Oncacontias vittatus

The forest shield bug (Oncacontias vittatus) is a species of shield bugs endemic to New Zealand.

Forest shield bug
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Hemiptera
Family:
Acanthosomatidae
Genus:
Oncacontias
Species:
O. vittatus
Binomial name
Oncacontias vittatus
Fabricus

Forest shield bug nymphs prefer feeding on grasses, while adults will eat a variety of New Zealand plants including "hard-leaved" plants like rimu.

O. vittatus was one of the first insects from New Zealand to be described by a European scientist.[1]


Taxonomy

Oncacontias vittatus, was first described in 1781 by Johan Christian Fabricius as Cimex vittatus.[2] In 1851, C. vittatus was moved to the Acanthosoma genus and was renamed as Acanthosoma vittatum.[3]In 1878, A. vittatum was moved to the Anubis genus and was renamed as Anubis vittatus.[4]In 1903, the species was independently described again as Oncacontias brunneipennis.[5] In 1906, Anubis vittatus was moved into the Oncacontias genus and O. brunneipennis was recognized as a synonym of O. vittatus.[6]

Distribution/habitat

Oncacontias vittatus, is widespread throughout New Zealand and can be found from lowland to alpine altitudes. Individuals can be found on a variety of habitat types such as native and exotic forest, tussock lands and on riverbanks. O. vittatus have been found on a variety of plants including Rimu, Monterey Pine, ferns and Nothofagus trees.[7]

References
  1. "Shield bug". Landcare Research. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  2. Fabricius, J. C. 1781: Species Insectorum exhibentes eorum differentias specificas, synonyma auctorum, loca natalia, metamorphosin adjectis observationibus, descriptionibus 2:1-517. Hamburgi et Kiloni: Bohn
  3. Dallas, W. S. 1851: List of the specimens of hemipterous insects in the collection of the British Museum 1: 1– 368. London: Trustees of the British Museum.
  4. White, F. B. 1878a–1879a: List of the Hemiptera of New Zealand. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 14 (1878)
  5. Breddin, G. 1903: Ueber Missdeutete und neue HemipterenArten der indoaustralischen Fauna. 1. Der Catacanthus incarnatus der Autoren. 2. Die javanischen Acanthos-ominen und verwandte Formen. Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin (5): 195–223
  6. Kirkaldy, G. W. 1906c: Notes on the Hemiptera of the “Index faunae novae-zealandiae”. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 38: 61–62.
  7. Larivière, M-C; Larochelle, A 2004. Heteroptera (Insecta: Hemiptera): catalogue. 'Fauna of New Zealand 50, 330 pages.( ISSN 0111-5383 (print), ; no. 50. ISBN 0-478-09358-6 (print), ). Published 14 May 2004. ZooBank: http://zoobank.org/References/A7CCCF4B-BAEA-4515-AE1A-740523FD1289


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