Acanthocephala (Metapodiessa) femorata (Fabricius)

Packauskas, Richard J., Sites, Robert W., Taylor, Steven J., Bundy, Scott, Bradshaw, Jeffrey D. & Mitchell, Paula Levin, 2011, Review of Acanthocephala (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae) of America north of Mexico with a key to species, Zootaxa 2835, pp. 30-40 : 35-36

Acanthocephala (Metapodiessa) femorata (Fabricius)

( Figs. 2 , 11, 12 )

Cimex femoratus Fabricius, 1775 , Syst. Ent., p. 708.

Acanthocephala (Metapodius) femorata: Stål, 1870 , K. Svens. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 9 (1): 150.

Diagnosis. Length: 25–28 mm. This species can be recognized by the metatibial expansions, which are broadly dilated in the basal half and gradually narrowed toward the apex. The metafemora of males are strongly incrassate, those of females are slightly expanded, and abdominal sternum 3 of both sexes often has a darkened area beneath each metacoxa.

Distribution. AL, FL, GA, IL, KS, LA, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX ( El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico)

Discussion. This primarily southern species also has been reported from Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. Although Lugger (1900, pp. 87–88) stated that it occurred in Minnesota, and Blatchley (1926) and Torre-Bueno (1941) repeated the same information, Froeschner (1942) felt that Lugger probably was incorrect, particularly because the species he illustrated was A. terminalis , a species that, in fact, does occur in the northern states. As a consequence, Froeschner (1988) did not include Minnesota in his distribution of this species nor did he mention anything about the Minnesota record.

Acanthocephala femorata has been collected in Florida in every month of the year with most specimens collected during March and April ( Blatchley 1926, Baranowski & Slater 1986). Froeschner (1942) reported that nymphs and adults were numerous in Missouri from 8 August to 8 October. He noted that extreme southeastern Missouri seemed to be the northern limit of the range of this species. Slater and Baranowski (1978) referred to it as "a common species in the southern United States."

Published feeding records for this species are limited. As Froeschner (1942) noted in his Missouri study, this species was observed on many kinds of plants, but none was seen feeding. The only host plants we found during our literature review were Helianthus annuus Linnaeus (common sunflower) ( Adams & Gaines 1950, Mitchell 1980) and Cirsium texanum Buckley (Texas thistle) ( Mitchell 1980). Specifically, Adams and Gaines (1950) reported that A. femorata is a stem feeder on sunflower.

PLM (unpublished data) provides the following host plant information and additional observations. The year or years are in parentheses:

Ambrosia trifida Linnaeus (great ragweed) (1975–1978). Adult aggregations were observed and both nymphs and adults noted feeding. Feeding occurred on the main stems, stem galls, and leaf petioles. The plants were attractive to the bugs from the seedling stage in late April through seed production in November.

Baccharis neglecta (1976–1978). A. femorata was more common on this plant than A. declivis (see above) but no nymphs were found. Eighteen adults were found from late February through early April (1976, 1977) and an adult female in August 1978. Copulation was observed on 27 February 1976.

Chenopodium album Linnaeus (lambsquarters, pigweed) (1976). Five adults were observed feeding and/or copulating on the main stem on 9 September.

Cirsium horridulum Michaux (yellow thistle) (1981). An adult female was observed on this plant on 15 March in southern Louisiana.

Cirsium texanum (1976, 1978). Two adult males were observed feeding on petioles of this plant in April 1978. Also, an adult female with three attached tachinid eggs was collected from this same host plant on 19 June 1976.

Helianthus annuus (1976–1978). Adult aggregations, copulation, and feeding were observed. Feeding occurred on the stems and stem galls. All instars were noted. The plants were attractive to adults from early May (vegetative stage) through early September (senescent stage), nymphs from mid-May through early September.

Ratibida columnifera (Nuttall) (prairie coneflower) (1978). An adult aggregation, copulation, and feeding on the stalk of the vegetative stage were observed during April.

Sorghum halepense (Linnaeus) (johnsongrass) (1978). Five specimens (including 1 5th instar) were observed on this plant during June and July but not observed feeding. The grass grew in and around a patch of sunflower, which is a host plant, so the presence of the adults on this grass probably represented a resting site.

Verbascum thapsus Linnaeus (common mullein) (1976). Two fifth instars were observed feeding on 19 June in West Lake Hills, Travis Co., TX.

Dung (1977). Two adult females were observed probing mammalian fecal deposits with their beaks during mid-September.

Plant associations include: Abelmoschus (as Hibiscus ) esculentus (Linnaeus) (okra), Erigeron quercifolius Lamarck (oakleaf fleabane) ( Baranowski and Slater 1986), Xanthium (cocklebur), and Parthenium sp. ( Schaefer and Mitchell 1983). Blatchley (1926) reported that it was collected frequently "in early spring on the flowers of thistle and also swept from those of huckleberry and other low vegetation." Dozier (1920) stated that the species was abundant in Florida and often collected "at hammock edge," and that its favorite host was bull thistle [presumably Cirsium vulgare (Savi) ]. He also noted "pairs taken copulating. April 4. " Van Duzee (1909, p. 159) reported it "was not uncommon at most places where we collected. It was most abundant about 4 p. m. flying about weedy places in the bright sunlight; later in the evening they could be picked off the weeds and grasses where they were resting." Froeschner (1942) noted "adults are very active, flying readily for long distances." Mitchell (1980) found that males defend territories on the stalks of Helianthus annuus where females gather to feed. They fight one another with their huge hind femora, each bug attempting to wrap and squeeze the other bug with his hind legs. Similar behavior has been observed in A. declivis guatemalena ( Eberhard 1998) .

CSB here reports adults from Gossypium hirsutum (GA), RWS from Pinus (pine) (FL) and Prunus persica (Linnaeus) (peach) (NC).

Arnaud (1978) reported that A. femorata is parasitized by the tachinid flies Trichopoda pennipes and T. lanipes (Fabricius) .

An adult Arilus cristatus (Linnaeus) (wheel bug) was observed feeding on a large male A. femorata on 20 July 1978 (PLM, unpublished data).

Recently (2009), two adults were collected near the SIUC campus. Examination of the SIUEC and INHS Collection revealed two additional adults collected in 1957 and 1924, respectively. The label information is given below with additional information in parentheses:

Illinois: Jackson Co., nr. SIU campus, ex native grasses, 25 Aug. 2009, B. R. Wodika, Coll. (1 adult); ex Sorghastrum nutans (Linnaeus) , 10 Nov. 2009, B. R. Wodika, Coll. (1 adult) (SIUEC). (Pulaski Co.), Mounds, 30 April 1957 (no collector listed) (1 adult) (SIUEC). Massac Co., Metropolis, 3 Sept. 1924, T. H. Frison (Coll.) (1 adult) (INHS Collection).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Habitus photographs of male Acanthocephala spp. 1. A. declivus. 2. A. femorata. 3. A. terminalis. 4. A. thomasi.

FIGURES 5 – 12. Hind tibiae of Acanthocephala, male and female respectively. 5 – 6, A. declivis. 7 – 8, A. thomasi. 9 – 10, A. terminalis. 11 – 12, A. femorata.