Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Hemiptera (Hemipterans) ➔ Family Pentatomidae (Shield bugs or stinkbugs )
Picromerus bidens (Linnaeus, 1758)
Zweispitzwanze Spiked Shieldbug
Synonyms and other combinations:
Cimex bidens Linnaeus, 1758 [original combination] |
DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz
2008-07-12 14:39:35
DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
2005-09-14 12:28:36
DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
2005-07-23 11:19:36
DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
2020-07-18 11:58:22
DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz
2022-10-07 15:04:54
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2010-10-02 11:55:11
DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
2010-10-02 11:56:49
DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz
2018-09-05 14:48:05
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2018-09-06 09:42:11
DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz
2018-09-06 09:44:24
mating
DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz
2012-08-07 14:12:31
larvae
DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
2005-06-18 11:34:55
det. Frank Marquard
larvae
DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
2005-06-18 11:34:02
det. Frank Marquard
larva
DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz
2022-06-10 15:31:05
larva
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2022-06-10 15:31:15
bottom view
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2022-06-10 19:23:16
larva (L5)
DE, Chemnitz
2004-07-25 11:33:31
Further vernacular names:
Spined Shieldbug, Spiny ShieldbugClassification:
Picromerus bidens belongs to the subfamily Asopinae.Distribution:
Palearctic (Europe, Asia, North Africa); North America.Habitat:
Deciduous and mixed forests, parks, gardens, heathland, moist flower-rich meadows.Description:
Body length 10 - 13.5 mm; body colour variable, from light to dark brown; antennae and legs reddish brown; front femora armed with a spine. In Germany the species is unmistakable due to the name-giving thorn-like projections on both sides of the pronotum.Young nymphs dark red and black coloured; adult nymphs grey-black, tibiae with pale band.
Biology:
Adults of the Spiked Shieldbug Picromerus bidens can be found from July to October/November. The eggs are laid by the females from September and usually overwinter. From April the nymphs hatch. In rare cases the nymphs can also hibernate. The nymphs pass through 5 instars before they moult to an imago, capable to fly.Both the adults and the nymphs are predators, feeding on other insects, but also suck sap from plants. The menu preferably includes caterpillars, larvae of hymenoptera and beetles (especially leaf beetles) and aphids.
Picromerus bidens is univoltin, i.e. the species forms one generation per year.
Natural enemies:
Tachinids (Tachinidae): Phasia albopunctata (Baranov, 1935).References, further reading, links:
- Orrell T. (custodian) (2016). ITIS Regional: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (version Oct 2015). In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life, 2016 Annual Checklist (Roskov Y., Abucay L., Orrell T., Nicolson D., Flann C., Bailly N., Kirk P., Bourgoin T., DeWalt R.E., Decock W., De Wever A., eds). Digital resource at www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2016. Species 2000: Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands. ISSN 2405-884X.
- Michael Chinery: Pareys Buch der Insekten: über 2000 Insekten Europas, Verlag Kosmos, 2004, 326 Seiten, ISBN 3440099695, 9783440099698.
- Diptera Parasitoid Records
- Acrosternum sp.
- Ancyrosoma leucogrammes
- Arma custos
- Brachynema cinctum
- Carpocoris fuscispinus
- Carpocoris purpureipennis
- Carpocoris sp.
- Chlorochroa pinicola
- Chroantha ornatula
- Codophila varia
- Eurydema spectabilis
- Palomena viridissima
- Pinthaeus sanguinipes
- Sciocoris sp.
- Bishop's Mitre Shieldbug
- Blue Shieldbug
- Brassica Shieldbug
- Bronze Shieldbug
- Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
- Common Green Shieldbug
- Gorse Shieldbug
- Hairy Shieldbug
- Italian Striped Bug
- Mottled Shieldbug
- Ornate Shieldbug
- Red Shieldbug
- Red-legged Shieldbug
- Small Grass Shieldbug
- Southern Green Shieldbug
- Spiked Shieldbug
- Turtle Shieldbug
- Vernal Shieldbug
- White-spotted Stink Bug
- Woundwort Shieldbug