We show that a localized bosonic mode acts as a new type of "defect" in s-and d x 2 −y 2 -wave superconductors. The mode induces bound or resonance states, whose spectral signature are peaks in the superconductor's density of states (DOS). We study the peaks' shape and energy as a function of temperature and the mode's frequency and lifetime. We identify several characteristic signatures of the localized mode that qualitatively distinguishes its effects from those of magnetic or nonmagnetic impurities.PACS numbers: 72.10. 72.10.Fk, 74.25.Jb The study of local defects or impurities in superconductors has attracted significant experimental [1, 2] and theoretical [3,4,5] interest over the last few years. These studies have proven particularly important for further elucidating the nature of the superconducting (SC) pairing mechanism in unconventional superconductors. In particular, recent scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) experiments provided a detailed picture of the frequency and spatial dependence of defect induced resonance states in the high-temperature superconductor (HTSC) Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ [2], and the triplet superconductor Sr 2 RuO 4 [6]. Several theoretical scenarios for the physical origin of these impurity states have been proposed, ranging from electronic scattering off classical impurities [3,5] to the onset of .