Subject: Orange and Black Pentatomid?
Location: US Virgin Island
March 22, 2016 9:57 am
Hello, I was recently on a study abroad course to the VI and took a few pictures of the insect I found there. I haven’t been able to find any resources on identifying what I found (especially since I only have a few pictures instead of pined specimens). If there is any chance you could identify this bug for me?
Signature: Brandon Claridge
Dear Brandon,
The closest match we were able to find to your individual is this image on FlickR of Euryderma ventralis, but the markings are different. Perhaps one of our readers will have better luck.
It’s a Runibia http://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/11615/_DIGIT_TYPER_UCPH_DENMARK_zmuc00102811.html
That sure looks like a match Cesar. Interesting that the origin of the specimen from the Denmark Museum that is pictured in the link is from an unknown location.
We have this genus in Brazil, that’s why I promptly recognized it. I did not looked for the species, just googled and this one was quite simmilar. Now, I see an info in Insetos do Brasil (the old, we have a new publication with this name and has nothing to do with the old one), it states that Runibia perspicua ranges from Central America to Brazil: http://www.acervodigital.ufrrj.br/insetos/insetos_do_brasil/conteudo/tomo_02/02_scutelleroidea.pdf
Thanks for the additional information Cesar.
Runibia caribeana a species described in 2001 from Virgin Islands
see
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0073-47212001000200001
It seems no others pictures of Runibia caribeana on net (at least I don’t find). Even the article mentioned above not has a photo with this species but the drawing (fig.2) is very clear and your photos are very good (need both for ID). My ID is based on this article. (I never seen this bug )
Thanks for providing this information. We will update the posting and remove the “unidentified” tag.
The whole key is based on patterns, so not just the drawing, Iustin’s ID is clear by the key too.
Runibia caribeana a species described in 2001 from Virgin Islands
see
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0073-47212001000200001