Neacoryphus

Scudder, 1965

Species Guides

Neacoryphus bicrucis(Whitecrossed seed bug)

Neacoryphus is a of seed bugs in the Lygaeidae, established by Scudder in 1965. The genus contains approximately five to seven described , with Neacoryphus bicrucis being the most extensively studied. Members of this genus are seed-feeding insects with documented chemical defense mechanisms and complex territorial .

Neacoryphus bicrucis by no rights reserved, uploaded by Some pig. Used under a CC0 license.

Neacoryphus bicrucis by no rights reserved, uploaded by Jesse Rorabaugh. Used under a CC0 license.

Neacoryphus bicrucis by (c) Annika Lindqvist, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Annika Lindqvist. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Neacoryphus: /niːəˈkɔrɪfəs/

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

Images

Habitat

Large plant patches with high plant ; granite outcrops and old fields in coastal plain, piedmont, and montane regions.

Diet

Seeds of plants.

Host Associations

Senecio - plantMultiple Senecio utilized across Georgia ; females preferentially oviposit in areas of high plant
Senecio smallii - plantSource of sequestered for chemical defense
Helianthus annuus - laboratory food sourceSunflower seeds used in rearing experiments; insects reared on sunflower lack defensive alkaloids and are palatable to

Behavior

Males patrol small territories composed of plants and aggressively expel other males and unreceptive females. Larger males exclude smaller males from high-quality territories where host plants and females are most dense. Courtship is aggressive and resembles territorial . Males remain longer in areas with higher host plant and tend to stay where they have recently mated. Both sexes migrate by at great altitudes and can disperse over long distances. Flight muscle histolysis is environmentally plastic: females with ample food and mates histolyze flight muscles soon after and fly little, while food scarcity maintains high flight ability. Most males fly throughout life, with flight tendency enhanced by lack of food or mates.

More Details

Chemical Defense

Neacoryphus bicrucis sequesters from Senecio plants, rendering it distasteful to such as the green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis). Insects reared on non-host plants lacking these alkaloids are palatable to predators.

Reproductive Trade-offs

production in females becomes a linear function of the logarithm of food when food falls below a threshold. Females retain potential under lack of mates or -inducing .