شناسایی Bugs (Hemiptera)

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Bugs (Hemiptera)

All Hemiptera have needle shaped jaws. This needle is used to stick into animals or plants and to suck up the juices. There are three groups: the real bugs, the cicadas and the plant lice, also called green flies. The larvae look like the adults very much, except for the wings. They do not start their life looking like a caterpillar or maggot. Like in dragon flies they are called nymphs. This means there is no pupal stage for these animals.

To the left: bugs may live on plants, in the water, but on the surface of water as well, like this famous Pond Skater. To the right: baby bugs do look like their parents, except in colour and lacking the wings of course.

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Bugs (Hemiptera)

Bugs (Hemiptera)

Scientifically the Hemiptera consists of two rather different groups: the true bugs (or Heteroptera) and the cicadas and green flies (Homoptera). The true bugs have two pairs of wings. The upper wing however is quite remarkable, for it is made of two parts: a firm part first and a much softer membranous second half. The lower wing is membranous entirely and looks like the wings of all insects. The Homoptera have four wings as well. The upperwing in cicadas is either membranous or looks like a beetle's shields. The second pair is entirely membranous. Green flies have two pairs of membranous wings, reminding one of the wings of flies or wasps. However many are wingless as well. Because of the huge difference between true bugs and green flies some people believe these actually belong to two separate orders.

A shield bug, to your left, and a green fly, to your right, actually do not like one another at all.

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Bugs (Hemiptera)

Bugs (Hemiptera)

All bugs are rather small animals, certainly in our part of the world. Some may reach almost 3 centimeters, most species are much smaller. Cicadas are even smaller than true bugs, only some species in the Mediterranean are bigger, especially the ones singing at night. Plant lice are all small to very small indeed. Many true bugs suck on plants, but there are also lots of predators and scavengers. An unusually large number suck on both plants and other animals. Some, like the infamous bedbug, even suck on people or other mammals. Many bugs are unwanted vistors to gardens or in agriculture. Plant lice are the worst, but some cicadas present a problem on potatoes and some shield bugs suck on apples and cabbage. Besides lots of shield bugs leave behind them a stinking trail of a liquid they produce, resulting in bad tasting berries and such. Some cicadas inject a poison into their host plant making it sick. Plant lice are unwanted because they often appear in such great numbers they may actually become exhausted and die. Furthermore some cicadas spread infectious deseases, such as milldew, by transporting the spores of the fungus from plant to plant. However other species are very benificial, such as some shield bugs feeding on beetles and plant lice. Arme custos below for instance is bred to deal with harmful weevils.

Some bugs like the Common Green Capsid to the left are harmful insects, while others, such as Arma custos to the right are very useful fighting off weevils.

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Plant Lice (various families)

Plant Lice (various families)

Plant Lice (various families)

Aphids (or plant lice) are small or even very small insects. They belong to the same group as bugs, leafhoppers and cicadas do, but don't look like them at all. They do however have the same kind of long, sharp snout, which they use to suck saps from plants. Aphids are strict vegetarians. Often they appear in great numbers. Thus they have numerous enemies, but friends too. With many species reproduction is a complicated matter. Often they reproduce a***ually at times, or ***ual and a***ual generations appear in elaborated cycles. In some species no one has ever seen a male. Even though the real aphids can be winged, it is not uncommon to see entire colonies having not even one winged specimen. On the web and in many books there is a lot of information how to deal with them once in the garden. Information about the various species however is very hard to come by. This makes identifying a species extremely difficult. Consequently there are lots of unidentified species on this page and others have a mere tentative identification. Should you be able to help us in this respect, please don't hesitate to mail us.


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Black Bean Aphid Aphis fabae

Black Bean Aphid Aphis fabae

Black Bean Aphid Aphis fabae

Plant lice (or Aphids, or Green Flies) often become a pest in one's garden. And they do not only attack outdoor plantlife, but our indoor green as well. Usually you notice their presence by furniture or window sills being sticky. Especially in warm and damp summers they are numerous and everywhere. Even though Black Bean Aphids are very vurnerable, they often succeed to survive. That's because they have friends: ants. They exude a sweet liquid, much favoured by ants. In return the ants protect the lice against smaller enemies, such als ladybirds and their larvae. The Black Bean Aphid is one of the more common species and is also known as the Blackfly. It likes living in colonies. Such a colony is started at the top of a stem, usually just below a flower or bud. When more aphids join the colony it starts to expand downwards untill the whole stem is covered by aphids. This may damage the plant seriously. Flowers may refuse to bloom, the fruit will not grow at all.

We are not absolutely sure the animals in the picture actually are Black Bean Aphids. Aphids are notoriously difficult to identify and often there are very similar other species as well.

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Uroleucon jaceae

Uroleucon jaceae

Uroleucon jaceae

Uroleucon jaceae has no common English name. It is one of the bigger species. Even though it can often be found on nettles, it is most striking visiting thistles. The colony starts right under a flower or bud and then slowly grows downwards. We are not absolutely sure about the identity of this species, but we think Uroleucon jaceae is correct given the long tubes, the black colour and the size of this plant louse.

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Foxglove Aphid Aulacorthum solani

Foxglove Aphid Aulacorthum solani

Foxglove Aphid Aulacorthum solani

You might think that this is a species found on Foxglove exclusively. But alas, this species is very fond of many other plants as well. It can be found on various flowers in the garden as well as on potatoes in the fields. In greenhouses it likes both: flowers like Gerbera and Chrysanthemum and vegetables such as lettuce and egg plants. It is extremely harmful in greenhouses growing peppers, for many pepper species react "allergic" to the louse's bite. There are chemicals to kill the Foxglove Aphid, but parasitic wasps of the genus Aphelinus apparently are just as efficient.

Because there are so many plant lice around, they have a lot of enemies. In agriculture some of these enemies are even bred and sold to farmers and owners of greenhouses. Some of the best known are the various Ladybeetles and Lacewings. Less known, but very succesful are various parasitic wasps. Many of these are even much smaller than the plant louse itself. Most parasitic wasps have so called ovipositors: a kind of injection needle used to drill into victims in order to lay an egg. Once an egg is deposited in a plant louse, the animal starts to react in a strange way: it grows bigger, climbs on top of a leaf and becomes brownish. Why it climbs on top of a leaf is a complete mystery. Healthy plant lice can only be found on the other side, safe from many enemies! When it hatches, the parasite cuts a nice round hole in the back of the plant louse, through which hole it leaves his host.

Do mind please: we are not sure at all the infected Aphids in the bottom pictures actually are Foxglove Aphids. They could be though, for infected Aphids all react in more or less the same way.

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Boxwood Psyllid Psylla buxi

Boxwood Psyllid Psylla buxi

Boxwood Psyllid Psylla buxi

Psyllids are capable of jumping and also appear in great numbers at times. The adults are very mobile though and hard to catch. The nymphs are not that jumpy. There are quite some species and many are hard to identify. But by looking at the foodplant we are often able to make the right identification, for most species are monophagous. The Boxwood Psyllid is a very good example, for it lives on Boxwood exclusively and usually is the only Psyllid interested in that plant. The larvae suck on fresh leaves in spring time, after overwintering. They cause the leaves to curl inwards (spoon-like). While sucking the larvae secrete a wax-like white substance, which covers them completely at times. The adults appear in May or June, are jumping about a lot and do less damage to your Boxwood plant. They lay their eggs near the buds at the end of twigs. In autumn the young larvae appear. They do not become very active, but hide between buds and overwinter, to attack as soon as the bud develops into a leaf.

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Woolly Plant Louse

Woolly Plant Louse

Woolly Plantlouse

This one will cause some confusion. It produces fine, white wax, usually excreted in the shape of wires or cotton balls. Species behaving like this are called woolly plant lice. When found on a plant they do look like mealy lice a lot. These too are covered in fine, white threadlike structures. The two groups however are not closely related. Woolly lice are actual aphids, they are very capable of moving around and once adult they are winged. Mealy lice on the other hand are rather immobile, flat lice, resembling small brown woodlice. They usually clone themselves and winged specimens are extremely rare. They actually don't even look like insects very much and are related to other immobile plant suckers, such as the scales. The species besides, we do not know it's exact identity, is an ordinary aphid. The adults are winged and actually quite beautiful in their fur coat, even though this makes identifying them more complicated. Should you happen to know what species it belongs to, please let us know.

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Unidentified Aphid #1

Unidentified Aphid #1

We haven't been able to identify this Aphid.

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Unidentified Aphid #2

Unidentified Aphid #2

Unidentified Aphid #2

Another Aphid we haven't been able to put a lable on yet.

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Unidentified Aphid #3

Unidentified Aphid #3

Unidentified Aphid #3

They maybe small, but do look intriguing. Alas, we do not know who this fellow is.

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Unidentified Aphid #4

Unidentified Aphid #4

Unidentified Aphid #4

Looks a bit like the previous one and is as unknown to us.

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Unidentified Aphid #5

Unidentified Aphid #5

Unidentified Aphid #5

This rather hairy species is unknown to us as well..

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Unidentified Aphid #6

Unidentified Aphid #6

Unidentified Aphid #6

This clearly is a nymph of a plant louse. But which?

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Cicadas and Leaf Hoppers (Homoptera)

Cicadas and Leaf Hoppers (Homoptera)

Cicadas and Leaf Hoppers (Homoptera)

Cicadas and Leaf Hoppers are insects with long needle shaped mouthparts. If present there are two pairs of membranous wings, usually folded over the body in the shape of a roof. The antennae are very short. Because of the mouth parts they share an order with the bugs and the plant lice. Not only are most cicadas good flyers, many are excellent jumpers as well. There is a lot going on about dividing cicadas in genera and families. And it still seems to be changing constantly. That is why we have decided to keep out of this controverse and not mention any family name. Some cicadas are difficult to identify from pictures. Especially many of the small species are extremely similar. Good guides, books and internet sites on identification are scarce. The only secure way to tell certain species apart is by examining the genitals. In order to be able to do so, one has to kill the animal and that is something we don't do.


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Rhododendron Leafhopper Graphocephala fennahi, adult

Rhododendron Leafhopper Graphocephala fennahi, adult

Rhododendron Leafhopper Graphocephala fennahi

The Rhododendron Leafhopper is easy to identify even from just a picture. It originates from Northern America, but can now be found all over Europe as well, after having been introduced in the UK in 1935. It lives almost exclusively on Rhodondrendon. The animal is a good flyer, but it also jumps about enthusiastically. The nymph is hard to find, for it is almost transparant. The colour is a kind of milky green that blends in with the leaves of Rhododendron easily, as can be seen in the bottom pictures. It jumps about as eagerly as its parents do. The Rhododendron Leafhopper actually is not completely harmless, for it does transfer a Rhododendron disease. It is a milldew like fungus that causes the flower buds to die.

The Rhododendron Leafhopper is also known as the Rhododendron Cicada, the Green-and-scarlet Leafhopper and the Scarlet and Green Leafhopper.

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Rhododendron Leafhopper Graphocephala fennahi, larve

Rhododendron Leafhopper Graphocephala fennahi, larve

Rhododendron Leafhopper Graphocephala fennahi

The Rhododendron Leafhopper is easy to identify even from just a picture. It originates from Northern America, but can now be found all over Europe as well, after having been introduced in the UK in 1935. It lives almost exclusively on Rhodondrendon. The animal is a good flyer, but it also jumps about enthusiastically. The nymph is hard to find, for it is almost transparant. The colour is a kind of milky green that blends in with the leaves of Rhododendron easily, as can be seen in the bottom pictures. It jumps about as eagerly as its parents do. The Rhododendron Leafhopper actually is not completely harmless, for it does transfer a Rhododendron disease. It is a milldew like fungus that causes the flower buds to die.

The Rhododendron Leafhopper is also known as the Rhododendron Cicada, the Green-and-scarlet Leafhopper and the Scarlet and Green Leafhopper.

