Centrocoris volxemi (Puton) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae), first records for North America and second species of the genus established in the United States

Authors: ZAHNISER, J. - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); Henry, Thomas; SCHUMM, ZACHARY - Utah State University; SPEARS, LORI - Utah State University; NISCHWITZ, CLAUDIA - Utah State University; SCOW, BEN - Utah State University; VOLESKY, NICK - Utah State University

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/14/2022
Publication Date: 4/15/2022
Citation: Zahniser, J.N., Henry, T.J., Schumm, Z., Spears, L., Nischwitz, C., Scow, B., Volesky, N. 2022. Centrocoris volxemi (Puton) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae), first records for North America and second species of the genus established in the United States. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 123 (4):878-888. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.123.4.878.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.123.4.878

Interpretive Summary: Invasive insects are a continual threat to agriculture in the United States. Thousands of exotic arthropods are intercepted in international commerce at U.S. ports-of-entry each year. In August of 2021, several specimens of an unknown leaf-footed bug were discovered in northern Utah on prickly Russian thistle, an invasive Old World weed now widely established in North America. Study of the European literature and photographs of type specimens allowed us to confirm the identity of this true bug known from the Mediterranean Region and the Middle East. In this paper, we report the first North American records for this exotic bug. Color photos of the adults and fifth-instar nymph, a review of pertinent literature, distribution records, host data, and a diagnosis to aid in identification are given. This information will be of great interest to state and Federal regulatory agencies, growers, and all researchers working the biological control of prickly Russian thistle and related plants in North America.

Technical Abstract: Centrocoris volxemi (Puton) is a Palearctic coreid native to the Irano-Turanian floristic region and is reported here for the first time in North America and the western United States (Utah and Idaho). The species was collected during surveys in Utah in 2021. We also discuss online records and images from 2020–2021 in Utah and Idaho that appear consistent with C. volxemi. The number of records, broad distribution, and field observations suggest that the species is firmly established. Field observations indicate that the primary host in the U.S. is prickly Russian thistle, Salsola tragus L. We provide diagnostic characters and illustrations of the species to facilitate its identification and separation from Centrocoris variegatus Kolenati, another Palearctic species established in the U.S.