Enchophora sanguinea
Encyclopedia
Enchophora sanguinea is a species of lantern bug, a type of hemiptera
n, found in Central
and South America
. It was first described by William Lucas Distant
in 1887. They are 25 millimetre (0.984251968503937 in) long. Their colour varies, but is normally red to green; they have a scimitar
-shaped process on their heads. They feed on the sap of trees, most commonly Simarouba amara
, and they excrete honeydew
out of their anuses.
Several other animals feed on this honeydew, having what is termed a trophobiotic relationship with this species of bug. An air-breathing land snail
, Pittieria aurantiaca
feeds on the honeydew, and this relationship is the first observed biotrophic interaction between an insects and a gastropod. Cockroaches have been observed to feed on a wax that covers the wing cases of this lantern bug, and this was the first observed biotrophic interaction involving a cockroach.
-shaped process attached to it, but the function of it is unknown. Their wings are red at the base and brown in the posterior. Their abdominal tergites are bright red. They can be distinguished from other Enchophora species with red wings, by the lack of distinctive bands and spots on the pronotum.
, Panama and at La Selva, they are most commonly found feeding on Simarouba amara
, but are also found on Terminalia oblonga and less frequently on Castilla elastica
and Ocotea cernua.
. The type specimen can be found at the Natural History Museum
in London. In 1991, Lois O'Brien included two other species that Distant described, E. florens and E. longirostris as being synonymous with E. sanguinea. They have the same male genitalia, and differ only in the patterning of their abdomen.
of plants and excretes honeydew
, a liquid containing excess water and carbohydrates. They must eliminate honeydew so as to avoid fungal contamination and attracting predators. They eject honeydew through their anal tube in drops at 0.8 metres (2.6 ft) per second for between three and five seconds, every thirty to sixty seconds. They have been observed to feed both at night and during the day, unlike most lantern bugs which only feed at night. As honeydew still contains nutrients, other animals are attracted to E. sanguinea, intercepting drops of honeydew as they are ejected and feeding on them. Naskrecki and Nishida have observed cockroaches, moths, butterflies, ants and a land snail that have intercepted this honeydew, and which therefore have a trophobiotic relationship with E. sanguinea.
Unidentified species of Eurycotis and Macrophyllodromia cockroaches approach E. sanguinea from behind or the side and position their mouthparts above the tip of their abdomen. They often make physical contact with the bug by touching the bug's wings with their mouthparts or by resting their legs on the wings, but this does not appear to make the bug change its behaviour. Macrophyllodromia species have also been observed feeding on the wax on the bugs tegmina. Along with a similar report of cockroaches feeding on the wax of another lantern bug, Copidocephala guttata, this was the first observed trophobiotic interaction involving cockroaches. Moths tend to approach the bug from the side and position their proboscis
so that they can catch flying drops of honeydew. Normally, moths do not make contact with the bug, but Elaeognatha argyritis has been observed to tap the wings of the bug with its antennae, resulting in immediate production of honeydew which it feeds on for 30–60 seconds, before tapping the wings again. Other species of moth observed to feed on the honeydew include Euclystis proba and unidentified species of Platynota
, Noctuidae
and Tortricidae
. The butterfly species, Tigridia acesta has been observed to visit the bug during the day while it is feeding, but no observations of honeydew interception were possible.
The land snail Pittieria aurantiaca
(previously known as Euglandina aurantiaca) is a common visitor to E. sanguinea; it positions its foot above the bug's abdomen so that it can intercept honeydew. No physical contact between the snail and the bug has been observed. If the bug moves or changes the direction of the stream of honeydew, the snail is able to reposition itself quickly. It is not known how the snails find the bugs, but the bugs are able to produce vibrational signals, which Naskrecki and Nishida suggested the snails could use as an aid.
An undescribed species of carpenter ant, genus Camponotus (JTL-005) also visits the bug, but is only able to feed when the snail is present, presumably because the ants are too small to be able to feed on the honeydew stream by themselves. The ants climb onto the head of the snail, and then eat some of the honeydew that the snail is attempting to eat, a feeding relationship which can be described as kleptotrophobiosis. The snails appear not to be disturbed by the ants behavior, and continue feeding at a bug for up to four hours. The interaction between the lantern bug and the snail is thought to be the first case of a trophobiotic interaction between an insect and a gastropod. It is thought this relationship could have evolved by the snail first feeding on honeydew that collected on leaves beneath the feeding bug, and then following the trail up to find the bug feeding, a similar mechanism to that proposed to explain the formation of similar interactions between ants and homopterans.
