It is in the fall when Leptoglossus occidentalis wander into the house looking for a place to winter. They are large and quite spectacular with gold glitters, beautiful art deco patterns and their "leafy" legs. Throughout the summer the adults and the nymphs will feed on the seeds of conifers, and will seriously diminish seed production. This species has spread from occurring just in western North American to throughout. That spread over the past approximately 50 years is thought to have been aided by commercial pine plantations and Christmas tree and log transport. They were introduced to Northern Italy in 1999 -or at least that was when they were first noted and since have been recorded in many areas across Europe, including the United Kingdom. It is sometimes good to remind ourselves that pesky introductions have happened in both directions across the waters!
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AuthorsTwo biologists on a beautiful property armed with cameras, smart phones and a marginal knowledge of websites took up the challenge of documenting one species a day on that property. Join along! Posts and photographs by Leah Ramsay and David Fraser (unless otherwise stated); started January 1, 2014. Categories
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