Solenosthedium bilunatum

Solenosthedium bilunatum

Solenosthedium bilunatum (Lefebvre, 1827) is a remarkable, 12 – 16 mm
large true bug of the Scutelleridae family, member of the tribe Elvisurini, which is
most diversified in the Austral-Asian region. Its abdomen is completely covered
by the scutellum. The basic coloration is light to reddish brown with small black
spots and two large oval yellow spots on the scutellum (two moons – bilunatum)
which could be missing in some specimens. It is a Mediterranean species, most
numerous in North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia) and Sicily (Matocq & Pluot-
Sigwalt, 2002). The Northernmost localities are in the Corse and Catalonia. In
the East Mediterranean it is known from Lebanon, and the coastal part of Syria and Turkey.
The only record for the Balkans is for Greece, but without any precise
locality (Stichel, 1960, Josifov, 1986). In the summer of 2000 Tomi Trilar
collected one specimen of this species in the Croatian Island of Korčula. This is
the first record of the species for Croatia and the first precise locality in the Balkans.
The specimen was crawling over a tent, so the food plant there is not known
(T. Trilar, pers. comm.). Known food plants are Pistacia spp. (Anacardiaceae),
Arbutus unedo (Ericaceae), Schinus molle (Anacardiaceae) and Cydonia oblonga
(Rosaceae). Adults were collected also from several other plants (Matocq & Pluot-
Sigwalt, 2002). In hrcak.srce.hr/file/56624

http://naturdata.com/Solenosthedium-bilunatum-31644.htm
http://www.biodiversidadvirtual.org/insectarium/Solenosthedium-bilunatum-(Lefebvre-1827)-cat13678.html