What do western conifer seed bugs look like
Western confider seed bug adults are 3/4 inch long and brownish on top. The upper (dorsal) side of the abdomen is yellow or light orange with five transverse black patches. This orange and black pattern on the abdominal dorsum is revealed during flight. The flight pattern and loud buzz produced by this strong flying conifer pest resemble those of a bumble bee. Their overall appearance can get them mistaken for stink bugs.
Western conifer seed bug nymphs start out orange, and then become reddish brown after a few molts. The eggs, which are laid in chains on conifer needles, measure about 2 mm each in length. The western conifer seed bug produces a single generation each season. Adults emerge from overwintering sites in late May or early June and feed on one-year cones and inflorescences – which are the complete flower head of a plant including stems, stalks, bracts, and flowers.
Eggs laid on host conifers hatch in 10 days, and first instars feed on the needles and tender tissue of cone scales. Later, nymphs use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on developing seeds. Nymphs in all five stages of development and new adults can be observed feeding on the same group of cones by mid-August, at which time the nymphs begin to reach adulthood. Adults feed on ripening seeds until early fall and then seek overwintering sites under pine bark, in dead and dry Douglas firs, in hawk and rodent nests, and unfortunately inside homes and businesses in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, and Maine.
Western conifer seed bug nymphs start out orange, and then become reddish brown after a few molts. The eggs, which are laid in chains on conifer needles, measure about 2 mm each in length. The western conifer seed bug produces a single generation each season. Adults emerge from overwintering sites in late May or early June and feed on one-year cones and inflorescences – which are the complete flower head of a plant including stems, stalks, bracts, and flowers.
Eggs laid on host conifers hatch in 10 days, and first instars feed on the needles and tender tissue of cone scales. Later, nymphs use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on developing seeds. Nymphs in all five stages of development and new adults can be observed feeding on the same group of cones by mid-August, at which time the nymphs begin to reach adulthood. Adults feed on ripening seeds until early fall and then seek overwintering sites under pine bark, in dead and dry Douglas firs, in hawk and rodent nests, and unfortunately inside homes and businesses in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, and Maine.