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Alder Spittlebug Aphrophora alni, larva

Alder Spittlebug Aphrophora alni, larva

Alder Spittlebug Aphrophora alni

The nymphs of some cicadas live in what looks like a blob of spit. This protects them from enemies such as birds and spiders. By looking well, you can sometimes catch a glimpse of the larva inside the blob. Once they are adult they leave their protecting bubble to jump about. The whole group is referred to as spittlebugs. The adult certainly is the Alder Spittlebug and it is highly likely the larva in the bubble is the Alder Spittlebug as well, but we can't be certain.

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Alder Spittlebug Aphrophora alni, adult

Alder Spittlebug Aphrophora alni, adult

Alder Spittlebug Aphrophora alni

The nymphs of some cicadas live in what looks like a blob of spit. This protects them from enemies such as birds and spiders. By looking well, you can sometimes catch a glimpse of the larva inside the blob. Once they are adult they leave their protecting bubble to jump about. The whole group is referred to as spittlebugs. The adult certainly is the Alder Spittlebug and it is highly likely the larva in the bubble is the Alder Spittlebug as well, but we can't be certain.

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Black and Red Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata

Black and Red Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata

Black and Red Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata

The Black and Red Froghopper also spends its youth in a blob. The larva feed on roots of plants, not on leaves or stems, so they are not easily detected. Actually there are a number of closily related black and red hoppers, so it is often difficult to put an exact name on them.

The Black and Red Froghopper is also known as the Red and Black Froghopper, the Black and Red Leafhopper and the Red and Black Leafhopper.

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Pine Bug Haematoloma dorsatum

Pine Bug Haematoloma dorsatum

Haematoloma dorsatum

This is another species of Red and Black Leafhoppers. There's more red on this one, which can be seen at the lower edges of the shields. It is called Haematoloma dorsatum and apparently doesn't have a common name in English. It is notorious in forestry, because it can de a lot of harm in pine forests.

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Ledra aurita

Ledra aurita

Ledra aurita

Ledra aurita is an example of a cicada which is so well hidden, especially on the stem of an oak, that it is very hard to find. It is not very small though, but the colouring and the fact that it is extremely flat, do the trick. The animal in the pictures is a near adult nymph. After the next change it is going to be an adult. As such it is the largest cicada in Western Europe, reaching a lenth of some 15 mm. It seems to be rather common, but who's goin' to count them, when you can't find them?

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Green Cicada Cicadella viridis

Green Cicada Cicadella viridis

Green Cicada Cicadella viridis

Most of the cicadas go about unnoticed: they are simply brownish or greenish and well camouflaged. Yet some are very beautiful indeed, but you need to take a closer look. The Green Cicada usually is very fast and hard to observe, but the specimen in the photographs moved slowly. The pictures reveal that it got itself into a spider's web, got loose again, but took with him some of the sticky wires. Thus enabling us to admire the amazing creature it actually is. This is a female Green Cicada, for the males are more blueish, or even blackish. At least we think it most probably is Cicadella viridis, for not long ago a new species was discovered in Scandinavia, which is extremely similar to this one. Cicadella viridis is called the Green Cicada in English, but apparently that is not its official common name.

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Empoasca species

Empoasca species

Empoasca species

There are quite a few Empoasca species. Most are greenish and very small indeed, usually reaching a length of some 1 to 4mm. They are found around the world and it is almost impossible to identify the separate species without examining them under the microscope. We haven't done that to the animal depicted on this page, so we have no idea which of the five species living in this country it is. Most Empoasca species spend just about their entire life on the underside of the leaves of the foodplant. They are long lived, for they overwinter being adult. The larvae are green too and great hoppers, capable of jumping forwards, backwards and sidewards.

Various Empoasca species are causing damage in agriculture. Empoasca solani for instance can cause quite some damage on sugar beets. Empoasca vitis is found on grapes and apples. Other plants may suffer from other Empoasca species. Damage varies from plant species to plant species. The symptoms are worse in sugarbeets, where the top of the leaves turns brown and then dies. The disease is called Hopperburn and the symptoms are often similar to those caused by viruses or malnutrition. Because of their small size this cicade is often referred to as one of the greenfly, a group of fly-like Aphids, but it is not a fly, nor an Aphid.