Hemiptera
Hemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs , comprising around 50,000–80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others...
n, found in Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It was first described by William Lucas Distant
William Lucas Distant
William Lucas Distant was an English entomologist.-Biography:Distant was born in Rotherhithe, the son of a whaling captain Alexander Distant...
in 1887. They are 25 millimetre (0.984251968503937 in) long. Their colour varies, but is normally red to green; they have a scimitar
Scimitar
A scimitar is a backsword or sabre with a curved blade, originating in Southwest Asia .The Arabic term saif translates to "sword" in general, but is normally taken to refer to the scimitar type of curved backsword in particular.The curved sword or "scimitar" was widespread throughout the Muslim...
-shaped process on their heads. They feed on the sap of trees, most commonly Simarouba amara
Simarouba amara
Simarouba amara is a species of tree in the Simaroubaceae family, found in the rainforests and savannahs of South and Central America and the Caribbean. It was first described by Aublet in French Guiana in 1775 and is one of six species of Simarouba. The tree is evergreen, but produces a new set of...
, and they excrete honeydew
Honeydew
Honeydew may refer to:* Honeydew , a cultivar group of melon* Honeydew , a sugar-rich sticky substance secreted by aphids and some scale insects* Honeydew, California, a town* Bunsen Honeydew, a fictional character from The Muppet Show...
out of their anuses.
Several other animals feed on this honeydew, having what is termed a trophobiotic relationship with this species of bug. An air-breathing land snail
Land snail
A land snail is any of the many species of snail that live on land, as opposed to those that live in salt water and fresh water. Land snails are terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells, It is not always an easy matter to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less...
, Pittieria aurantiaca
Pittieria aurantiaca
Pittieria aurantiaca is a species of predatory air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Spiraxidae.This species was described based on only one specimen...
feeds on the honeydew, and this relationship is the first observed biotrophic interaction between an insects and a gastropod. Cockroaches have been observed to feed on a wax that covers the wing cases of this lantern bug, and this was the first observed biotrophic interaction involving a cockroach.
Description
Enchophora sanguinea are approximately 25 millimetre (0.984251968503937 in) in length, with males being slightly smaller than females (22–23 mm verses 24–25 mm). Their colour varies, but is predominantly greenish to reddish. Their tegmina (leathery fore-wings) are also greenish to reddish, but can be darker, and are mottled with orange or red spots but these can fuse to form large areas, the veins are yellow. The tegmina are covered in a white wax, which is thought to help to protect against predators and parasites. Like many lantern flies, their head has a scimitarScimitar
A scimitar is a backsword or sabre with a curved blade, originating in Southwest Asia .The Arabic term saif translates to "sword" in general, but is normally taken to refer to the scimitar type of curved backsword in particular.The curved sword or "scimitar" was widespread throughout the Muslim...
-shaped process attached to it, but the function of it is unknown. Their wings are red at the base and brown in the posterior. Their abdominal tergites are bright red. They can be distinguished from other Enchophora species with red wings, by the lack of distinctive bands and spots on the pronotum.
Distribution
Enchophora sanguinea is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama and Guatemala, Ecuador and Colombia. It is very common at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, feeding on trees, between six and nine metres (20–30 feet) above the ground. On Barro Colorado IslandBarro Colorado Island
Barro Colorado Island is located in the man-made Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal. The island was formed when the waters of the Chagres River were dammed to form the lake. When the waters rose, they covered a significant part of the existing rainforest, and the hilltops remained as...
, Panama and at La Selva, they are most commonly found feeding on Simarouba amara
Simarouba amara
Simarouba amara is a species of tree in the Simaroubaceae family, found in the rainforests and savannahs of South and Central America and the Caribbean. It was first described by Aublet in French Guiana in 1775 and is one of six species of Simarouba. The tree is evergreen, but produces a new set of...
, but are also found on Terminalia oblonga and less frequently on Castilla elastica
Castilla elastica
Castilla elastica, the Panama Rubber Tree, is a tree native to the tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. It was the principal source of latex among the Mesoamerican peoples in pre-Columbian times...
and Ocotea cernua.
Taxonomy
Enchophora sanguinea was first described in 1887 by the English entolomologist William Lucas DistantWilliam Lucas Distant
William Lucas Distant was an English entomologist.-Biography:Distant was born in Rotherhithe, the son of a whaling captain Alexander Distant...
. The type specimen can be found at the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
in London. In 1991, Lois O'Brien included two other species that Distant described, E. florens and E. longirostris as being synonymous with E. sanguinea. They have the same male genitalia, and differ only in the patterning of their abdomen.
Feeding and ecology
Like all lantern bugs, E. sanguinea feeds on the sap in the phloemPhloem
In vascular plants, phloem is the living tissue that carries organic nutrients , in particular, glucose, a sugar, to all parts of the plant where needed. In trees, the phloem is the innermost layer of the bark, hence the name, derived from the Greek word "bark"...
of plants and excretes honeydew
Honeydew
Honeydew may refer to:* Honeydew , a cultivar group of melon* Honeydew , a sugar-rich sticky substance secreted by aphids and some scale insects* Honeydew, California, a town* Bunsen Honeydew, a fictional character from The Muppet Show...
, a liquid containing excess water and carbohydrates. They must eliminate honeydew so as to avoid fungal contamination and attracting predators. They eject honeydew through their anal tube in drops at 0.8 metres (2.6 ft) per second for between three and five seconds, every thirty to sixty seconds. They have been observed to feed both at night and during the day, unlike most lantern bugs which only feed at night. As honeydew still contains nutrients, other animals are attracted to E. sanguinea, intercepting drops of honeydew as they are ejected and feeding on them. Naskrecki and Nishida have observed cockroaches, moths, butterflies, ants and a land snail that have intercepted this honeydew, and which therefore have a trophobiotic relationship with E. sanguinea.
Unidentified species of Eurycotis and Macrophyllodromia cockroaches approach E. sanguinea from behind or the side and position their mouthparts above the tip of their abdomen. They often make physical contact with the bug by touching the bug's wings with their mouthparts or by resting their legs on the wings, but this does not appear to make the bug change its behaviour. Macrophyllodromia species have also been observed feeding on the wax on the bugs tegmina. Along with a similar report of cockroaches feeding on the wax of another lantern bug, Copidocephala guttata, this was the first observed trophobiotic interaction involving cockroaches. Moths tend to approach the bug from the side and position their proboscis
Proboscis
A proboscis is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In simpler terms, a proboscis is the straw-like mouth found in several varieties of species.-Etymology:...
so that they can catch flying drops of honeydew. Normally, moths do not make contact with the bug, but Elaeognatha argyritis has been observed to tap the wings of the bug with its antennae, resulting in immediate production of honeydew which it feeds on for 30–60 seconds, before tapping the wings again. Other species of moth observed to feed on the honeydew include Euclystis proba and unidentified species of Platynota
Platynota
Platynota is a group of anguimorph lizards. Since it was named in 1839, it has included several groups, including monitor lizards, snakes, mosasaurs, and helodermatids. Its taxonomic use still varies, as it is sometimes considered equivalent to the group Varanoidea and other times viewed as a...
, Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
and Tortricidae
Tortricidae
Tortricidae is a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths, in the order Lepidoptera. Tortricidae is a large family with over 9,400 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea. Many of these are economically important pests. Olethreutidae is a junior synonym...
. The butterfly species, Tigridia acesta has been observed to visit the bug during the day while it is feeding, but no observations of honeydew interception were possible.
The land snail Pittieria aurantiaca
Pittieria aurantiaca
Pittieria aurantiaca is a species of predatory air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Spiraxidae.This species was described based on only one specimen...
(previously known as Euglandina aurantiaca) is a common visitor to E. sanguinea; it positions its foot above the bug's abdomen so that it can intercept honeydew. No physical contact between the snail and the bug has been observed. If the bug moves or changes the direction of the stream of honeydew, the snail is able to reposition itself quickly. It is not known how the snails find the bugs, but the bugs are able to produce vibrational signals, which Naskrecki and Nishida suggested the snails could use as an aid.
An undescribed species of carpenter ant, genus Camponotus (JTL-005) also visits the bug, but is only able to feed when the snail is present, presumably because the ants are too small to be able to feed on the honeydew stream by themselves. The ants climb onto the head of the snail, and then eat some of the honeydew that the snail is attempting to eat, a feeding relationship which can be described as kleptotrophobiosis. The snails appear not to be disturbed by the ants behavior, and continue feeding at a bug for up to four hours. The interaction between the lantern bug and the snail is thought to be the first case of a trophobiotic interaction between an insect and a gastropod. It is thought this relationship could have evolved by the snail first feeding on honeydew that collected on leaves beneath the feeding bug, and then following the trail up to find the bug feeding, a similar mechanism to that proposed to explain the formation of similar interactions between ants and homopterans.