Misplaced Pages

Rhacognathus punctatus
Rhacognathus punctatus, imago
Rhacognathus punctatus, nymph
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Suborder:	Heteroptera
Family:	Pentatomidae
Genus:	Rhacognathus
Species:	R. punctatus
Binomial name
Rhacognathus punctatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Rhacognathus distinctus Schouteden, 1907 Cimex avenicola Gistel, 1857 Cimex annularis Geoffroy, 1785 Cimex variegatus Goeze, 1778 Eysarcoris punctatus (Linnaeus, 1758) Cimex punctatus Linnaeus, 1758

Rhacognathus punctatus, the Heather Bug, is a species of stink bugs (family Pentatomidae).

Description

Rhacognathus punctatus can reach a length of 7–9 millimetres (0.28–0.35 in). This predatory stink bug has a mottled metallic bronze-brown shieldbug, extended shoulders, a pale longitudinal line on the pronotum and dark brown legs with a whitish band on the tibia. Females lay their eggs in May and June, while the adults are present throughout the year. Adults of these bugs prey on the larvae of leaf beetles and Chrysomelidae species, especially on the larvae of Lochmaea caprea and Lochmaea suturalis.

Distribution

This species is present in most of Europe.

Habitat

This stink bug prefers the edges of heaths, moors and lowland mires.

References

1. "Rhacognathus punctatus Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
2. "Rhacognathus punctatus". GBIF. Retrieved 2024-07-11.

• Biolib

External links

• British Bugs
• Commanster
• Virtual Fauna of Lakeland
• Citizen science observations for Rhacognathus punctatus at iNaturalist

This Pentatomoidea article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• Asopinae
• Bugs described in 1758
• Hemiptera of Europe
• Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
• Pentatomoidea stubs