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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Plant Bugs (Miridae) » Phylinae » Phylini » Atractotomus » Atractotomus balli
Photo#276114
Tiny, Gray, Furry Plant Bug in California - Atractotomus balli - female
Copyright © 2009 Harsi S. Parker

Tiny, Gray, Furry Plant Bug in California - Atractotomus balli - Female
Webb Canyon, ~2000 ft. altitude, Los Angeles County, California, USA
May 14, 2009
Size: ~2.5 mm
A pool rescue from a few days ago that I was pretty excited about. I have no idea what this tiny, gray, furry heteropteran could be! Fortunately, it was in quite good shape and flew off rather quickly. Unfortunately, that means I didn't get anywhere near as many photos as I would have liked. Notable features included the "broken back" appearance (see second photo), as well as the prominent row of spines on the hind legs (probably best seen here). Any help at all in narrowing this one down to a family or genus would be really great!

Mixed oak & chaparral habitat.

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Tiny, Gray, Furry Plant Bug in California - Atractotomus balli - female Tiny, Gray, Furry Plant Bug in California - Atractotomus balli - female Tiny, Gray, Furry Plant Bug in California - Atractotomus balli - female Tiny, Gray, Furry Plant Bug in California - Atractotomus balli - female
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Contributed by Harsi S. Parker on 17 May, 2009 - 2:37am
Last updated 20 October, 2009 - 8:53pm

Atractotomus balli (Knight 1931), female -- M.D. Schwartz det.
Moved from Phylinae.
… v belov, 20 October, 2009 - 8:31pm login or register to post comments

 
It's a new species!
Please keep on!
… WonGun Kim, 21 October, 2009 - 1:04am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Harsi S. Parker, 17 May, 2009 - 12:34pm login or register to post comments

Nice find, Harsi.
And good you elicited the "broken back" comment from =v=.
… Ron Hemberger, 17 May, 2009 - 12:27pm login or register to post comments

It's a tough guy in Phylinae.
I guess it's a Atractotomus sp., but I'm not sure.
… WonGun Kim, 17 May, 2009 - 3:46am login or register to post comments

 
Aha!
Many thanks WonGun for your ID. I looked through Phylinae and immediately noticed Ron H.'s specimen from a few years ago. Looks pretty close, although the 1st (?) segment of the antennae on mine does not seem to be as enlarged, and certainly not as enlarged as the one specimen that has already been assigned to Atractotomus. Can I assume this would be a variation between different species and not gender-related?
… Harsi S. Parker, 17 May, 2009 - 12:29pm login or register to post comments

 
Oops!
I have no idea yet whether your bug is different from Ron's.
… WonGun Kim, 17 May, 2009 - 5:37pm login or register to post comments

 
Yep!
Your bug is definitely different species from the one already located in the Atractotomus page. And, please note that some Atractotomus species has no swollen antennae. Anyway, the black species in Phylinae are very difficult, and the distinction between genera is often difficult only by photos.
… WonGun Kim, 17 May, 2009 - 5:34pm login or register to post comments

broken back always says mirid
Kim will tell, just wait
… v belov, 17 May, 2009 - 2:59am login or register to post comments

 
I will remember that...
...thanks for the tip!
… Harsi S. Parker, 17 May, 2009 - 12:15pm login or register to post comments

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