Genus Mecidea - Narrow Stink Bug

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Food · Remarks · Print References · Works Cited

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 Pentatomomorpha

Superfamily Pentatomoidea

Family Pentatomidae (Stink Bugs)

Subfamily Pentatominae

Tribe Mecideini

Genus Mecidea (Narrow Stink Bug)

Explanation of Names

Mecidea Dallas 1851

Numbers

3 spp. (of which one adventive) in our area, 4 spp. in the New World, 19 spp. total(1)

Identification

can be recognized within the Pentatomidae by the presence on the abdominal venter of a longitudinal band of striations on the basal 3 or more segments(1)

key to spp.

Range

M. major IL-KS to TX-AZ; FL (Previously known from a single 1988 record, specimens from a population of Mecidea collected from cultivated Cenchrus setaceus in St. Petersburg was submitted to FSCA and identified as this species. More surveying may reveal the extent of this species' establishment in Florida.) -AWM

M. minor IA-SD to TX-CA;

M. longula FL (native to West Indies)(1)

Food

grass feeders including sideoats grama + some records on Asteraceae(2)

Remarks

the only New World representative of the tribe Mecideini(1)

Print References

Sailer R.I. (1952) A review of the stink bugs of the genus Mecidea. Proc. USNM 102: 471-505.

Works Cited

1.	Mecidea longula Stål (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae: Mecideini) is established in south Florida Eger J.E., Dobbs T.T. 2010. Insecta Mundi 0109: 1-5.

2.	Pentatomoidea Host Index

Contributed by Christopher C Wirth on 19 October, 2005 - 2:54pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Andrew Meeds, Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 9 June, 2022 - 11:16am

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