PALEARCTIC PLANT BUGS (HEMIPTERA, MIRIDAE) IN NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA: FIRST NORTH AMERICAN RECORDS FOR PHYTOCORIS LONGIPENNIS FLOR AND PILOPHORUS CINNAMOPTERUS (KIRSCHBAUM),NEW RECORDS OF EIGHT OTHER SPECIES.

Authors: WHEELER, A - CLEMSON UNIV.DEPT.ENTOMOL; Henry, Thomas; HOEBEKE, E - CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Denisia
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/7/2006
Publication Date: 10/12/2006
Citation: Wheeler, A.G., Henry, T.J., Hoebeke, E.R. 2006. Palearctic plant bugs (hemiptera, miridae) in newfoundland, canada: first North American records for phytocoris longipennis flor and pilophorus cinnamopterus (kirschbaum),new records of eight other species. Denisia. 19:997-1014.

Interpretive Summary: Plant bugs represent the largest family of true bugs. In the United States, some are among the most serious plant pests and cause millions of dollars of damage to agriculture each year. In contrast, many others feed on insects pests and are considered beneficial. Of the many North American plant bugs, more than 60 are exotic species accidentally introduced from foreign lands. In this paper, we report the first North American records for two additional European plant bugs newly discovered in Newfoundland. We also give new distribution and hosts for eight other exotic plant bugs previously recorded in the United States and Canada. Of the 10 species reported, five are predators and five are plant feeders of potential concern. This information will be of use to state and Federal regulatory agencies, biological control workers, and pest managers combating invasive insect pests.

Technical Abstract: Phytocoris longipennis Flor and Pilophorus cinnamopterus (Kirschbaum) are reported from Newfoundland, Canada, as the first Nearctic records of these Palaearctic mirids, or plant bugs. Diagnoses and descriptions are provided to facilitate their recognition in the North American fauna. Also reported as new to Newfoundland are eight Palaearctic mirids recorded from other Canadian provinces: Atractotomus mali (Meyer-Dür), Melanotrichus flavosparsus (C.R. Sahlberg), Phytocoris populi Linnaeus, P. ulmi Linnaeus, Pilophorus clavatus (Linnaeus), Pinalitus rubricatus (Fallén), Plagiognathus vitellinus (Scholtz), and Psallus lepidus Fieber. We review for all 10 species their distribution, host plants, and seasonal history in the Palaearctic Region; for each of the eight species known previously from North America, we cite the first Nearctic record and summarize the North American distribution and information on biology. The 43 Palaearctic Miridae now known from Newfoundland–33 species recorded previously and 10 reported as new to the island–are listed in tabular form by subfamily and tribe; included in the table are the earliest record from Newfoundland and distributional status–that is, whether a species has been accidentally introduced or is naturally Holarctic. The addition of 10 mirid species considered to have been introduced with commerce gives Newfoundland the highest proportion of non-native plant bugs (28.6%; 26 of 91 spp.) of any Canadian province.