Eurygaster maura

Distribution

This species is widespread in Europe, but also in large parts of Asia and North America.

Habitat

Their habitats are calcareous grasslands with wild grasses.

Description

Eurygaster maura can reach a length of 8 -. The body is oval and slightly convex and the head is triangular and smoothly rounded, with a small pair of compound eyes. The pronotum has slightly protruding hind corners. The scutellum covers the wings and the whole abdomen. The ground color is mostly brown, but can be light gray or also black.

This species is rather similar to Eurygaster testudinaria, but it is slightly smaller and smoothly rounded, with less protruding hind corner.

Biology

Eurygaster maura is a univoltine species. These shield-backed bugs can be found from May to August, becoming adult from July. The females lay their eggs in the spring in small packages on the underside of the leaves surface. After a few weeks the eggs hatch the young nymphs. After five molts, they are fully developed and ready to overwinter in leaf litter.

E. maura is a sunn pest - both the adults and their larvae are very harmful to crops. They feed on various grasses

Gallery

File:Life cycle of Eurygaster maura L..svg|Life cycle: 1: Wintering imago 2: Egg layering in spring 3: Flight for cereals 4: Feeding 5: Symptoms of damages 6: Pupation and new generation overwintering 7: Herb feeding on wintering place

File:Scutelleridae - Eurygaster maura - nymph.JPG|Early nymph File:Eurygaster maura 01.JPG|Late stage nymph File:Eurygaster maura01.jpg|Imago

References

References

1. [https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id72194/ Biolib]
2. [https://fauna-eu.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/6a176b81-f63d-4d24-a561-a66b5c373e76 Fauna Europaea]
3. Ekkehard Wachmann, Albert Melber, Jürgen Deckert: Wanzen. Band 4: Pentatomomorpha II: Pentatomoidea: Cydnidae, Thyreocoridae, Plataspidae, Acanthosomatidae, Scutelleridae, Pentatomidae. - Goecke & Evers, Keltern 2008, {{ISBN. 978-3-937783-36-9
4. [http://www.insektenbox.de/wanzen/gegetr.htm Insekten Box] {{in lang. de
5. [http://www.britishbugs.org.uk/heteroptera/Scutellerideae/e_maura.html British Bugs]
6. [http://www.agroatlas.ru/en/content/pests/Eurygaster_maura/ Economic Plants and their Diseases]
7. (2019-08-26). "Fusarium infection in wheat, aggressiveness and changes in grain quality: a review". [[Springer Science+Business Media.
8. (2021). "The determination of bread dough readiness during kneading of wheat flour: A review of the available methods". [[International Society of Food Engineering]] ([[Elsevier]]).