University of Alberta Museums Search

Common NameTwo-Spotted Stink Bug SeasonalityStrickland Museum collections range from May to December; McPherson (1982) notes Illinois records between January and October. IdentificationThis species has both a red and yellow form, and both are slightly more robust around the pronotum and posterior abdomen thus giving them a very subtle hourglass shape as opposed to P. exaptus' distinct oval shape. The colouring of the red form is primarily in the pronotum and scutellum. In these structures the colouring appears only around the margins, except that in the pronotum a medial red strip separates two large black spots, and on the scutellum the basal margin remains black. The characteristic black spots on the pronotum also aid in distinguishing this species from P. exaptus. The margins of the connexivum and basal portions of the hemelytra are also red coloured. In the yellow form, slight differences occur in the location of the colouring. The pronotum still has a thick red bar along its posterior margin; however the black spots are surrounded by yellow. Additionally, the margins of both the corium and scutellum are completely lined with yellow enclosing blackened regions in the centres of these structures. As in the red form, the margins of the connexivum and basal portions of the hemelytra are yellow as well. The fore-femora of both forms have a ventral, elongated spine contrasting the stubby tubercle present in P. exaptus. This species is much larger in size than P. exaptus; length 8.5 to 11.5 mm (Blatchley 1926; McPherson 1982).

SeasonalityStrickland Museum collections date from May to August; Blatchley (1926) reported collections into October. IdentificationThe species is fairly oval shaped with a brightly coloured cuticle, though coloring is apparently highly variable. The pronotum is prominently red coloured posteriorly, pale-yellow anteriorly, and has a wide, transverse black bar antero-medially. The presence of this bar distinguishes this species from the morphologically similar P. bioculatus. Perillus exaptus can also be isolated from P. bioculatus due to the presence of ventral tubercles that are not longer than their width on the fore-femora. The scutellum is mostly black with narrow, yellow lateral bands that follow its margin apically. The hemelytra are black with lateral margins, embolium, also pale yellow, and the membranous regions lacking pigmentation. Connexivum are concealed under the wings. The species is small in comparison to P. bioculatus; length between 5 and 7.5 mm (Blatchley 1926; McPherson 1982).