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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Cimicomorpha » Miroidea » Plant Bugs (Miridae) » Orthotylinae » Halticini » Orthocephalus » Orthocephalus saltator

Species Orthocephalus saltator

Classification · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

plant bug - Orthocephalus saltator - male

Silver Plant Bug - Orthocephalus saltator

Miridae - Plant Bugs Orthocephalus saltator - Orthocephalus saltator

Plant Bug - Orthocephalus saltator - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)

Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)

Infraorder Cimicomorpha

Superfamily Miroidea

Family Miridae (Plant Bugs)

Subfamily Orthotylinae

Tribe Halticini

Genus Orthocephalus

Species saltator (Orthocephalus saltator)

Explanation of Names

Orthocephalus saltator (Hahn 1835)

Size

3.5-6.3 mm(1)

Identification

tibiae reddish-brown to dull yellowish on front and middle legs, and sometimes also hindlegs (a distinguishing feature); dorsal surface black with numerous silvery hairs; adult males have long wings that extend beyond abdomen; adult females have short wings as short as or shorter than abdomen(1)

Range

native to Eurasia (throughout Europe to e. Siberia), introduced (probably on plant material in the early 1900s) and now occurs in ne. NA (NS-ON-PA)(1)

Habitat

weedy fields, meadows

Season

adults Jun-Aug

Food

hosts include Poaceae and Asteraceae(2)

Remarks

earliest NA record: NS 1947(3)

Internet References

images of adult females (1,2; W. Meng, Denmark), male (Arto_SLN, Finland), live adult (Bilule, France)

Works Cited

1.	Orthocephalus saltator Hahn (Het.: Miridae): Corrections of misidentifications and the first authentic report for North America T.J. Henry & l.A. Kelton. 1986. J. New York Entomol. Soc. 94(1): 51-55.

2.	Schuh, R.T. 2002-2013. On-line Systematic Catalog of Plant Bugs (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae).

3.	Alien true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) in Canada: composition and adaptations Scudder G.G.E., Foottit R.G. 2006. Can. Entomol. 138: 24-51.

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 4 December, 2008 - 4:21pm
Additional contributions by v belov
Last updated 28 January, 2012 - 5:47pm

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