Species Mecidea major

Classification · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Print References · Works Cited

Creature on silver bluestem - Mecidea major

Pentatomidae, head, dorsal - Mecidea major

Pentatomidae, abdomen, ventral - Mecidea major

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)

Species major (Mecidea major)

Explanation of Names

Mecidea major Sailer 1952

Size

9.5-12.7 mm(1)

Identification

spiracles often darkened (1)

males have elongated second antennal segment, longer than the third ant. seg. - key to spp. (modified from Sailer 1952)

Range

c. US to AZ (so. IL-KS to TX-AZ)(2) to Nicaragua(3).

Possibly established in parts of Florida: 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

Season

Apr-Jan, peak Jul-Oct(1)

Food

grass feeders including sideoats grama + some records on Asteraceae(4)

Print References

Sailer, R.I. 1952. A review of the stink bugs of the genus Mecidea. Proc. U.S. Nat. Museum 102(3309): 471-505.

Works Cited

1.	The Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera) of Northeastern North America J.E. McPherson. 1982. Southern Illinois University Press.

2.	Catalog of the Heteroptera, or True Bugs of Canada and the Continental United States Thomas J. Henry, Richard C. Froeschner. 1988. Brill Academic Publishers.

3.	Pentatomidae (Heteroptera) of Honduras: a checklist with description of a new ochlerine genus Arismendi N., Thomas D.B. 2003. Insecta Mundi 17: 219-236.

4.	Pentatomoidea Host Index

Contributed by Christopher C Wirth on 19 October, 2005 - 2:54pm
Additional contributions by Andrew Meeds, Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 9 June, 2022 - 11:27am

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