Pyrrhocoris apterus- Utah - Pyrrhocoris apterus

new and now established in Utah

This little guy did show up unexpectedly and is now quite well established. I'm keeping informal notes on its southern most and northern most range. Bountiful to the north and Cottonwood Heights to the south. How they got to Utah, no one knows. We did have Tom Henry from the Systematic Entomology Lab at the Smithsonian come to Salt Lake early this summer to collect them.

… C Bills at NHMU, 26 June, 2012 - 5:19pm

Huntington Beach CA

Is it common to find these in large groups in Huntington Beach, CA?
If not, how should I proceed?

… birdlover, 18 July, 2010 - 12:38am

Also compare...

the specimens observed with Scantius aegyptus.

. The length of the adult wing helps to separate the two.

… Kerry S. Matz, 18 July, 2010 - 2:46pm

Range extension?

California would be a new location for these in the USA. Do you have a photo of the ones you have for me to see?

… Breck Bartholomew, 18 July, 2010 - 7:52am

Information pamphlet

The Utah Extension office has a nice pamphlet about this species. Apparently it was first found in the USA in Cottonwood Heights, Utah in 2008. I have them in my yard, but they are very restricted to the area under my neighbor's Linden trees. Walk ten feet away and you don't see them at all. I first noticed them in late 2008, but didn't identify them until April 2009.

The website for the pamphlet is:
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/red-fire-bug08.pdf

… Breck Bartholomew, 15 May, 2010 - 12:58am

Hey, Breck!

Hope life has been going well for you. Appreciate the USU link, have to add this pdf to the folder. Enjoy this site, although it can take time away from herpetological pursuits. ; )>

… Kerry S. Matz, 17 May, 2010 - 3:44pm

Hi Kerry, I noticed you we

Hi Kerry,

I noticed you were on this site. If all goes well I'll be adding more to this site. I have a seven year old son that is a nature lover. He is pretty consistent in saying that he wants to study animals and lately he says he wants to be an entomologist. I haven't been doing too much with herpetology lately, so delving into insects will be nice.

All the best.

… Breck Bartholomew, 17 May, 2010 - 3:59pm

now i'm 100% confident about their identity

Moved from ID Request.

… v belov, 22 March, 2010 - 8:16pm

stranded -- nobody to make love to -- thus no Behavior

the only reason i can think of; the do little more indeed

… v belov, 22 March, 2010 - 7:52pm

The four specimens...

have been "behavioring" for the last three days. The short wings seemed to indicate an immature. Obviously not (maybe it's teenage experimentation)!. There seems to be a group establishing a colony, still early spring, might not survive summer and competition.

… Kerry S. Matz, 22 March, 2010 - 8:07pm

This is a quite gregarious species

who hibernates in large groups, especially under lime tree (Tilia sp.) stumps in its European homeland. They have begun to resume activity for ca. ten days here in the Geneva suburbs - usually this takes place earlier, but we've had a long, cold winter.
At the same place, you're likely to see the first small, mainly red, nymphs from mid April on.

… Richard Vernier, 23 March, 2010 - 2:54am

The locale...

will be observed as the year progresses. The population could already be established, and just not noticed before. Thanks for the tips.

… Kerry S. Matz, 23 March, 2010 - 8:08am

mature nymphs look quite different

compare: French colony

… v belov, 22 March, 2010 - 8:21pm

wow

those who look like this are all grownups; the epithet apterus says it all -- and anyway nymphs never have the the membranous part on their wingpads

… v belov, 22 March, 2010 - 8:10pm

now this must be a Pyrrhocoris [?apterus]

...or i'll eat the server
in Utah, of all places! came with imported merchandise, i guess

… v belov, 22 March, 2010 - 7:45pm

infestation of neighborhood

our neighborhood in crawling with them. the lawn looks like it is moving their are so many. there are clumps of thousands of them in one place sometimes. you can watch them mating constantly. i sent a picture to whatsthatbug.com and they positively identified them as a European species, Pyrrhocoris apterus, commonly called a Firebug. i live in the 84124 zip.

… talkinturtles, 19 April, 2010 - 2:43pm

I'd venture...

that these have become established in (at least) the Salt Lake metropolitan area. Probably not noticed before because of the ubiquitous Box Elder Bug that is almost anywhere you look, their nymphs are similar in appearance and occur as long as it is not snowing.

… Kerry S. Matz, 19 April, 2010 - 5:30pm

I commented on the other image...

I thought it was the European one, too. Is it established here? Do we have native species?

… Blaine Mathison, 22 March, 2010 - 7:46pm

no natives, as far as i know

will check

… v belov, 22 March, 2010 - 7:47pm

nope, just a single 100-y.o. NJ record [?intercept]

check emballajem

… v belov, 22 March, 2010 - 7:49pm