Day 2: "People who confuse entomology with etymology bug me in a way I can't describe." Today, you get both. I was curious about the origins of "Conchuela" with respect to one of the largest stinkbugs to be found in the Pacific Northwest (Chlorochroa ligata, commonly called Conchuela Bug), and have had little luck researching the etymology. However, I suspect it derives from Latin "concha" which describes to a shell or shell-like structure, here referring to a beetle's hard wing covers. Of course, those same wing covers are called "elytrae" in scientific terms, just to add to the confusion. Etymology: what is the root of that word? Entomology: what kind of critter is on that plant? Conchuelas are indiscriminate eaters, gobbling down tender deciduous material of many species of forbs, shrubs and trees. In states where cotton is produced, they are a serious pest. In the South, they are dark brown, but here in the Pacific Northwest, they are green.
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