Parent bug: Difference between revisions

Parent bug
	Adult Parent bug
	Parent bug with eggs
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Suborder:	Heteroptera
Superfamily:	Pentatomoidea
Family:	Acanthosomatidae
Genus:	Elasmucha
Species:	E. grisea
Binomial name
	Elasmucha grisea; (Linnaeus, 1758)

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Description

The parent bug (Elasmucha grisea) is a common representative of Elasmucha bugs species in Europe ^[1]. These are shield bugs belong to superfamily Pentatomoidea of true bugs, characterized by its shield-shaped body and extended scutellum. The parent bug is a medium-sized bug (7-9 mm in length, males are slightly smaller than females), reddish shield bug with a black and white connexivum. It has an obvious black patch on the base of scutellum , that gets paler towards the tip. Legs of parent bugs are greenish, the antennae are pale near the base that gets black towards the end.

Life cycle

The parent bug overwinters as an adult. Males will die in spring after mating. Where as, females will live a bit longer and take care of the eggs and of the juveniles. A female lays a clutch of eggs on leaves of alder and birch trees and stays over the eggs, protecting them until the larvae hatches out. New adults may be observed starting from August and onwards. Like most shield bugs,they feed on plant sap. Parent bug needs symbiotic bacteria for the digestion of the sap. They acquire this aid-to-digestion at an early age, their mother smears her eggs with the bacteria so that the young nymphs ingest them as they feed on the egg case.

Ethology

The name common name of Elasmucha grisea ,parent bug, comes from unusual ,this is relatively rare behaviour in the insect world , protecting and taking care of its young.^[2] It has been noted that in early nymphal instar stages the synchronity of development can become lost. While some nymphs are still in the first instar stage, others already hatched to second instar nymphs and leave the brood leaf. The female then no longer is able to provide an effective shelter for all her nymphs. Consequently, nymphs of different females contact and form mixed groups. In such cases, both single and joint guarding females perform guarding behaviour regardless of whether the nymphs are hers or another female’s offspring. So far, joint brood guarding has been studied in terms of predation defence behaviour. It is assumed that maintaining a „kindergarten“, i.e. a female guarding a mixed group of nymphs, could be an additional factor that promotes joint brood guarding behaviour in E. grisea. Nymphs are likely to benefit from such behaviour, in particular when females disappear or die.

^[3] Females of the Elasmucha grisea L. defend eggs and small nymphs against predators. This has been proven that an ecological factor (predation) limits clutch size in this species and the parent bug lays an optimal clutch size as determined by the defending ability of the female. Thus, it is sace to conclude that predation is the main mortality factor affecting offspring numbers in this species.

References

^ Fauna Europaea
^ Notes on the bionomics of Elasmucha grisea,S.Roth , W.Adaschkiewitz & C.Fischer
^ Phenotypic selection and function of reproductive behavior, Shin-ichi Kudo

External links

"Species account: Parent bug". British Bugs.
"Notes on the bionomics of Elasmucha grisea" (PDF).
"Nature spot".
"Observation of Elasmucha grisea L."
"Experiments with Elasmucha grisea L."

This Heteroptera article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Fauna Europaea

[2] Notes on the bionomics of Elasmucha grisea,S.Roth , W.Adaschkiewitz & C.Fischer

