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Showing posts with label BOAT BUG (Enoplops scapha). Show all posts
Showing posts with label BOAT BUG (Enoplops scapha). Show all posts

Friday, 12 December 2025

12-12-2025 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BOAT BUG (Enoplops scapha)

Enoplops scapha is a squashbug in the family Coreidae, measuring 11-13 mm in length. Key facts include its dark gray coloration with creamy spots on the sides, a diet of plant juices from plants in the Boraginaceae and Asteraceae families, and its habitat of coastal dunes and cliffs in certain regions of Europe. It is distinguished from similar species like Coreus marginatus by its more pointed abdominal tergites and narrower "shoulders". 

Native range: Europe, including Great Britain, France, and the Netherlands

Habitat: Coastal cliffs and sand dunes

Distribution in Britain: Confined to coastal areas between Kent and North Wales, with additional populations on the North Yorkshire coast

Other locations: Records also exist from North Africa and China 

Behavior and life cycle

Behavior: Feeds by sucking plant fluids from leaves and ripening fruits

Mating and oviposition: Occurs in May and June

Eggs: Laid on the basic leaves of host plants

Nymphs: Appear from June to September

Communication: Can produce vibrations to communicate 

Sunday, 16 November 2025

16-11-2025 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BOAT BUG (Enoplops scapha)

Enoplops scapha is a squashbug in the family Coreidae, measuring 11-13 mm in length. Key facts include its dark gray coloration with creamy spots on the sides, a diet of plant juices from plants in the Boraginaceae and Asteraceae families, and its habitat of coastal dunes and cliffs in certain regions of Europe. It is distinguished from similar species like Coreus marginatus by its more pointed abdominal tergites and narrower "shoulders". 

Native range: Europe, including Great Britain, France, and the Netherlands

Habitat: Coastal cliffs and sand dunes

Distribution in Britain: Confined to coastal areas between Kent and North Wales, with additional populations on the North Yorkshire coast

Other locations: Records also exist from North Africa and China 

Behavior and life cycle

Behavior: Feeds by sucking plant fluids from leaves and ripening fruits

Mating and oviposition: Occurs in May and June

Eggs: Laid on the basic leaves of host plants

Nymphs: Appear from June to September

Communication: Can produce vibrations to communicate 

Sunday, 1 December 2019

2-12-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BOAT BUG (Enoplops scapha)


Enoplops scapha, or the Boat Bug, is a dark grey squashbug (Coreidae family) about 11-13mm long, known for cream spots on its abdomen edge, feeding on Asteraceae plants (like Mayweed), overwintering as adults, and found in coastal dunes/cliffs in Europe, distinguished from similar bugs by short facial spines and rounded shoulders. 

Identification & Appearance
Size: 11-13 mm long.
Color: Dark gray/brown with distinct cream or whitish spots (connexivum).
Key Feature: Short, whitish spines on its head (tilo) near the antennae, distinguishing it from the similar E. bos.
Nymphs: Start green with spiny antennae, later become similar to adults but with pointed abdominal segments (tergites). 


Habitat & Diet
Habitat: Prefers dry, open areas like sand dunes and soft cliffs in coastal regions.
Food: Herbivorous, feeding on plants from the Asteraceae (daisy) family, such as Common Storksbill (Erodium cicutarium) and Scentless Mayweed (Tripleurospermum inodorum). 

Behavior & Life Cycle
Overwintering: Adults survive the winter (overwinter).
Reproduction: Can have two broods if conditions are right, with adults present all year.
Defense: Like other bugs, it likely releases a scent when threatened, often described as "freshly cut grass". 

Where to Find
Location: Common in the British Isles (coasts from Kent to North Wales) and other parts of Europe, North Africa, and China.
Search: Inspect host plants (Asteraceae) on leaves and stems. 

Saturday, 30 November 2019

30-11-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BOAT BUG (Enoplops scapha)


A large and distinctive dark grey squashbug with cream markings on the connexivum. Early instar larvae have very spiny antennae and a green abdomen. Later instars are superficially similar to the much commoner Coreus marginatus but the abdominal tergites are more pointed.

A local species which is confined to coastal cliffs and sand dunes between Kent and north Wales, with outlying populations on the north Yorkshire coast. The foodplants are various Asteraceae.

Adult: All year
Length 11-12 mm