Stink Bugs are 17 mm or 5/8th of an inch long and are brown but can also hav… Thus, its direct economic impact is a reduction in the quality and viability of conifer seed crops. But, it is easy to identify these insects by checking their lower hind legs that widen out to their sides shaped like a tiny leaf. This makes it a bit of a mystery bug. They are commonly called Leaf-Footed Bugs from their flange-like hindlegs, they almost look like they are wearing bloomers. While kissing bugs are known to carry the pathogen that causes Chagas disease, the western conifer-seed bug is … Complaints from residents increase as the insect becomes more active and conspicuous on days in the fall and spring when the temperature is above freezing. This scent is designed to ward off any potential predators. Then, the adults will seek shelter in overwintering sites behind pine bark, inside of dead Douglas fir trees and in rodent and bird nests. The Western Conifer Seed Bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis, is native to the Pacific Northwest, but beginning in the 1960s, it greatly expanded its range, probably because of accidental introduction to new regions by humans when the Western Conifer Seed Bug was transported with luggage, packages and other methods of moving goods. Western conifer seed bugs can be damaging on tree farms. Posts about Western Conifer Seed Bug written by Mary Holland Naturally Curious with Mary Holland An online resource based on the award-winning nature guide – maryholland505@gmail.com Home Adults emerge from overwintering sites in late May or early June and feed on one-year cones and inflorescences. Get notified when we have news, courses, or events of interest to you. Author: Cindy Williams (NEWS CENTER Maine) Published: 12:14 PM EDT October 13, 2020 Updated: 12:19 PM EDT October 13, 2020 PORTLAND, Maine — Fran Thomas of Eliot recently sent video to NEWS CENTER Maine of what was clearly an invasion of insects inside her screen porch. They are only coming in to stay warm. Seed crop of commercial pine groves often suffers from the devastating effects of this feeding habit of western conifer seed bugs. Over the course of time, the bug has spread further east and can now be found in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The unwelcomed guests may include Boxelder Bugs; Western Conifer Seed Bugs; and Magnolia Seed Bugs. Nymphs in all five stages of development and new adults can be observed fe… This can be difficult because Stink Bugs are often mistaken or confused with other insects such as beetles or the Western Conifer Seed Bug. A key identifying feature is a white zigzag like line across the mid wings and alternating dark and white patches on both sides of the abdomen. These bugs are a western species, and have been expanding their range to include the North Eastern portions of the United States. They particularly are fond of Douglas Fir but will eat seeds of some pine, Ponderosa not being one of their favorites. The only thing our homes offer them is warmth. Later, nymphs use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on developing seeds. Besides all these, western conifer seed bugs are killed and eaten by natural predators such as starlings and wheel bugs, which work to keep the populations down. In s… This is “true bug”, not a beetle and it is native to California as well as Oregon and Nevada. This can be difficult because Stink Bugs are often mistaken or confused with other insects such as beetles. Voles, also called meadow mice or field mice, are rodents with small eyes and partially hidden ears. The first records in the U of Guelph collections are of specimens taken in homes in the fall of 1985. The Western Conifer Seed Bug isn’t Seen very much during the summer months. In the middle of August, the western conifer seed bugs reach adulthood and feed on ripening seeds until early fall. If you have unwanted pests schedule a property inspection, Common Mice Myths from The Top Mouse Exterminators in Baltimore, What Causes Cockroaches in Your House & How to Get Rid of Them. The insect you found is a Western Conifer Seed Bug or WCSB (Leptoglossus occidentalis.) Its body can vary in colour from reddish-brown to greyish-brown with white markings. The other name for the family is squash bugs, as many of them target gourds such as squash and pumpkins. © Copyright 2020 Brody Brothers Pest Control in Baltimore. Entomologists who view it as an … They prefer pines, Douglas-fir and other conifers but feed on developing seeds and fruits of a wide variety of plants, including dogwood and sumac. Their needle-like mouth parts can penetrate the outer scales of a tree cone and the outer seed coat. According to observations made in the western United States, the western conifer seed bug produces a single generation each season. However, during the cool season they are semidormant. One year they were so bad here that I was literally vacuuming gallons of them off the sides of my house. Western conifer seed bug feeds on the sap of pines, Pinus and some other conifers, especially from the seed cones. It’s often misidentified as a Stink Bug, Cockroach or as the biting “Kissing Bug” due to its vaguely similar appearance. These young bugs eat the needles and soft tissue of cone scales. Leaffooted bugs have piercing-sucking mouthparts that extend more than half of the length of the narrow body. LEARN HOW TO STOP THE INVASIVE SPOTTED LANTERNFLY, Coronavirus: Information and resources for the Extension Community, Save For Later Print Available in Spanish, Gyorgy Csoka, Hungary Forest Research Institute, Bugwood.org. Our Home Protection Plan aims to keep unwanted pests out of your home and away from your property. Several morphological characteristics allow L. occidentalis to be distinguished from another native species, L. corculus , which has a similar appearance. Nymphs feed … (Photo credit: Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org) Bed bugs, mosquitoes, ticks—and the western conifer-seed bug? They started showing up in eastern states in the 1990s, and are now quite common here in Massachusetts. It has long antennae and expanded, flattened areas on its hind legs. The seed contents are dissolved by their salivary enzymes and then sucked out. Second, while the hind legs of both L. occidentalis and L. corculus have a leaf-like tibial dilation or expansion, the inner and outer dilation of the hind tibia are equal in length in L. occidentalis (Fig. The western conifer seed bug belongs to the family Coreidae, commonly called leaf-footed bugs, and like many members of this family, it has a flattened, leaf-like expansion on the hind legs. The western conifer seed bugs are usually confused with the damaging brown marmorated stink bug and assassin bugs. They differ from assassin bugs in that they are plant feeders, feeding on conifer trees including various types of pine, white spruce, Douglas fir and hemlock. When the weather warms up, they become active again and complete their life cycle. L. occidentalis, also known as the western conifer seed bug, is primarily found in association with conifer trees. And if you squash them, there is a very intense smell. In Pennsylvania and other parts of the northeastern United States, this leaf-footed bug becomes a nuisance when it enters homes in search of overwintering sites. These young bugs eat the needles and soft tissue of cone scales. Eggs hatch in about 10 days and the nymphs feed on the scales of the cones and occasionally the needles. The western conifer seed bug feeds on Douglas-fir seeds and other species of pine. Western conifer seed bugs produce a single generation every season. The bad news: They move in large groups. Diapausing insects have a very low metabolism and do not eat or move about, kind of like hibernating bears. The western conifer seed bug, which has been seen indoors in western North America, bothers people in homes, offices, and laboratories. Conifer seed bugs primarily feed and develop on seeds of various trees and shrubs. And they are surprisingly good at it. 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