Heterogaster urticae

(Fabricius, 1775)

nettle ground bug

Heterogaster urticae, commonly known as the nettle ground , is a small true bug in the Heterogastridae. measure 6–7 mm in length and are characterized by yellow-brown to brown coloration with distinctive dark and light markings on the legs and connexivum. The is strongly associated with stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) in Europe, where it forms conspicuous . It has a wide distribution across Africa, Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), New Zealand, and North America.

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Heterogaster urticae (Lygaeidae sp.), Arnhem, the Netherlands - 2 by Bj.schoenmakers. Used under a CC0 license.

Heterogaster urticae01 by wikipedia. Used under a Attribution license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Heterogaster urticae: //ˌhɛt.ə.roʊˈɡæs.tər ˌɜrˈtɪˌsiː//

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

Identification

Heterogaster urticae can be distinguished from similar by several morphological features. The body is shiny with yellow-brown to brown pronotum and . The and pronotum are covered with whitish long erect hairs. The fore bear a single spine, and the pale tibiae display three dark annulations. The rostrum reaches only to the middle . These characters separate it from the Nearctic Heterogaster behrensii, which occurs in North America.

Images

Distribution

Africa, Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), New Zealand, and North America. Within Europe, recorded from Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, England, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Croatia, Ukraine, and Scotland. Also present in North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia), Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, Japan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkmenistan, and the Azores.

Seasonality

overwinter beneath bark or in hollow woody stems and emerge in spring. Mating occurs in June and July, with pairs remaining coupled for 3–4 days. Larvae are present until September, with the new completing development from late summer onwards.

Host Associations

Urtica dioica - primary main plant in Europe; form conspicuous on nettles
Urtica - other of Urtica reported as
Ammophila arenaria - roots reported as ; Poaceae

Life Cycle

are laid in the ground near the plant with a copious secretion. Larval development occurs through the summer, with larvae present until September. The new is complete from late summer onwards. overwinter in protected locations such as beneath bark or in hollow woody stems.

Behavior

often form conspicuous on nettles. During mating, males and females may remain coupled together for 3–4 days.

Similar Taxa

Heterogaster behrensiiNearctic distinguished by comparative morphological characters; H. urticae serves as the Palearctic reference for differentiation