Boxelder Bugs

摘要

The boxelder bug, Boisea trivittatus, is a pest that emerges wherever there are boxelder trees. These bugs, which are members of the insect order Hemiptera (true bugs), are particularly common in and near the Mississippi River valley. The boxelder, Acer negundo, is sometimes called the "ash-leaved maple" due to its narrow leaves, Unlike other members of the maple family, however, it is not prized as a shade tree (except where nothing else will grow). Boxelders are prolific seed-producers, and the seedlings colonize open spaces freely and grow rapidly, often bending at extreme angles to reach the light. They tend to be fast-growing, weed-like trees, with poor form and brittle wood. The species is not only prone to decay and trunk failure, but the female trees attract box-elder bugs.