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Photo#509928
Pentatomid on Creosote - Dendrocoris contaminatus

Pentatomid on Creosote - Dendrocoris contaminatus
Death Valley, Inyo County, California, USA
April 19, 2011
Size: quite small
This attractive very small pentatomid was found on a creosote bush on a sand hummock in the sand dunes near Stovepipe Well.

Images of this individual: tag all
Pentatomid on Creosote - Dendrocoris contaminatus Pentatomid on Creosote - Dendrocoris contaminatus

Moved
Moved from Stink Bugs.

Moved for expert attention
Moved from ID Request.

Wild guess alert...
Maybe something in/near Dendrocoris?



Let's see what the experts have to say.

 
Possibly Dendrocoris contaminatus?
I accessed the Print Reference at #238083 (D. humeralis), a PDF of Thomas and Brailovsky, 199, Review of the genus Dendrocoris. . . . Dendrocoris contaminatus is restricted to Creosote Bush (the plant on which I found it), and much of the description that I can understand follows this species very closely. Most of the other species where host plants were known were on oaks or pines.

 
ID confirmed by D.B. Thomas: Dendrocoris contaminatus
nice bug, and wonderful pix, too!
thanks, Lynn

 
Dendrocoris contaminatus
Thanks so much, v belov, and please than Dr. Thomas too. This is one handsome stink bug! I was excited to find it and delighted to know its name and host plant.

 
That's the species
in the thumbnail I provided. There are a couple of other pics here. As you can see, they're certainly close--but they're not a perfect match.

Without knowing how many other, similar species are out there (some of which might be found on Creosote as well), it's really hard to say. That's why we've got to wait for the experts.

I'll move these to the family level for the time being.

 
Dendrocoris contaminatus
I didn't realize the link was to a D. contaminatus. Yes, so many of these insects are variable , occasionally depending on geography. The previous three individuals are much darker than mine, though one of them is in the yellow range. Mine was in a sand dune area where the pale coloration may be a better camouflage against the sand? Hard to know.

 
Dendrocoris?
You may very well be right. We've been comparing it to D. humeralis and it's extremely similar. Thanks so much for your input.

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