Small World Discoveries

HEMIPTERA > HETEROPTERA > CIMICOMORPHA > Miridae > Stenodemini

The Stenodemini tribe includes 16 mainly elongate species; vertex usually with a furrow and no pronotal collar.

The Meadow Plant Bug [Leptopterna dolabrata] is an attractive pale green species with yellowish, darker marked forewings. It is very similar to the Red Meadow Plant Bug [Leptopterna ferrugata] which, as its common name suggests, has reddish/pinkish forewings. Both are common and widespread, and both are grassland bugs with the latter preferring drier habitats, whereas Leptopterna dolabrata occurs in both dry and damp areas. They are sexually dimorphic with the males always being fully-winged and the females more often than not partly-winged. Leptopterna dolabrata males darken with age.

The four Stenodema grass bugs are distinguished by their elongate form coupled with a longitudinal furrow between the eyes and a coarsely and densely pitted pronotum. They have a body length of around 7-9mm. The two common species Stenodema calcarata and Stenodema laevigata are very similar and could easily be confused, except that Stenodema calcarata has two spurs on the hind femora whereas Stenodema laevigata doesn't have any. The other two species in the genus do not occur locally. Stenodema trispinosa has three femoral spurs, but is mainly confined to the south east, and Stenodema holsata, which is somewhat similar to Stenodema laevigata although a little shorter and broader, is more associated with upland habitats. These bugs overwinter as adults and emerge in the spring when the females of Steodema calcarata turn green while the males typically remain mostly straw-coloured, whereas with Steodema laevigata both sexes turn green, although males are often darker than the females. The new generation of straw-coloured adults start appearing in July or August.