Western Conifer Seed Bugs

Down at John's there are two types of insects that are plentiful. The first is wasps (not hornets thank goodness) and the other is what he calls Stink Bugs. When I saw one crawling on our screen door, I took some pictures and looked it up. They are called Western Conifer Seed Bugs (Deptoglossus occidentalis). I used my Insects of the Pacific Northwest by Peter and Judy Haggard to make the identification.

The photograph in the book and the bug were an exact match. They are brown and have a distinctive white (or yellow) zigzag line through the middle of their body and hind legs that look somewhat like a flattened leaf. Both the nymph and adult eat conifer cones. I guess that's better than attacking the trees, but it can't be that good for future forest growth. The book says they are rarely seen because they spend most of their life up high in the trees, but these bugs seem to be enjoying their float cabin fall vacation.

I really enjoy having nature guides at the cabin so I can identify the plants, animals and rocks I encounter. I especially like ones with photographs rather than line drawings. Do you have any favourite nature guides that you recommend? -- Margy