HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Previous events

TaxonomyBrowse

Info

ImagesLinksBooksData

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Cimicomorpha » Miroidea » Plant Bugs (Miridae) » Mirinae » Stenodemini » Pithanus » Pithanus maerkelii

Species Pithanus maerkelii

Classification · Explanation of Names · Size · Range · Habitat · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Nabis subcoleoptratus? - Pithanus maerkelii

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 Mirinae

Tribe Stenodemini

Genus Pithanus

Species maerkelii (Pithanus maerkelii)

Explanation of Names

Pithanus maerkelii (Herrich-Schaeffer 1838)

Size

4‒5 mm(1)

Range

native to Europe, adventive in our area (n.NA)(2)

State/province records: CAN: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK; USA: CT, MA, ME, *NJ, NY, OR, *PA, WA(3)(4)(5)(*BG records)

NB: MB & SK records listed in (4)(5) were oddly not repeated in (3).

Habitat

grass and sedges in meadows and low-lying areas, often on the ground but occasionally on plants, sometimes in association with Mimoceps insignis(5)

Food

hosts: Carex (Cyperaceae), Juncus (Juncaceae); Poaceae(2)

Life Cycle

Overwinters as eggs, nymphs appear May‒Jun. Adults mostly Jun‒Jul(5); males short-lived(1)

Remarks

Earliest North American record: NY 1909(3); earliest west coast record: BC 1917(3)

Internet References

fact sheet(1)

Works Cited

1.	Bantock T., Botting J. (2010‒) British Bugs, an online identification guide to UK Hemiptera

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.

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

5.	Pithanus maerkeli (Herrich-Schaeffer) and Actitocoris signatus Reuter in North America (Hemiptera: Miridae) L.A. Kelton. 1966. The Canadian Entomologist 98: 1305-1307.

Contributed by v belov on 18 November, 2010 - 10:12am
Additional contributions by Bbarnd
Last updated 5 June, 2024 - 8:01pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2025 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version