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Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/1998 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Plant bugs represent the largest family of true bugs and are among the most important insects agriculturally. Many species such as the tarnished plant bug and the cotton fleahopper are important crop pests, whereas a large number of others, such as species of Deraeocoris and Phytocoris, play an important role as predators in crop and ornamental systems. Members of the egenus Dicyphus freguent glandular-hairy plants, where they may feed on plant sap, but often act as facultative predators on insects entrapped in the sticky glands of their hosts. This paper presents the redescription and neotype designation of D. vestitus Uhler and an identification key to help recognize the five species of the genus occurring in eastern North America. Distribution and host records are given for the other eastern North American species. This information will be useful to federal, state, and university researhers charged with control of agricultural pests. Technical Abstract: Dicyphus vestitus Uhler is redescribed and a neotype from Colorado is designated for it. A dorsal adult habitus and selected scanning electron micrographs of D. vestitus and an identification key are provided to help recognize the eastern North American species of the genus. Distributions and host records are given for other eastern North American species. |
