G. italicum
         G. semipunctatum
         N. viridula
         C. mediterraneus
         Unidentified
         P. apterus

___________________

Unless otherwise noted, all pictures on this site were taken in Pelion, Greece, shown on the map below.

___________________

View images of the Common Toad, an ugly, bulky, but really sweet creature with an interesting... nightlife.

  Veggie of the Month

Learn about the Salsify, a beautiful plant, with edible and medicinal properties, that is currently blooming in Pelion.

  Cool Destination

Visit Mourtias, one of Pelion's most picturesque beaches on the Aegean coast.

  Exciting Site

Tour the Volos Archaeological Museum, a pretty century-old building, whose exhibits span a historical period of over 10 millennia!

  Month's Wallpaper

Download a fantastic picture of a rickety jetty in Lefokastron, Pelion, taken by Huw Jones.

Loading image. Please wait C. mediterraneus, Mating Couple Close-up :: 2002/08/24 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos C. mediterraneus, Mating Couple Close-up :: 2002/08/24 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos C. mediterraneus, Mating Couple :: 2002/08/24 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos No image! No image!

Mediterranean Stink Bug

Carpocoris mediterraneus

Another Stink Bug in respect of which there was virtually no information on the Web or in any of my field guides. From its name I can safely presume, though, that it occurs around the Mediterranean basin. Its exact distribution is unknown to me, however I know that it can also be found in southern Italy.

It is a small insect, measuring about 12mm (1/2 in) in length, with beautiful bright yellow and orange colors. The  pronotum features four black stripes, the inner two fusing into one and extending all the way to the insect's head, while the  scutellum sports five dark spots. Its pronotal angles are slightly raised and extend as black points well beyond the wing margins.

I first noticed it on the 24^th of August 2002, on a rainy afternoon, when I happened on the mating couple shown above, in an unkempt olive grove bordering on woodland, just outside Horto. I have seen quite a few individuals since, but I have never spotted C. mediterraneus in any large numbers, so I guess it is relatively uncommon. Any additional information on this species would be greatly appreciated.

Once again, the common name, Mediterranean Stink Bug, is my loose interpretation of the species name, so don't take it for granted.

Top

Fact Sheet

Food
Not known with certainty; presumably various plant materials.

Active
July - August, probably other months of the year.

Habitat
On vegetation of all kinds.

Distribution
Greece and Italy; most probably other Mediterranean countries.


Top

Taxonomy


Superkingdom: Eukaryota; Kingdom: Metazoa; Phylum: Arthropoda; Superclass: Hexapoda; Superclass: Hexapoda; Class: Insecta; Subclass: Neoptera; Order: Hemiptera; Suborder: Heteroptera; Family: Pentatomidae; Genus: Carpocoris; Species: mediterraneus

Top

Acknowledgments


I would like to thank Dr. Alessandro Strano from Sicily, Italy, Webmaster of "A Strange Site", for helping me identify this Stink Bug.

Top