Kauaʻi record · KCA-IA-00664
Hibiscus Scentless Plant Bug
Niesthrea louisianica
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About Hibiscus Scentless Plant Bug
Hibiscus Scentless Plant Bug (Niesthrea louisianica) is a member of Rhopalidae in the order Hemiptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced.
Hibiscus Scentless Plant Bug (Niesthrea louisianica) is documented from Kauaʻi. Scentless plant bugs are plant-feeding true bugs with incomplete metamorphosis. On Kauaʻi, observations are most useful when they record exact host, life stage, aggregation and feeding signs. Where island-specific host, prey, breeding-site, abundance, or seasonal information is not yet firmly documented, those details should remain tied to direct specimens and field observations rather than inferred from populations elsewhere.
Hibiscus Scentless Plant Bug (Niesthrea louisianica) is an introduced seed/flower-bud feeder documented from Kauaʻi and associated with Malvaceae such as Hibiscus, Sida, and Abutilon.
Kauaʻi occurrence evidence: Hawaii Biological Survey found an infestation at Līhuʻe and Poʻipū; ITIS treats the species as introduced in Hawaiʻi.
The cited occurrence evidence does not by itself establish current abundance or population trend on Kauaʻi.
Life cycle
Egg; immature/nymphal stages; adult; no pupa.
Habitat
Herbs, shrubs and host vegetation.
Food and ecological role
Seeds, fruits or plant sap depending on species.
Reproduction
Egg-laying followed by nymphal development on or near host plants.
Movement
Adults fly; nymphs walk on vegetation.
Ecosystem role
Plant/seed feeder.
Threats and impacts
Some introduced species can damage host plants when abundant.
Monitoring
Record exact host, life stage, aggregation and feeding signs.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Niesthrea louisianica
- Common names
- Hibiscus Scentless Plant Bug
- Family
- Rhopalidae
- Order
- Hemiptera
- Record type
- species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Present
- Origin
- Introduced
- Conservation status
- Not assessed
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal description
- Hibiscus Scentless Plant Bug (Niesthrea louisianica) is a member of Rhopalidae in the order Hemiptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced.