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| Female Meadow Plant Bug (Leptopterna dolabrata) |
So what did I find out about this little creature?
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| I found it on this grass. |
- They are found across most of the UK but if you look at the map at Nature Spot there's lots of areas where they aren't recorded.
- Measuring up at 8 to 8.5mm long they aren't the biggest of insects.
- As their name suggests it likes to live in grassy habitats like meadows. It doesn't mind if they are a bit damp.
- You are most likely to see the adults of these bugs from June to September.
- Their diet is plant juices that they extract from the seeds of grasses, they use their strong mouth parts to puncture seeds and extract the juices.
- Females also lay eggs in the stems of grasses in the Autumn. They over-winter as eggs and nymphs emerge in the spring. I found a great Youtube video of a nymph which I've linked below.
- The nymphs have five stages of growth before they become adults.
- Males and females are different. Males have wings as long as their bodies while the females are shorter. The one I found was a female.
- I also found there are scientific terms to describe this. Males are macropterous (fully-winged) and females are brachypterous (partly-winged).
- I mentioned their diet was juices from seeds. Well a lot of the time this causes the seed of the plant to die. If they are eating wild grasses it's not a problem but this bug can upset farmers if they start on their crops.
Well that's a round up of what I found, for more facts and pictures try these sites:
Hope you enjoyed,
Z.
Lovely shots Zach, I've never come across these before! - Tasha
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