae. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
I found it in the barn. Perhaps it looked for a place to overwinter.
In Noord-Holland this was the first sighting!
Olive to dark greenish brown with white edges.
Especially in the pines, but also in spruce.
Length: 11 - 14 mm. They
overwinter as an adult.
Europe. Photos: 11-9-2011. |
..
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. Sloe Bug (Dolycoris baccarum). Subfamily
Pentatominae. Family
Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
It feeds on berries (like berries from honeysuckle and blackberry bush)
The hairy larvae (nymph) is often found on plants of the rose family.
The antennae have alternate dark and pale bands. The
colour is red to purplish, The connexivum (the border of the abdomen) is black and white checkered.
Length: 12-14 mm. German:
Beerenwanze. French: Punaise
des baies, pentatome des baies.
A nymph of a Sloe bug. Photos 9-8-2009. |
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Cabbage bug, Brassica Bug (Eurydema
oleracea).
Subfamily
Pentatominae. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
The bug feeds on crucifers and may be harmful to cabbage. Here it is on
Garlic mustard.
You have them with red, white, pale yellow or pale blue spots.Length 6, 7 mm.
They
overwinter as an adult.
Photo's 1-5-2010, 15-5-2010, 28-4-2014. German: Kohlwanze French: Punaise potagère.
.
.
Photos 4-7-2010, 12-7-2010. |
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.
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Small Grass Shieldbug
(Neottiglossa pusilla). Subfamily
Pentatominae. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
Not in the garden but in the dunes
about 4 km from our house.
A small brown bug. In the middle of a white center line. The whole bug is striking punctuated. The head is broad and short. The nymphs
feed on grass.
Length: 4 - 5 mm. They hibernate as an adult.
Throughout the year. Europe, North Africa. Photos: 11-9-2013.
German: Dickkopfwanze. |
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.
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. Green Shieldbug (Palomena
prasina). Subfamily
Pentatominae. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
A very common shield bug. A green bug. The 4th
and 5th segments of the antennae are partially reddish.
I find them in many different plants, shrubs, trees.
They resemble the Nezara viridula. This bug has a pale wing membrane. The
wing membrane of Newly-emerged adults green stink is pale too.
Looks a lot more like Palomena viridissima, which hasn't been found in the Netherlands for a long time. The dimensions of the segments differ. At P. prasina the second is slightly longer than the third. With P. virida
it is clearly longer. And the leading edge of the pronotum is slightly hollow (slightly
convex at P. viridissima).
Adult: All year.
Length 12-14 mm. Palearctic. Photos 24-4-2010, 9-7-2012. German: Grüne
Stinkwanze, Gemeine Stinkwanze,
Gemeiner Grünling. French: Punaise verte. |
.
The first two photos of
the green shieldbug (Palomena prasina) I have made 20 October.
The clear green colour is disappearing. The second two photos on 10
November. When they hibernate (also the nymphs) they become brown. In
spring they become green again.
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.
. .
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. Green Shieldbug (Palomena
prasina). Nymph.
Subfamily
Pentatominae. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
On the first picture a young 2th instar nymph. The nymphs on the left are younger than the nymphs
on the right. The very young nymphs have dark legs, later
the colour of the legs will change into light green. In the pictures below you can see that the older nymphs are not as
bright green. The nymphs born later in the year can be darker. At the 5th instar nymphs is the beginning of the wings already
visible.
The nymphs of the green shieldbug are very similar to the nymphs of the Palomena
viridissima.
But in the Netherlands this bug is very rare. |
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. Forest bug (Pentatoma rufipes). Subfamily
Pentatominae. Family Stink
bugs (Pentatomidae).
A large shiny brown shieldbug. It has orange legs and a yellow / orange
spot on the scutellum. Characteristic are the square shoulders.
They
are found in wooded areas.
They are feeding on fruits. But they are also predatory. (insects, even garden chafer)
Length 13 - 15 mm.
July - December. The larvae hibernate. Photos 18-9-2011 en 11-9-2011. German: Rotbeinige Baumwanze. French:
Punaise à pattes rousses, Punaise des bois.
Nymph 13-5-2014, 24-6-2014.
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..
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. Peribalus
strictus vernalis.
Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
Subfamily
Pentatominae. Synonyms of
Peribalus strictus: Holcostethus strictus, Holcostethus strictus
vernalis.
Two subspecies of the Peribalus strictus are now distinguished. The subspecies Peribalus strictus vernalis is found in the Netherlands.
Like
the striped shieldbug this bug lived originally in the south of Europe.
Now it is becoming less rare in the Netherlands. It looks a bit like the
sloe bug. The tip of the shield is white and the edge is black and white. The antennas
of this bug are yellow-orange with a black top and black on the forth segment.
It lives on various herbs.
Length
9 - 10 mm.
March - October. Photos 2-6-2011.
Nymph, 25-8-2015. |
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. Gorse
Shieldbug
(Piezodorus lituratus). Subfamily
Pentatominae. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
The bug in the photo is a young adult. In August, September is the new adult generation.
In autumn its colour changes to red. In spring they are yellowish green.
The edge on the sides of the body is small yellow. Along the edge is a blue
part. The antennae are orange.
It lives on legumes (Leguminosae or Fabaceae). Especially broom and gorse. I found it in the garden (2010) on a butterfly bush. It was not until March 2018 that I saw another in the garden. Coincidental again on the butterfly bush. Because this bug is photographed in the spring, it is yellowish green. (photo left below) In the dunes I see them much more often on broom.
The adult hibernates.
Length 10-13 mm. Photos 21-8-2010, 21-4-2018. German: Ginster-Baumwanze.
With a nymph (photo taken in the dunes) 23-9-2015. |
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Sciocoris cursitans. Subfamily
Pentatominae. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae). Not in the garden but in the dunes
about 4 km from our house.
A small brown shieldbug, with a round abdomen with an
expanded checkered border (Connexivum). Similar to in the Netherlands very rare Sciocoris
homalonous. (Found only in southern Limburg)
In hot, dry, sandy areas like the dunes.
Length: 4.5 to 6 mm.
Overwinters as an adult bug.
The greatest part of the year.
Europe, Asia. Photos: 23-8-2016. |
Subfamily Podopinae
..
. Striped Shield Bug (Graphosoma italicum).
Subfamily
Podopinae. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
A
shield bug with black longitudinal stripes on a red body. The legs are almost entirely black. In the Netherlands, it cann't
be confused with other bugs. In southern Europe there are more similar species. Graphosoma semipunctatum with interrupted black stripes on the
pronotum and red legs. Graphosoma creticum a lighter species with less clear stripes (Crete). Graphosoma melanoxanthum (South Russia, Turkey, Iran)
Graphosoma lineatum is sometimes divided into two subspecies: Graphosoma lineatum
italicum, the pictured species and Graphosoma lineatum lineatum, which has red legs and
is sometimes more orange. Occurs in North Africa. If you search on the Internet, this gives quite often confusion.
Now, after DNA research, Graphosoma italicum and Graphosoma lineatum are assumed.
The Netherlands the Striped Shield Bug
was a pretty rare bug, but it is now becoming more common. Yet this is the only time I've
seen this bug bug in the garden
They often can be found on Umbelliferae. In this case, a celery flower.
Size 8-11 mm. The adults
hibernate.
Photos 22-7-2007. German: Streifenwanze French: Punaise
arlequin, graphosome italien, scutellère rayée, pentatome rayé. |
Burrower Bugs (Cydnidae)
Negro bugs, burrowing bugs, burrower bugs (Cydnidae) They
don't have the shoulders of the stink bugs. They look like beetles. The legs
have spines.
..
.
. .
Detail. Byrsinus flavicornis, synonym Aethus flavicornis. Family
Burrower Bugs (Cydnidae). Not in the garden but in the dunes
about 6 km from our house.
A small brown black bug with a metallic sheen. It is recognizable by the long hairs and the
bristles on the outer edge of the head.
It is very similar to the Microporus nigrita. One difference is that in this
burrower bug, there are also two bristles on the 'nose'. In Byrsinus
flavicornis there are two long hairs.
Both species live for the most part under the sandy soil, where they suck on the roots of grasses. In the spring they come up for mating.
The adult bugs overwinters. In the Netherlands, they are found in the dunes.
Length 2.5 - 4 mm. Photos 27-10-2015. |
..
.
. . Legnotus limbosus. Family
Burrower Bugs (Cydnidae).
Legnotus limbosus is a small black bug with a metallic sheen. Along the shield
it has a pale edge.
It is similar to the Legnotus picipes. A difference is the square notch at the front of the head, which only has Legnotus
limbosus. Associated with bedstraws (Galium).
Adult: All year.
Length 4 to 5 mm. Photos
29-4-2010, 5-5-2013. |
..
.
Nymph
Pied shield bug (Tritomegas
bicolor). Family
Burrower Bugs (Cydnidae).
The
Pied shield bug looks a bit like the cabbage bug. That bug is from another family. The
pied shield bug is always black white spots.
It is very similar to the much rarer Tritomgas sexmaculatus. The white spots of
this bug on the pronotum are much tighter.
Since May, the eggs are deposited. They can be found in the herb layer.
The main host plants are white dead nettle and black horehound.
The adult bug overwinters.
Length 5 to 7 mm.
It is both in Europe and the Netherlands a general bug. Also in North Africa,
Central Asia. Photos 17-4-2011, nymph 10-7-2011. |
Found during a excursion to look for bugs in the dunes at Wassenaar.
Sehirus morio. Family
Burrower Bugs (Cydnidae).
In fact,
on this page are only bugs from the garden or the surrounding area. I've found this one farther away. I have already looked at many
bugloss plants (also in the garden), but haven't found them here yet. If I find one, I will replace the photo.
In the Netherlands it is rare. He occurs in some places on the higher sandy soils, but also in some places in the dunes.
Sehirus morio looks very similar to Sehirus luctuosus, but is larger.
Feeds on several plants in the borage family and can be found under the leaf rosettes
of fiddlenecks, bugloss, houndstongue and blueweed.
The adult bug overwinters. Late April to end of September.
Length 9-11.5 mm.
Europe (not in Great Britain), North Africa and the Near East. Photo 23-8-2016. |
Family Jewel bugs (Scutelleridae).
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.
.
Eurygaster
testudinaria. Family Jewel bugs
(Scutelleridae).
I found a young nymph in the garden, which surprised me, because up until now I had only seen the Eurygaster testudinaria in the dunes. I
have kept it with grasses and flowers of grasses and I've taken pictures, when it was grown. As an adult it
got it's freedom again in the garden. I also have taken photos of three shed skins on graph paper.Eurygaster Maura is very similar. Eurygaster testudinaria has slightly wider / more pointed shoulders and a sunken
tylus (Tylus is the line between the cheeks). They are variable in colour (brown, red) and drawing (wide
broad stripes on the back) is not always very visible. (like the
Eurygaster on this photo) The scutellum is very large.
The bugs feed on juices of grasses, but also of other plants like this bug.
Length: 9-11 mm. Overwinters as an egg, as a larva sometimes.
Throughout the year. Europe, Asia. Photos: 30-8-2015.
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.
.
.
.
.
A
sunken
tylus (Tylus is the line between the cheeks). Photos
nymph: 1-8-2015, 10-8-2015, 20-8-2015. Photos of a shed skin: 16-8-2015,
19-8-2015, 30-8-2015 |
The next Stink bugs are to be found on the page
with French insects.
1.
Rhaphigaster nebulosa nymph. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
2. Zicrona caerulea nymph. Family Stink bugs
(Pentatomidae).
3 Carpocoris. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
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4. Staria lunata. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
5. Eurydema ornata. Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
6. Odontotarsus. Family Jewel bugs (Scutelleridae).
|
The next bugs I have photographed in Croatia in 2015.
1. Ancyrosoma leucogrammes. Family Stink bugs
(Pentatomidae).
2. Holcostethus sphacelatus. Family Stink bugs
(Pentatomidae).
3. Psacasta exanthematica. Family Jewel bugs
(Scutelleridae).
|
|
Graphosoma semipunctatum.
Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae). Photo 3:
Underside of a Graphosoma lineatum, so you can see the
difference. |
Frankrijk, Provence 2017.
Cydnus aterrimus. Family
Burrower Bugs (Cydnidae). Lives in the soil of juice from the roots of wolf's milk species. In the Netherlands very rare, only
found in Limburg. Length 8-12 mm. Photo 30-5-2017. |
Slovenia 2019
...
.
.
.
.
Green stinkbug (Nezara viridula). Family Stink bugs
(Pentatomidae). Smooth green or brown colored in the winter half year. Looks like the Palomena prasina, but can be recognized by the white spots with black spots on the front edge of the scutellum. Along the head and the pronotum a yellow border. The nymphs have a beautifully pattern. Length 11.5-16.5 mm. I saw a lot on tansy. In the Netherlands they are mostly imported ones, but they also seem to have come here on their own.
Photos 10-9-2019, 13-9-2019. |
Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys).
Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
II only saw a nymph. Coincidentally, they also appeared in the Netherlands this year.
Photo 13-9-2019.
Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys).
Family Stink bugs (Pentatomidae).
In 2024 I saw an adult Halyomorpha halys on holiday in the Loire Valley near our campsite. Photo
10-6-2024.
|
I want to thank Berend Aukema for the determination of many of my bugs.
Nederlands /
Dutch
Subpage bugs in
the garden: "Water
bugs"
Plantbugs
(Miridae) Seed
bugs (Lygaeidae)
Cicadas
Aphids
Subpage France:
Insects
France
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