Dicyphus errans with Infestation......But what?

GrayB · #1 (**permalink**) 10-07-2009, 07:18 PM

Hi everyone,
If my ID is correct this is Dicyphus errans with some sort of infestation, does anybody recognise the infestation and can tell me a little more about it?
Thanks.
Gray.

Acutipuerilis · #2 (**permalink**) 10-07-2009, 07:41 PM

It's certainly Dicyphus, but not errans - not quite sure whih one at the moment!

The parasite looks to me like a mite of some sort, but I'm not familiar with these on bugs. Usually with homopterans it's a dryinid wasp larva, but this somehow doesn't quite look right.

Dogghound · #3 (**permalink**) 10-07-2009, 07:57 PM

This is definately a mite of some description.

Jason Green · #4 (**permalink**) 10-07-2009, 10:45 PM

Agreed... but it's burrowed right into the thorax! Never seen that before, they usually just sit there, don't they? The body of the bug has also torn... yet it appears to be just cleaning its rostrum, unphased!

tristanba · #5 (**permalink**) 13-07-2009, 03:36 PM

this looks more like D. globulifer? Was it on campion?

GrayB · #6 (**permalink**) 13-07-2009, 07:06 PM

Thanks all. There goes the identification skills i thought i'd picked up

Tristan, your spot on, it was indeed on White Campion, is this important to the ID or the fact it has a mite?
Thanks again.
Gray.

Jason Green · #7 (**permalink**) 13-07-2009, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrayB

Thanks all. There goes the identification skills i thought i'd picked up

Tristan, your spot on, it was indeed on White Campion, is this important to the ID or the fact it has a mite?
Thanks again.
Gray.

Gray, you got the family bit though! The species part is often more difficult... genetalia, microscopes, etc.! I thought the same as you, anyway. Me wrong too, then! Yes, the host-plant will ID towards your plant bug in this case.

GrayB · #8 (**permalink**) 14-07-2009, 05:05 PM

Jason,
I do feel a little better knowing that i wasn't alone with my Id

Cheers Jason.
Gray.

tristanba · #9 (**permalink**) 23-07-2009, 04:25 PM

Hostplant is very usful when identifying Dicyphus although in this case the photo alone is good enough. The angle is not ideal and the mite also makes it difficult, but the short all dark antennae and pale-sided scutellum (can just see this) are characteristic - this species looks much more distinctive if you get a view from above

GrayB · #10 (**permalink**) 23-07-2009, 07:51 PM

Tristan,
I think my mind was more on the mite than anything else when i was shooting these shots, though looking through other shots i've taken of plant bugs i do tend to shoot head or side on but i'll keep the above view in mind for next time

Thanks for the info.
Cheers.
Gray.