Agonoscelis
Genus of true bugs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Agonoscelis is a genus of shield bugs, in the monotypic tribe Agonoscelidini, that are native to the Afrotropics and Australia, but one species is established in the New World. Some species are minor[1] or considerable pests.[2]
| Agonoscelis | |
|---|---|
| A. erosa in South Africa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Pentatomidae |
| Subfamily: | Pentatominae |
| Tribe: | Agonoscelidini |
| Genus: | Agonoscelis Spinola, 1837 |
They have five nymphal stages, and are 8 to 12 mm long as adults. They attack (or control) weeds and herbs including horehound, thyme, flax and cotton, or the developing seeds of sunflowers or cereals like millet or sorghum.[3] They may swarm on a variety of other shrubs and trees, including coffee and cacao.[2] The scent gland is located at the end of the abdomen.
Species
There are some 19 to 22 species, which include:[4][5]
- Agonoscelis erosa (Westwood, 1837)
- A. e. atropurpurea Schumacher, 1913
- Agonoscelis femoralis Walker, 1868
- Agonoscelis nubila F. – Flower head bug
- Agonoscelis puberula Stål, 1853 – African cluster bug (established in New World)
- Agonoscelis pubescens (Thunb.) – Andat bug, Sudan dura bug, Pentatomid sorghum bug, African cluster bug, syn. A. versicolor (Fabricius, 1794)
- Agonoscelis rutila (Fabricius, 1775) – Horehound bug
- Agonoscelis versicoloratus (Turton) – Sunflower seed bug
- A. rutila
- A. versicoloratus