Damage to common plumbing materials caused by overwintering Leptoglossus occidentalis (Hemiptera: Coreidae)

Abstract

The western conifer seed bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann (Hemiptera: Coreidae), is a polyphagous pest of coniferous trees (Hedlin et al. 1981). Native to western North America, the seed bug has expanded its range to include eastern Canada and the United States (McPherson et al. 1990; Gall 1992; Marshall 1992; Ridge-O'Connor 2001; Bates 2002) and was recently introduced into Europe (Taylor et al. 2001). Both adults and nymphs feed by inserting their stylets into cones and digesting the contents of developing seeds, and they can cause serious economic losses in high-value seed orchards (Strong et al. 2001; Bates et al. 2002; Bates and Borden 2005).