Pyrrhocoris Apterus
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The firebug, ''Pyrrhocoris apterus'', is a common
insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...
of the family Pyrrhocoridae. Easily recognizable due to its striking red and black coloration, it may be confused with the similarly coloured though unrelated '' Corizus hyoscyami'' (cinnamon bug or squash bug). ''Pyrrhocoris apterus'' is distributed throughout the
Palaearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. Th ...
from the Atlantic coast of Europe to northwest China. It has also been reported from the United States, Central America, and India, and is also found in Australia. It has been reported as recently expanding its distribution northwards into mainland United Kingdom and eastward on to the coast of the
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. They are frequently observed to form aggregations, especially as immature forms, containing from tens to perhaps a hundred individuals.


Reproduction

Firebugs generally mate in April and May. Their diet consists primarily of seeds from lime trees and mallows ( see below). They can often be found in groups near the base of lime tree trunks, on the sunny side. They can be seen in tandem formation when mating which can take from 12 hours up to 7 days. The long period of copulating is probably used by the males as a form of ejaculate-guarding under high competition with other males.


Development

''P. apterus'' was the subject of an unexpected discovery in the 1960s when researchers who had for ten years been rearing the bugs in
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
,
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, attempted to do the same at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. After the fifth nymphal
instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'' 'form, likeness') is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, which occurs between each moult (''ecdysis'') until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to ...
, instead of developing into adults, the bugs either entered a sixth instar stage, or became adults with nymphal characteristics. Some of the sixth instars went on to a seventh instar, but all specimens died without reaching maturity. The source of the problem was eventually proven to be the
paper towels A paper towel is an absorbent, disposable towel made from paper. In Commonwealth English, paper towels for kitchen use are also known as kitchen rolls, kitchen paper, or kitchen towels. For home use, paper towels are usually sold in a roll of Pe ...
used in the rearing process; the effect only happened if the paper towels were made in America. The researchers could replicate these results with American newspapers such as the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', but not European newspapers such as ''
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''. The cause was found to be
hormone A hormone (from the Ancient Greek, Greek participle , "setting in motion") is a class of cell signaling, signaling molecules in multicellular organisms that are sent to distant organs or tissues by complex biological processes to regulate physio ...
s found in the native balsam fir tree (''Abies balsamea'') used to manufacture paper and related products in America, and in some other North American conifers. This hormone happened to have a profound effect on ''P. apterus'', but not on other insect species, showing the diversification of hormone receptors in the insects. The most potent chemical component was later identified as juvabione, the methyl
ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...
of todomatuic acid, which is produced by the trees in response to wounding; it mimics juvenile hormone closely at the chemical level, defending against vulnerable pests.


Gallery

File:Pyrrhocoridae - Pyrrhocoris apterus-1.JPG, Nymph File:Pyrrhocoris apterus nymph vs.jpg, Nymph ventral side File:Pyrrhocoris apterus group.jpg, Firebugs in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
showing aggregation behavior File:Pyrrhocoris apterus on hibiscus2-Clapiers-4869~2015 10 04.JPG, A firebug feeding on mallow seeds ('' Hibiscus syriacus''). File:FirebugsOnWaterPipe.jpg, Firebugs on a water pipe in SW France File:Firebugs on a water pipe in SW France2.jpg, Firebugs on a water pipe in SW France


Possible confusion


Notes


References


External links


Images of firebugs


{{Taxonbar, from=Q486957 Pyrrhocoridae Hemiptera of Asia Hemiptera of Australia Hemiptera of Europe Hemiptera of North America Insects described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus