Neil Price: Hemiptera: The Real Bugs

Dr Neil Price, an entomologist working for David Clements Ecology Ltd, talked to the Cardiff Naturalists’ Society on Tuesday 17 March 2015 about the Hemiptera. This order of insects is also known as the true bugs.  They are characterised by distinctive and elongated mouthparts, designed for piercing and sucking. They mainly feed on plants, but many species are predatory.

We were introduced to a number of bug families within the sub-order Heteroptera. There were some familiar shield bugs, an ant-mimicking mirid bug, seed bugs, and bed bugs. Bugs can have distinct smells and can often be noisy (stridulation). Neil recommended an online identification guide for the identification of British Hemiptera: http://www.britishbugs.org.uk/

There are a variety of ways to survey for Hemiptera: sweep nets, pooters, beating vegetation over trays, light traps, and large expensive-looking vacuum-cleaner devices. Neil has recently been involved in sampling Hemiptera on brownfield sites (land altered by human activity, especially post-industrial areas). These areas are increasingly being recognised as important for wildlife, and may be home to around 12-15% of Britain’s rare insects.  Brownfield sites have micro-habitats favourable to many insects, including bare loose substrates, short vegetation and scrubland.

Survey work on four brownfields sites within Buglife’s West Glamorgan Stepping Stones project revealed a diverse range of Hemiptera.  Neil talked about the species encountered on four of the five West Glamorgan brownfield sites: Pluck Lake in Swansea (25 species), and Bryn Tip (19), Cymmer Coal Tip (21), and a site within Tata Steelworks (14), in Neath Port Talbot (NPT). The project is monitoring invertebrates, reptiles and plants and aims to restore and manage a total of 48 hectares of brownfield habitat.

Finally, Neil told us to be on the look-out for the Western conifer seed bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis), a large invasive squashbug species from North America that feeds on pines. It was introduced into Europe in 1999, and is spreading along the south Wales coastline.

You can report Western conifer seed bug findings here: http://www.nonnativespecies.org//factsheet/factsheet.cfm?speciesId=1964

Buglife's West Glamorgan Stepping Stones project:
https://www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns-and-our-work/habitat-projects/west-glamorgan-stepping-stones