Probergrothius angolensis
| Welwitschia bug | |
|---|---|
| |
| Adult on Welwitschia | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Pyrrhocoridae |
| Genus: | Probergrothius |
| Species: | P. angolensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Probergrothius angolensis | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Odontopus angolensis[2] | |
Probergrothius angolensis, sometimes known as the Welwitschia bug, is a species of true bug found in the Namib desert and nearby regions.
Relationship with Welwitschia
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They are best known for their association with the unusual plant Welwitschia mirabilis, also endemic to the area, but it is in doubt whether they actually serve a role in pollination or only drink Welwitschia sap.[3] In addition, they may spread a fungus, Aspergillus niger, in the process, which is harmful to developing seeds.[citation needed]
Comparison with Probergrothius sexpunctatus
[edit]The species has been recognized under a misattributed name, Probergrothius sexpunctatus, for several decades, but P. sexpunctatus is a separate species that occurs farther to the north.[4] P. angolensis is yellowish with four black markings on its wings, while P. sexpunctatus is more reddish, and the anterior spots are separate, so the wings have six black markings.
References
[edit]- ^ UniProt entry
- ^ "Probergrothius angolensis". NCBI.
- ^ Wetschnig, W.; Depisch, B. (1999). "Pollination biology of Welwitschia mirabilis HOOK. f.(Welwitschiaceae, Gnetopsida)" (PDF). Phyton-Horn. 39: 167–184.
- ^ Sudakaran, Sailendharan; Retz, Franziska; Kikuchi, Yoshitomo; Kost, Christian; Kaltenpoth, Martin (2015). "Evolutionary transition in symbiotic syndromes enabled diversification of phytophagous insects on an imbalanced diet". The ISME Journal. 9 (12): 2587–2604. doi:10.1038/ismej.2015.75. PMC 4817627. PMID 26023876.
External links
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