[3] Phenotypic selection and function of reproductive behavior, Shin-ichi Kudo

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 | ordo = [[Hemiptera]]
 | subordo = [[Heteroptera]]
+| superfamilia = [[Pentatomoidea]]
 | familia = [[Acanthosomatidae]]
 | genus = ''[[Elasmucha]]''
@@ Line 18: / Line 19: @@
 }}
-'''Description'''
+==Description==
+The parent bug (Elasmucha grisea) is a common representative  of [[Elasmucha]] bugs species in Europe <ref>[http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=12851 Fauna Europaea]</ref>. These are shield bugs belong to superfamily [[Pentatomoidea]] of [[true bugs]], characterized by its shield-shaped body and extended [[scutellum]]. The parent bug is a medium-sized bug (7-9 mm in length, males are slightly smaller than females), reddish shield bug with a black and white [http://bugguide.net/node/view/290273 connexivum]. It has an obvious black patch on the base of [[Scutellum (insect anatomy)|scutellum]]
-The '''parent bug''' (''Elasmucha grisea'') is a [[shield bug]], a type of [[insect]] characterized by its shield-shaped body.
+, that gets paler towards the tip.  Legs of  parent bugs  are greenish, the antennae are pale near the base that gets black towards the end.
-Parent bug is a medium-sized (7–9&nbsp;mm in length,though males are slightly smaller than females),  reddish shield bug with a black and white [[connexivum]]. It has an obvious black patch on the base of [[scutellum]], that gets paler thowards the tip. (The triangular plate at the rear of the [[thorax]].)
-Legs of ''Elasmucha'' grisea are greenish. The [[antennae]] are pale near the base that gets black towards the end.
-'''Life cycle'''
+==Life cycle==
-The Parent bug over winters as an adult. Males will die in spring after mating. Where as, females will live a bit longer and take care of the eggs and of the juveniles. Females lay eggs on the leaves of these trees and stays over the eggs ,protecting them until the [[larvae]] hatches out. They can shake their wings in order to intimidate any eventual predator. (This can be observed by approaching them with your finger.) The larvae of this bug feeds on Alder or Birch, thus linking them to these trees. New adults may be observed starting from August and onwards.
+The parent bug overwinters as an adult. Males will die in spring after mating. Where as, females will live a bit longer and take care of the eggs and of the juveniles. A female lays a clutch of eggs on leaves of [[alder]] and [[birch]] trees and stays over the eggs, protecting them until the larvae hatches out.
+New adults may be observed starting from August and onwards. Like most shield bugs,they feed on [[plant sap]]. Parent bug needs [[symbiotic bacteria]] for the [[digestion]] of the sap. They acquire this aid-to-digestion at an early age, their mother smears her eggs with the bacteria so that the young nymphs [[ingest]] them as they feed on the egg case.
-'''Ethology'''
+==Ethology==
-The name common name of ''Elasmucha grisea'' ,parent bug, comes from unusual ,this is relatively rare behaviour in the insect world , protecting and taking care of its young.<ref>[http://www.landesmuseum.at/pdf_frei_remote/DENISIA_0019_1153-1167.pdf]</ref> It has been noted that in early nymphal instar stages the synchronity of development can become lost. While some nymphs are still in the first instar stage, others already hatched to second instar [[nymphs]] and leave the [[brood]] leaf. The female then no longer is able to provide an effective shelter for all her nymphs. Consequently, nymphs of different females contact and form mixed groups. In such cases, both single and joint guarding females perform guarding behaviour regardless of whether the nymphs are hers or another female’s offspring. So far, joint brood guarding has been studied in terms of predation defence behaviour. It is assumed that maintaining a „kindergarten“, i.e. a female guarding a mixed group of nymphs, could be an additional factor that promotes joint brood guarding behaviour in E. grisea. Nymphs are likely to benefit from such behaviour, in particular when females disappear or die.
+The name common name of ''Elasmucha grisea'' ,parent bug, comes from unusual ,this is relatively rare behaviour in the insect world , protecting and taking care of its young.<ref>[http://www.landesmuseum.at/pdf_frei_remote/DENISIA_0019_1153-1167.pdf Notes on the bionomics of Elasmucha grisea],S.Roth , W.Adaschkiewitz & C.Fischer</ref> It has been noted that in early nymphal instar stages the synchronity of development can become lost. While some nymphs are still in the first instar stage, others already hatched to second instar [[nymphs]] and leave the [[brood]] leaf. The female then no longer is able to provide an effective shelter for all her nymphs. Consequently, nymphs of different females contact and form mixed groups. In such cases, both single and joint guarding females perform guarding behaviour regardless of whether the nymphs are hers or another female’s offspring. So far, joint brood guarding has been studied in terms of predation defence behaviour. It is assumed that maintaining a „kindergarten“, i.e. a female guarding a mixed group of nymphs, could be an additional factor that promotes joint brood guarding behaviour in E. grisea. Nymphs are likely to benefit from such behaviour, in particular when females disappear or die.
-<ref>[http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/content/5/3/314.abstract]</ref> Females of the Elasmucha grisea L. defend eggs and small nymphs against predators. This has been proven that an ecological factor (predation) limits [[clutch]] size in this species and the parent bug lays an optimal clutch size as determined by the defending ability of the female. Thus, it is sace to conclude that predation is the main [[mortality factor]] affecting offspring numbers in this species.
+<ref>[http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/content/13/6/742.full Phenotypic selection and function of reproductive behavior], Shin-ichi Kudo</ref> Females of the Elasmucha grisea L. defend eggs and small nymphs against predators. This has been proven that an ecological factor (predation) limits [[clutch]] size in this species and the parent bug lays an optimal clutch size as determined by the defending ability of the female. Thus, it is sace to conclude that predation is the main [[mortality factor]] affecting offspring numbers in this species.
 ==See also==
@@ Line 39: / Line 40: @@
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
 ==External links==