Cotton Stainers (Pyrrhocoridae) and Bordered Plant Bugs (Largidae)

Abstract

The Pyrrhocoridae and the Largidae, making up the superfamily Pyrrhocoroidea, are moderately sized insects, often with bright and contrasting colors. Several genera of Largidae resemble ants, either in color or in form. These insects range from 7 to 18 mm (Pyrrhocoridae) and from 5 to 16 mm (Largidae). They feed on seeds, on the ground, or in the fruits. However, for most largids, we do not know much at all about their host plants or biology. Dysdercus (the only Neotropical genus in Pyrrhocoridae) can be harmful, feeding on cotton seeds; however, this damage occurs rarely in the Neotropics and more often in the Paleotropics.

Biodiversity of Heteroptera in Puerto Rico: Part III. Conspectus of Pentatomomorpha: Aradoidea, Pyrrhocoroidea, Coreoidea, and Concluding Notes on Endemism and Biogeography

“…Members are moderately sized bugs (7 to 18 mm), often with bright and contrasting coloration, and absent ocelli (Schaefer, 2015). Pyrrhocoroids share their lack of ocelli with the Aradoidea, whereas unlike them, these insects possess trichobothria, a characteristic they share with Lygaeoidea, Coreoidea, and Pentatomoidea.…”

“…The bordered plant bugs Largids, commonly referred to as "bordered plant bugs," are a small group (15 genera and over 100 species) of medium to large bugs (Henry, 1988) that are distinguished from pyrrhocorids by their laterally rounded pronotum (not reflexed), and for their abdominal sternite VII entirely split in females (Schuh and Slater, 1995). Two subfamilies were recognized by Henry (1988): the ant-mimicking, short-winged Arhaphinae and the Larginae; whereas Schaefer (2015) recognizes only the Larginae (New World) and the Physopeltinae (Old World). Only one species of the former is reported from Puerto Rico.…”

“…Only one species of the former is reported from Puerto Rico. According to Schaefer (2015), nearly nothing is known about the habits and food plants of these insects. In general, Largus spp.…”

“…In general, Largus spp. appear to feed on seeds and fruit, but there are anecdotal accounts of them feeding on dead insects, and even on dog food (Schaefer, 2015).…”

Effects of nanoemulsion and essential oil from the leaves of Ocotea elegans against Dysdercus peruvianus

“…Cotton plants are attacked by several plagues including bedbugs, Horcias nobilellus Berg, (1883) (Hemiptera: Miridae), and Dysdercus peruvianus Guérin-Méneville (1831) (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae) commonly known as the cotton stainer bug (Rafiq et al, 2014). In Gossypium spp., the latter pest provokes abnormal development of fruits, falling of new apples, the defective opening of buds, and staining of the fibers caused by insect excrement, reducing crop production by loss of weight, seed quality and oil content (Liu et al, 2014, Schaefer, 2015.…”