Day 363: Today's feature could be called "Everything You Wanted to Know About the Western Conifer Seed Bug But Were Afraid to Ask." This 3/4" insect was first noted in the western US where it can cause significant damage to conifer seed crops. Native to our forests, it is particularly fond of Douglas-fir seed which is consumes in large quantities by the adults prior to their retreat into overwintering sites. Nymphs feed on the softer tissues of needles and tender, developing seed during the months of spring and early summer. Adults are most frequently seen in late autumn as they search for suitable shelter which, much to the consternation of human residents, often includes the interior spaces of homes and offices, but other than being a nuisance, these insects pose no danger to people or pets. A true "leaf-footed" bug (Coreidae), the insect's hind legs exhibit a widening of both sides of the tibial area of the hind leg, visible here in the lower left. A similar species demonstrates this flare on only one side of the leg. The insects' range is now known to extend across the northern parts of the US and into Canada.
