David Element
Wildlife
Photography and Digital Video Images
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bugs 22 - Rhopalid Bugs
RHOPALID BUG Corizus hyoscyami
RHOPALID BUG Corizus hyoscyami
RHOPALID BUG Corizus
hyoscyami
- The Rhopalid Bug Corizus hyoscyami resembles
several similarly marked ground
bugs (Lygaeidae) and the bright warning colours advertise
that it would be distasteful to predators. The photographer does not know
whether it is unpleasant to eat, or if it is simply hiding behind a
disguise used by other species that are - and he certainly had no
intention of performing any practical experiments to find out! Examination
of the forewing venation and antennae may be required in order to
differentiate similarly marked red and black ground bugs from rhopalids.
However, in this case the striking markings are distinctive, and they should
enable an accurate identification to species level. This insect was
formerly restricted to coastal locations in the UK, but it is now becoming
more widespread in response to anthropogenic climate change. The first
photograph is of a fully mature bug but the other two show a teneral (immature) bug in which the colours have not
yet developed fully, illustrating one of the difficulties that can
sometimes be encountered when identifying insects. It will also be evident
that there is some degree of variation in the extent of the black markings
in C. hyoscyami.
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