Boisea
Encyclopedia
Boisea is the least speciose genus of the soapberry bug
subfamily. Members of this genus are found in North America
, India
, and Africa
. Unlike other serinethine genera, the distribution of Boisea is very patchy; it is speculated that its highly vicariant
range is relictual of what was previously a much vaster, continuous range. The most well-known species of this genus are the North American boxelder bug and African Boisea fulcrata, both of which mainly feeds on the seeds of Maple
trees and are occasional nuisance pests around homes.
Serinethinae
Serinethinae is a subfamily of the hemipteran family Rhopalidae, sometimes known as soapberry bugs. They are brightly colored seed-eaters, comprising three genera and about sixty-five species. These bugs are specialists on plants in the soapberry family , which includes maples, balloon vines, and...
subfamily. Members of this genus are found in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Unlike other serinethine genera, the distribution of Boisea is very patchy; it is speculated that its highly vicariant
Vicariance
Vicariance is a process by which the geographical range of an individual taxon, or a whole biota, is split into discontinuous parts by the formation of a physical barrier to gene flow or dispersal. Vicariance of whole biotas occurs following large-scale geophysical events such as the uplift of a...
range is relictual of what was previously a much vaster, continuous range. The most well-known species of this genus are the North American boxelder bug and African Boisea fulcrata, both of which mainly feeds on the seeds of Maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
trees and are occasional nuisance pests around homes.