Elasmostethus interstinctus

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Species of true bug

title: "Elasmostethus interstinctus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["acanthosomatidae", "hemiptera-of-europe", "insects-described-in-1758", "animal-taxa-named-by-carl-linnaeus"] description: "Species of true bug" topic_path: "general/acanthosomatidae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elasmostethus_interstinctus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Species of true bug ::

|image = Acanthosomatidae - Elasmostethus interstinctus.JPG |image_caption = Dorsal view |image2 = Elasmostethus intersinctus (Birch shieldbug) - Flickr - S. Rae.jpg |image2_caption = Side view |genus = Elasmostethus |species = interstinctus |authority = (Linnaeus, 1758) |synonyms =

  • Cimex interstinctus Linnaeus, 1758
  • Elasmostethus dentatus (De Geer, 1773)

Elasmostethus interstinctus, the birch shield bug, is species of shield bug in the Acanthosomatidae family. Shield bugs are often called "stink bugs" because they excrete a foul smelling liquid that is used to deter predators.

Distribution

This rather common species has an holarctic range. It is widely distributed across Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China) and in North America.

Habitat

These shield bugs mainly inhabit sunny areas with mixed birch woodlands, deciduous trees and shrubs.

Description

Elasmostethus interstinctus can reach a length of 8 -.

This species of shield bug can be confused with the Hawthorn Shield Bug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale), which is larger and more elongate and has a smaller lateral extensions of the pronotum.

Biology

The species overwinters in an adult stage in leaf litter, after which they emerge in the spring and start to mate. From early June to the middle August eggs are laid on the upper side of leaves of and on the catkins of birch, where the nymphs feed in aggregation. Their larvae feed usually on birch, but could also be found on aspen and hazel. They have also been found feeding on various other host plants, mainly on juniper, Quercus, Ilex, Vaccinium, Alnus, Fagus and Populus species. The new generation is complete by August.

Bibliography

  • Henry, Thomas J., and Richard C. Froeschner, eds. (1988), Catalog of the Heteroptera, or True Bugs, of Canada and the Continental United States
  • Thomas, Donald B. (1991) The Acanthosomatidae (Heteroptera) of North America, The Pan-Pacific Entomologist, vol. 67, no. 3
  • Ekkehard Wachmann: Wanzen beobachten - kennenlernen. J. Neumann - Neudamm, Melsungen 1989, .

Gallery

File:Elasmostethus interstinctus (14072043110).jpg|Mating File:Elasmostethus interstinctus nimf 3 10-7-2014.JPG|1st instar nymph File: Acanthosomatidae - Elasmostethus interstinctus (nymph).JPG|4th instar File:Elasmostethus interstinctus (Birch shieldbug) - final instar nymph - Flickr - S. Rae (1).jpg|Last instar File: Elasmostethus interstinctus2.jpg|Mature

References

References

  1. {{ITIS
  2. "British Bugs".
  3. [https://fauna-eu.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/e65dbf4e-96ea-4200-a264-2f8763bc938f Fauna europaea]
  4. [http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2011/details/species/id/6840004 Catalogue of life]
  5. [http://insectoid.info/bugs/birch-shield-bug/ Insectoid]

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acanthosomatidaehemiptera-of-europeinsects-described-in-1758animal-taxa-named-by-carl-linnaeus