Tea for Two

I was making a mug of tea the other evening, when I noticed a winter house guest meandering about the countertop: a Western Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis). It’s a member of the leaf-footed bug family, so named for the widened section of their back legs. In North America, there are about 80 species of leaf-footers. Most are to be found in the southern reaches of the continent. As you can tell by the name, this particular species is a native of the western half of the continent. Western Conifer Seed Bugs were first spotted in Ontario about 1985.

They can be distinguished from other leaf-footers by the zigzaggy white line across their back. They have wings and can fly, but mostly seem content to stroll about. The wings have two parts, a hard, protective upper section and a lower membranous section that is useful for flight. For more information about Western Conifer Seed Bugs, and some great close-up photos, visit The Marvelous in Nature.

Leaf-footers are members of the Coreidae family, which includes squash bugs. Squash bugs feed on squash foliage using piercing and sucking mouthparts. Later in the season, they may also feed on the squash itself. I found these squash bugs (Anasa tristis) on a squash a few years ago. Although there were quite a few bugs on the plant, they didn’t damage this squash.

Conifer Seed Bugs use a long feeding tube to pierce conifer seeds, primarily pine but also spruce and fir. The bug feeds on the seeds as they’re developing, while the interior is still soft and pulpy. They don’t generally cause damage to trees, even when present in large numbers. They don’t bite or sting and are harmless to people, too.

Having no conifer seeds on hand, I offered my visitor tea, but he made no response. I don’t know where he came from or where he went, but when I returned later with my empty mug, he was gone.

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Bibliophilia Monday: Kaufman Field Guide to Insects

Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America by Eric R. Eaton & Kenn Kaufman. Houghton Mifflin, 2007.

My interest in insects is modest. Like many people, I find mammals easier to appreciate! However, insects are so plentiful, it is impossible not to come across them … pretty much everywhere! Insects are vital members of ecosystems. The incredible diversity of insect species is amazing. Also amazing is the ingenuity with which evolution has equipped so many different species to so many specialized niches. The best guide I’ve found for identifying the insects I come across is the Kaufman guide by Eric Eaton. The introduction provides good background information on the classification of insects, their anatomy, reproduction and development, and more. The guide is well-illustrated with more than 2,300 images and the organization of the guide makes it simple to locate the insect you are looking for. Below are a few insects that I was able to identify with the guide.

Pennsylvania Leatherwing

Soldier beetles (family Cantharidae) are also known as leatherwings. These valuable pollinators are attracted to flowers, and can be abundant during the day on their preferred plant. The Pennsylvania Leatherwing (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus) is commonly found on goldenrod and thoroughwort in the east in autumn. The photo above, showing them on goldenrod, was taken last fall.

Squash bugs belong to the Coreidae family, which includes leaf-footed and broad-headed bugs. They’re pests of gourds, pumpkins and other types of squash. They feed on foliage using piercing and sucking mouthparts. Later in the season, they may also feed on the squash itself. I found these squash bugs (Anasa tristis) on a squash last fall. Although there were quite a few bugs on the plant, they didn’t damage this squash.

I visited the Central Experimental Farm Garden, where Felicitas Svedja once produced her hybrid roses, in Ottawa a few weeks ago. A few of the roses in the display garden were heavily infested with these colourful beetles. When I got home, I looked them up in my Kaufman Guide. They’re Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica). They’re native to Japan and northern China and were introduced to New Jersey in 1916 on nursery stock. They are now found throught the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada. The adults feed in groups on a wide range of plants, but they are obviously fond of roses, skeletonizing the leaves.

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