Sycamore Seed Bug (Belonochilus numenius)

Detailing the physical features, habits, territorial reach and other identifying qualities of the Sycamore Seed Bug.

Updated: 10/4/2017; Authored By Staff Writer; Content ©www.InsectIdentification.org

Sycamore Seed Bug

Newly introduced to Europe, the Sycamore Seed Bug feeds on the seeds of its namesake and may become a pest in urban areas.

Native to North America, the Sycamore Seed Bug lives and eats on sycamore (also called plane) trees. True to their name, they feed on the trees seeds, which ruins the fruit around it and limits the spreading of fertile seeds to other areas. How they arrived in Europe is unknown, but they have been noticed in numbers in parks and walkways lined with plane trees. They may become a nuisance over time, creating a need to spray trees. They are able to survive cold winters as eggs, though in warmer parts of their range, they may take shelter under the bark of their host tree.

Adults are active from mid-spring through autumn and 3 to 4 generations can be produced in a single year.

Basic Information

Common Name: Sycamore Seed Bug

Scientific Name: Belonochilus numenius

Category: True Bug

General Identification

Identifying Colors: brown, tan

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hemiptera

Family: Lydaeidae

Genus: Belonochilus

Species: numenius

Territorial Reach (A-to-Z)

Note: An insect's reach is not limited by lines drawn on a map and therefore species may appear in areas, regions and/or states beyond those listed below as they are driven by environmental factors (such as climate change), available food supplies and mating patterns. Grayed-out selections below indicate that the subject in question has not been reported in that particular territory. U.S. states and Canadian provinces / territories are clickable to their respective bug listings.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Mexico

Territorial Area Map (Visual Reference Guide)

The map below showcases (in red) the states and territories of North America where the Sycamore Seed Bug may be found (but is not limited to). This sort of data can be useful in seeing concentrations of a particular species over the continent as well as revealing possible migratory patterns over a species' given lifespan. Some species are naturally confined by environment, weather, mating habits, food resources and the like while others see widespread expansion across most, or all, of North America.

Alaska

Hawaii

Prince Edward Is.

Canadian territory of New Brunswick graphic

Canadian territory of Newfoundland and Labrador graphic

Contiguous United States shape map layer graphic

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