The BYGL Alert posted this past Tuesday on our native Ohio Kissing Bug, Triatoma sanguisuga (family Reduviidae, subfamily Triatominae), known as the bloodsucking conenose, is generating reports based on mistaken identities. You can read the September 16 Alert titled, The Ohio Kissing Bug Conundrum, by clicking this hotlink:
https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2561
This Alert provides an overview of some of the bugs found in Ohio that are currently being mistaken for the bloodsucking conenose kissing bug or have been mistaken in the past. First, here are some images of our native kissing bug. Our native kissing bug is big, measuring over 1” in length. However, please note the red to orangish-red spots on the edges of their lateral abdominal flanges.
The Look-Alikes: They’re All Hemipterans (True Bugs)
Kissing bug identification errors are understandable because kissing bugs and all of the look-alikes presented in this Alert belong to the insect taxonomic order, Hemiptera. The prefix, “hemi,” means half, and the suffix “ptera” means “wing.” If you look closely, only the back half of their wings is membranous, so it looks like they only have half of a wing.
Members of the order Hemiptera are known as the “true bugs.” I don’t know if this is true, but perhaps after fighting for decades against insects being called bugs, entomologists finally gave up and granted the name to an insect order. Of course, that doesn’t mean all other insects are “fake bugs.”
The true bugs have other features in common that can lead to mistaken identities. They have elongated bodies supported by long, spindly legs, and narrow heads with beady eyes. Some are large, about the same size as kissing bugs.
1. Wheel Bugs (Arilus cristatus, family Reduviidae (assassin bugs): These bugs are most commonly mistaken for kissing bugs. The “wheel” in their common name comes from the cogwheel-like structure on top of their thorax. The distinctive structure only appears on adults.
Wheel bug adults are big, measuring over 1 1/4″ long, and their color ranges from blackish-gray to bluish-gray to grayish-brown. Our bloodsucking conenose kissing bug is only slightly smaller than an adult wheel bug.
Like kissing bugs, wheel bugs are predators; they both belong to the “assassin bug” family. Wheel bugs should not be handled because they can deliver a painful bite, which further muddies the identification waters.
2. Western Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis, family Coreidae): These bugs may also be mistaken for a kissing bug owing to their size and general body shape. However, the seed bug is a type of “leaf-footed” bug.” Bugs in this group have an expanded leaf-like tibia.
As their name implies, western conifer seed bugs spend most of their lives feeding on the seeds of conifers. However, as fall approaches, the adults seek protected sites to spend the winter, which may include our homes. Their habit of invading homes is another reason the seed bugs are often mistaken for kissing bugs. Their primary food source means homes that are most often invaded are surrounded by conifers.
3. Magnolia Seed Bug (L. fulvicornis): As their name implies, these bugs feed on the seeds of magnolia trees. Although much less common compared to the western conifer seed bug, magnolia seed bugs are also sometimes mistaken for kissing bugs, particularly if homes are surrounded by magnolias, which include tuliptrees (Liriodendron tulipifera, family Magnoliaceae). However, they do not invade homes as readily as their conifer seed cousins.
4. Boxelder Bugs (Boisea trivittata, family Rhopalidae): Boxelder bugs are another seed-feeding bug and will suck juices from the seeds of their namesake host as well as other maples (Acer spp.). They have long been the “poster child” for insects that invade homes and other structures in the fall. They don’t intend to enter our homes and prefer to spend the winter in wall voids, attics, etc.
Although boxelder bugs are much smaller than kissing bugs, ranging in size from 1/2″ to 3/4″ long, their body shape and reddish-orange markings make them a candidate for being a kissing bug look-alike. However, boxelder bugs have three stripes on the prothorax, which are referenced in the specific epithet, trivittata, which is Latin for “three-striped.”
5. Goldenrain Tree Bugs (Jadera haematoloma, family Rhopalidae): These bugs are currently rare in Ohio; however, they have been a common sight in our state in the past. They confine their diet to the seeds of their namesake host, goldenrain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata).
Goldenrain tree bugs are closely related to boxelder bugs and share the same body plan except for their coloration. The specific epithet, “haematoloma,” is Greek for “blood-fringed,” and clearly describes the deep red “shoulders” on goldenrain tree bugs. Indeed, they are sometimes called “red-shouldered bugs.” As with boxelder bugs, the red marking may cause them to be mistaken for our bloodsucking conenose.
6. Squash Bugs (Anasa tristis, family Coreidae): These bugs are common on squash and pumpkins in Ohio vegetable gardens. They will also occasionally feed on other members of the Cucurbitae family, including cucumbers, melons, and gourds. Large numbers can develop in gardens during the summer, producing adults that may wander around and even into homes in search of protected overwintering sites.
Squash bugs belong to the same family as the aforementioned “leaf-footed bugs”; however, squash bug adults don’t have the expanded leaf-like structures on their hind legs. The bugs have piercing-sucking mouthparts, but they are not aggressive.
