About Gargara genistae Fabricius, 1775
Gargara genistae (Fabricius, 1775) is a dark brown insect that reaches a body length of 3 to 5 millimeters. Its prominent, finely haired pronotum curves upward and extends backward into a long, straight projection. Unlike the similar, significantly larger species Centrotus cornutus, Gargara genistae does not have lateral ear-shaped outgrowths near its head. Its forewings are brownish, translucent, and marked with light brown veins. This species is widespread across the Holarctic realm (excluding Northern Europe), as well as in the Ethiopian and Oriental regions. It is also occasionally found in North America, where it was likely introduced. Gargara genistae inhabits predominantly dry areas, in sunny to semi-shady, often warm locations. Both larvae and adult Gargara genistae feed on plant sap, which they consume using specialized piercing-sucking mouthparts. They are oligophagous, meaning they only feed on plant species belonging to a single plant family. Specifically, this species sucks sugary phloem sap from the vascular tissue of shrubby Fabaceae, and excretes part of this sap as honeydew. Known host genera include Ononis, Genista, Colutea, Coronilla, Glycyrrhiza, and Caragana.
