Species Boisea trivittata - Eastern Boxelder Bug
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Family Rhopalidae (Scentless Plant Bugs)
Genus Boisea
Species trivittata (Eastern Boxelder Bug)
Other Common Names Boxelder Bug
Box Elder Bug
Maple Bug
Democrat Bug, Populist Bug, Politician Bug. Apparently these political terms are primarily used in the Central Plains states as I've seen references to such from KAN, NEB, & IOWA. (MQ) Synonyms and other taxonomic changes formerly Leptocoris trivittatus; originally placed in genus Lygaeus by Say in 1825
specific epithet spelled trivittatus or trivittata by various sources Numbers TRIVITTATA means "three-striped"; refers to the reddish stripes on the pronotum Size body length 11-14 mm Identification Adults: black with dark reddish or orangish stripe down center and lateral edges of pronotum; distal edge and anterior lateral edge of hemelytron also reddish or orangish; eyes red
Nymphs: resemble adults but are smaller, more rounded, have exposed red abdomens, and are either wingless (in very young nymphs) or have small black wingpads (in older nymphs)
Eggs: golden and laid in small groups. Newborn nymphs are entirely red.
Range United States and southern Canada east of the Rockies. Habitat Deciduous and mixed forests, meadows. Season Adults fall-winter, spring. September-January, May (North Carolina) Food Adults take plant juices from maples, fruit trees, sometimes nectar. Nymphs feed on seeds, also dead insects, sometimes cannibalize other nymphs as they molt. Life Cycle Eggs are placed in crevices in bark or on foliage, seeds of host. Host is often Boxelder ( Acer negundo); sometimes other maples, and ash ( Fraxinus spp.). Nymphs feed on juices of host, and molt five times before reaching adulthood. Adult females overwinter, and are sometimes an annoyance as they invade houses in late fall. One or two generations per year. (1)Remarks Considered a nuisance when it invades houses. Not an economically important pest, as its main food source (Boxelder) has little or no commercial value. See Also Western Boxelder Bug ( Boisea rubrolineatus) is almost indistinguishable (except by location), but the red veins on the wings appear to be more prominent on the western species. See
Jadera haemotoloma is another closely related species that is occasionally mistaken for this one, but lacks the red lines on wing edges.
Small Milkweed Bugs and Large Milkweed Bugs have a different pattern of red/orange markings
Neacoryphus lateralis has similar coloration, but red markings are somewhat different - red stripe at neck but no red edges to wing covers.
Print References Milne, p. 483, plate 117. (1)
Borror and White, p. 122, plate 3. (3)
Slater, p. 68, fig. 112. (4)
Cranshaw, pp. 230-231 (6)
Swan and Papp, p. 126, fig. 118, Leptocoris trivittatus (7)
Brimley, p. 65, Leptocoris trivittatus (8)Internet References Insects of Cedar Creek pinned and live adult and larva images, labeled Leptocoris trivittata (U. of Minnesota)
cirrusimage.com live adult images and other info (Bruce Marlin, Illinois)
Ohio State University detailed overview of description, biology, control measures
live adult and nymph images plus description, common name references [Box Elder Bug, Maple Bug] and other info (Royal Alberta Museum)
live adult image plus description, distribution, biology, common name references [Boxelder Bug, Democrat Bug], control methods, and references (U. of Nebraska at Lincoln)
live images of all life stages plus comparison photos of similar species (Colorado State U.) Works Cited | 3. | A Field Guide to Insects
By Richard E. White, Donald J. Borror, Roger Tory Peterson |  |
| 4. | How to Know the True Bugs
By Slater, James A., and Baranowski, Richard M. | |
| 5. | Insects in Kansas
By Glenn A. Salsbury and Stephan C. White | |
| 7. | The Common Insects of North America
By Lester A. Swan, Charles S. Papp | |
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