Burrower Bug

Distribution: North Africa, palaearctic and indo-australian region. Introduced into USA, West Indies, South Africa. The species is widespread in Europe, but is not found in the north. It does not occur in the UK, but is recorded from the Channel Islands. Habitat are dry and warm, often sandy or calcareous areas where the host plants of the genus Euphorbia occur. The animals usually live several centimeters below ground and feed on the roots of the host plant. Older larvae and imagines can also be found above ground on the host plants, where they either hide under the lower leaves or feed on seeds and ovules, and copulating pairs can also be found on the flowers. The eggs (approx. 30 - 65 eggs per clutch) are deposited in the ground near the host plants and are guarded by the mother. The mothers engange in this form of brood care until the offspring have reached the second instar. The larvae take up special excretions from the anus of the mother that provide them with endosymbiotic bacteria. Cydnus aterrimus overwinters as imago digged into the ground.