Insects · Hemiptera · Coreidae

Western Conifer Seed Bug

Leptoglossus occidentalis

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

The western conifer seed bug is a hemipteran insect of the family Coreidae. It is a species native to western North America, from the Rocky Mountains and California to British Columbia and Idaho, but it has recently extended its range into eastern North America, in areas such as Connecticut and New Hampshire, into Mexico, and has reached Argentina and Europe accidentally, where it behaves as an invasive alien species and affects stone pine nut harvests and pine nursery stock. The first European record was in Italy in 1999. In Asia, it was first found in Japan in 2008. In Spain it is included in the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Alien Species, regulated by Royal Decree 630/2013.

Size

up to 2 cm

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

Temperate forestHerbivore Solitary Insect Temperate forest

52countries 62parks

Fun facts

Its feeding punctures empty out pine seeds and have sharply cut pine nut harvests in some parts of the Mediterranean.
In autumn it looks for somewhere to overwinter and gets into lofts, blinds and window frames by the thousand, though indoors it is entirely harmless.
Its flattened, leaf-shaped hind legs make it unmistakable and are the reason for its common name.
It is native to western North America and reached Europe in 1999, detected near Vicenza in northern Italy, probably in imported timber; within a few years it was in more than fifteen European countries.
It pierces the cones with its stylet and empties the developing seeds; the external damage is almost invisible, but seed viability drops sharply.
It buzzes loudly in flight and flies rather like a bumblebee; when disturbed it gives off a resinous smell.
It can pierce cross-linked polyethylene pipes with its mouthparts and cause leaks.
In autumn it comes into houses in large numbers looking for shelter, but it does not bite or damage the structure.

Life cycle & biology

Habitat & environment: Pine woods and other conifer stands; it feeds on the seeds inside the cones and on the shoots, and overwinters as an adult in bark crevices or inside buildings

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptoglossus_occidentalis