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Tachycixius pilosus Tachycixius pilosus var. albicinctus

Tachycixius pilosus Tachycixius pilosus var. albicinctus

Tachycixius pilosus

This cicada may be brown, it is far from being ugly. We thought it to be a Cixius species. There are only 6 of them in our country, so we thought identifying this one would be easy, but it turned out to be very difficult indeed. Then Waldo jumped in and told us this actually is Tachycixius pilosus (formerly known as Cixius pilosus), a very common species. The reason we didn't know this before is that this is a variety. The standard species have milky white wings covered in small brown speckles. Our species however has big brown striped wings. This variety is called Tachycixius pilosus f. albicinctus. There are other varieties as well, such as one having dark wings alltogether. After the catch the animal very quickly died. After its death the second picture from the top was made, showing the underside of the animal. The white near the rear end is made up of wires made out of wax. It is uncertain what the purpose of those actually is. But many believe it is a defense mechanism against certain predators. Could be a logical explanation, as many aphids also use wax to disguise themselves, or, perhaps, make themself inedible. It is known that a lady bird may die because of this substance. Each egg the female Tachycixius pilosus lays is given a few wax threads.

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Idiocerus heydenii

Idiocerus heydenii

Idiocerus heydenii

Within the genus Idiocerus there are some 20 species in the Netherlands. The genus is usually split up into three groups, depending on the plant they live on. There is a Willow group, an Alder group and a Maple group. Our Idiocerus heydenii belongs to the Maple Group (often referred to as genus or sub genus Acericerus). This presents us with a problem, for it has a few cousins that are extremely similar. And to make matters even more complicated there always is the possibility of import from the Far East. Besides, scientists are still not absolutely sure how many species there actually are. The whole group has not been studied intensively yet. Se we can't promise this is Idiocerus heydenii, it may be one of its close relatives instead! Because of the simple style of the antennae, just a straight forward hair like object, we can definitively say this is a female. It is a very well marked female, though. This may be due to the fact the picture was taken in March, meaning the animal is just after hibernation. Many Heteroptera and Homoptera get darker just before or during overwintering. The Leafhopper expert I consulted reports that the adults prefer the end of thin twigs to live on. The females lay their eggs in twigs. They have a little saw, used for making an opening in a twig. Then the egg is deposited inside. Little else is known about these creatures. Idiocerus heydenii is rare in Holland and Germany and we do not know anything about it presence elsewhere. This could even be a non-British species. Anyway, even if it is a British species, it most possibly will hardly ever been seen in a common garden.

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Various Bugs (Various families)

Various Bugs (Various families)

At this page we will deal with some bugs we haven't dealt with before. They belong to various families. Some of these are represented in our region by few species only, others are rarely seen in gardens. Assassin Bugs differ from shield bugs by a longer and more slender body, usually long, thin antennae. Assassin Bugs actually belong to two families: the Damsel Bugs (Nabidae) and the Kissing Bugs (Reduviidae). Another well known family is that of the Water Striders. Actually it is represented by various species in our parts, but these are extremely difficult to tell apart. Seed Bugs are also known as Ground Bugs. Usually they are dark. Most are small bugs, looking much like Plant Bugs. Often you can tell the difference by looking at the antennae: the Seed Bugs have antennae looking like those of the Shield Bugs. Those of the Plant Bugs are usually long, very thin and often one part is much longer than the others. Another difference between the two families is that Seed Bugs have ocelli (small simplified eyes on top of the head), Plant Bugs don't. The odd family of Lace Bugs is comprised of among others a number of species similar to leaded windows. The Scentless Plant Bugs have a transparent section (often referred to as 'windows) in their upper shields. ​

 

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Corizus hyoscyami

Corizus hyoscyami

Corizus hyoscyami

Family: Scentless Plant Bugs (Rhopalidae)


