Diet

• Adults and nymphs: Plant-feeding, using their piercing-sucking mouthparts to extract fluids from stems, shoots, leaves and other plant tissues.

• It has been documented feeding on castor bean (Ricinus communis), where populations can become substantial and cause serious damage to young and actively growing plants.

Range

• Sagotylus confluens belongs to the family Coreidae, subfamily Coreinae, tribe Acanthocerini, and genus Sagotylus.

• Its range extends from the southern United States through Mexico and Central America, including Belize and Honduras.

• Around Zihua, it would likely be considered occasional, becoming more noticeable where castor bean or other suitable host plants are abundant, particularly during the rainy season.

Habitat

• Associated with woodland, tropical and subtropical vegetation, agricultural fields, disturbed areas and sites containing suitable host plants.

• It can occur in cultivated areas and has been documented as an agricultural pest on castor bean.

• Around Zihua, suitable habitat would include tropical dry forest, scrub, roadsides, vacant lots, gardens and agricultural areas, particularly where castor bean and other host plants are growing.

Size

• Sagotylus confluens is a relatively large, robust leaf-footed bug, although a precise adult length was not located in the sources consulted.

• The body is broadly built compared with many other Coreidae, with the characteristic elongated head, segmented antennae and piercing-sucking beak of the family.

• The species has distinctive expanded and angular structures on the hind legs and thorax, giving it the somewhat heavily armoured appearance typical of members of Acanthocerini.