The Squash Bugs (120 NA spp, 12 MN spp) comprise a small family of plant
feeders. Merocoris distinctus
is quite common on Solidago in prairie fields.
Euthochtha
galeator feeds on Pin Oak saplings and
Oenothera and
has been taken in small numbers from a variety of fields.
Catorhintha
mendica is a specialist on Slender Four-o'clock (Oxybaphis
hirsuta) and is common in the burned savanna south of Fish Lake where
its host is abundant. Leptoglossus
occidentalis is a large leaf-footed bug that feeds in red pine
cones. It is most commonly observed in the fall when adults are searching
for hibernation sites. Nisoscolopocerus
apiculatus is a brachypterous ground-dwelling Coreid
that has been collected from a few xeric fields and savannas. I had mistakenly
thought it an Aradid until John Lattin recognized it. Anasa
armigera (Squash Bug) and Coriomeris
humilis have also been collected.