Corizus hyoscyami is a very weird bug indeed. It is extremely similar to the Firebug and is often mistaken for one. The two species however are not closely related at all. Corizus hyoscyami belongs to a very small bug family called the Rhopalids (Rhopalidae). The members of this family all have a small glass like transparent section in the shieldy parts of their wings. These transparant sections are called windows. In Corizus hyoscyami however the windows are black and not transparent. The differences with the similar Firebug are easy to see. The markings on the Firebug are different, the snout is entirely black and it can't fly. The Firebug and a few of its relatives are not the only look-alikes. There are also a number of similar Seed Bugs. Many of these have a white dot on the membranous parts of the wings. Anyway, alwys pay close attention to shape and number of markings when identifying red and black bugs. You could also use your nose, for Corizus hyoscyami smells like cinnamon, that is why it is called the Cinnamon Bug in Dutch. The animal reaches a length of some 9 to 12 mm.

Adults mate in May or June. Females lay their eggs in June and July. The larvae are seen from June to the end of August. They are nothing like their parents. The basic colour is yellwoish green and they show a lot of red spots. They are extremely hairy as well. The adults of the new generation appear in September. In autumn they hide between leaflitter and overwinter.

Corizus hyoscyami is common in southern parts of Engeland only, but is rapidly spreading northwards. Not found in Wales, Ireland or Scotland. It prefers light sandy soil. Very common on the continent and appearing as northern as Finland.

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Stictopleurus abutilon

Stictopleurus abutilon

Stictopleurus abutilon

Family: Scentless Plant Bugs (Rhopalidae)
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Stictopleurus abutilon and its brother Stictopleurus punctatonervosus are rapidly reappearing in much of Britain. The two species are extremely similar though. To tell them apart, you should look at the combination of these characteristics. Stictopleurus abutilon has a brownish ground colour, sometimes yellowish brown. Stictopleurus punctatonervosus is always greyish to even blackish, but lacks the "warmth" in colouring of its brother. The tip of the scutellum is round and broad in Stictopleurus abutilon. It is round and slim in Stictopleurus punctatonervosus. The neckshield of Stictopleurus punctatonervosus is entirely and regularly punctuated. There is a marking near the front edge. This marking consists of two half circles. There is a vague dark line between these half circles. The line is interrupted in the middle. It looks like Stictopleurus punctatonervosus is wearing a pair of reading glasses. The neck shield of Stictopleurus abutilon is not punctuated as deeply and as regularly. It too has a marking near the front of the neck shield, consisting of two full circles. As these circles are connected by a small dark line too and this line is also interupted in the middle, it rather looks like Stictopleurus abutilon wears a pair of full sized spectacles. In well marked animals the presence of this full set of glasses is decisive. However many animals are less well marked, often resulting in the glasses being hardly visible or even absent. Be aware identifying Rhopalids on the continent, for more very similar species exist, such as Stictopleurus crassicornis. All species are some 6.6 to 8.5mm long.

In spring the adults are depositing their eggs. Larvae appear from June. They live on Ragworts and other composite plants. In September the first will turn adult. From mid-September to the end of October adults and larvae may be seen together in small mixed groups. By the end of October all adults have found a place for overwintering and have disappeared. In spring they reappear under good weather conditions. Now mating takes place. The larvae are similar to the adults but slightly hairier.

Stictopleurus abutilon was believed to be extinct in Britain. The last species was reported in 1870(!). In the mid-1990's however it was suddenly discovered and in a few years it recolonized much of Southern and Eastern England. It still continues expanding northwards. Although it could be there has always been an undiscovered colony in England, it is rather safe to assume the species has been re-introduced in Britain by accident. This assumption is based an a similar sudden move northwards on the continent, where it reached the Netherlands in the late 1980's and Denmark in 1997. Most blame the changing climate for this sudden reappearance, but the fact it did live in Britain in the 1800's make this a mere speculation. Stictopleurus abutilon prefers dry conditions and warmth. Common through most of Central Europe. In Britain and on the continent still expanding northwards.

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