Potato Bug

Closterotomus norvegicus

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Infraorder: Cimicomorpha
Superfamily: Miroidea
Family: Miridae
Subfamily: Mirinae
Tribe: Mirini
Genus: Closterotomus
Species: norvegicus

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Closterotomus norvegicus: //klɒstəˈrɒtəməs nɔːˈviːdʒɪkəs//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Closterotomus.norwegicus by James K. Lindsey. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Calocoris-norwegicus-hetero by Halvard : from Norway.. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Closterotomus.norwegicus4.-.lindsey by James K. Lindsey. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Closterotomus norvegicus - Flickr - S. Rae by S. Rae from Scotland, UK. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Becho.Galicia.070621 25 by Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga Commons)(Lmbuga Galipedia). Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Chinche en Bastavales, Brión, Galiza by Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Summary

Closterotomus norvegicus, also known as the potato capsid or potato bug, is a species of true bug within the family Miridae, commonly found in meadows and fields and significant as a pest on various crops, particularly in North America and Europe.

Physical Characteristics

Adults are mostly green above with two small black dots on the anterior half of the pronotum near the midline; scutellum may have dark marks at the base; hemelytra may have reddish-brown tint; forewing’s membranous portion is fuscous, giving a 'dark-tailed' appearance. Adult length is 6-8 mm, with the second antennal segment approximately equal to the combined length of the third and fourth segments; spines on hind tibia are shorter than the width of the tibia.

Identification Tips

Look for the two small black dots on the pronotum and check the coloration which can vary by territory, with some specimens being brownish black, particularly from northern Britain.

Habitat

Found in meadows, hedgerows, and weedy fields.

Distribution

Native to the western Palaearctic; adventive species elsewhere, with occurrences noted in eastern and western North America, with the earliest record in Quebec from 1886.

Diet

Feeds on alfalfa, white clover, lotus seeds, as well as various plants including potatoes, carrots, nettles, poppies, thistles, and flowers of Compositae.

Life Cycle

Adults are present from May to October in Europe.

Ecosystem Role

Plays a role as a pest in agriculture, particularly noted for being a key pest of pistachios in California.

Economic Impact

Considered a key pest of pistachios and can affect crops like potatoes and other agricultural plants.

Evolution

In 1997, it was reclassified from the genus Calocoris to its current name, Closterotomus.