''Lygaeus equestris'', common name black-and-red-bug, is a species of ''seed bugs'' belonging to the family

Lygaeidae The Lygaeidae are a family in the Hemiptera (true bugs), with more than 110 genera in four subfamilies. The family is commonly referred to as seed bugs, and less commonly, milkweed bugs, or ground bugs. Many species feed on seeds, some on sap or ...

, subfamily

Lygaeinae Lygaeinae is a subfamily of ground bugs in the insect family Lygaeidae. Genera Genera within this subfamily include: # '' Achlyosomus'' Slater Alex, 1992 # '' Acrobrachys'' Horvath, 1914 # '' Acroleucus'' Stal, 1874 # '' Aethalotus'' Stal, 1874 ...

Subspecies

Subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

include: * ''Lygaeus equestris equestris'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * ''Lygaeus equestris sicilianus'' (Wagner, 1955)

Description

These bugs can reach about in length. They have a characteristic red-black pattern, fully developed wings and long, powerful legs. The

hemelytra An elytron (; ; : elytra, ) is a modified, hardened forewing of beetles (Coleoptera), though a few of the true bugs (Hemiptera) such as the family Schizopteridae are extremely similar; in true bugs, the forewings are called hemelytra (sometimes ...

have two transverse bands that reach the margin and a round white spot on the membrane. Scutellum is without bristles but with tiny hairs. The black band close to the eye is wider than the same. This species is very difficult to differentiate from ''

Lygaeus simulans ''Lygaeus simulans'' is a species of seed bug in the family Lygaeidae, found in the Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, i ...

'', that has a scutellum with long bristles, antennae with angulous tubercles and a larger red area on the head. The red-black pattern has a deterrent effect and serves to protect the insect (

Müllerian mimicry Müllerian mimicry is a natural phenomenon in which two or more well-defended species, often foul-tasting and sharing common predators, have come to mimicry, mimic each other's honest signal, honest aposematism, warning signals, to their mutuali ...

Batesian mimicry Batesian mimicry is a form of mimicry where a harmless species has evolved to imitate the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a predator of them both. It is named after the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates, who worked on butt ...

). By storing the toxic ingredients of their food plants, they are unpalatable to potential predators.

Biology

The

nymphs A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

and the imagos feed on juices of various plants, particularly milkweed (''

Vincetoxicum hirundinaria ''Vincetoxicum hirundinaria'', commonly named white swallow-wort, is a long-lived herbaceous perennial of the genus '' Vincetoxicum'' in the family Apocynaceae. Etymology The generic name ''Vincetoxicum'', in Latin meaning ‘conqueror of poiso ...

''),Asturnatura
/ref> ''

Taraxacum ''Taraxacum'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, which consists of species commonly known as dandelions. The scientific and hobby study of the genus is known as taraxacology. The genus has a near-cosmopolitan distribu ...

'' species, Spring pheasant's eye (''Adonis vernalis'') and sometimes also on dandelions. Adults overwinter.

Distribution and habitat

It is mainly present in

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and

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.Fauna Europaea
/ref> It inhabits lawns, forests clearings and scrubs, generally in warm calcareous areas.

References

Bibliography

* O Kugelberg - 1977 - Distribution, feeding habits and dispersal of Lygaeus equestris. (Heteroptera) larvae in relation to food suppl
L. equestris
* T. J. Henry: ''Phylogenetic analysis of family groups within the infraorder Pentatomomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), with emphasis on the Lygaeoidea.'' Annals of the Entomological Society of America 90: 275–301, 1997. * Pericart J. - Family Lygaeidae in Catalogue of the Heteroptera of the Palaearctic Region 4: 35-220. 2001 *Birgitta Sillén-Tullberg and Christer Solbreck Oikos - Population Dynamics of a Seed Feeding Bug, Lygaeus Equestris. 2. Temporal Dynamics - Vol. 58, No. 2 (Jun., 1990), pp. 210–218

External links

Arkive
{{Authority control Lygaeidae Hemiptera of Europe Insects described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus