Boisea

Common card · No. 202861

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 bugs (western Boisea rubrolineata and eastern Boisea trivittata) and African Boisea fulcrata. The US species mainly feed on the seeds of maple trees and are occasional nuisance pests around homes. As adults, the insects stay on the ground during cold mornings, huddling together for warmth in a very low-activity, sluggish state, appearing to be dead. If the sun becomes visible, they will become more active, climbing nearby houses, trees, and other natural or man-made structures to sunbathe. This is where their classification as nuisance pests derives. In North America, Boisea trivittata is...

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