About Pithanus maerkelii (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1838)
Pithanus maerkelii (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1838) is a species of plant bug belonging to the family Miridae. It is native to Europe, where it only occurs on the western northern edge of the Mediterranean basin. To the east, its range extends across the Palearctic region to European Russia and Ukraine. It is an adventive species in North America. Pithanus maerkelii can be found living on plants from the families Poaceae, Cyperaceae, and Juncaceae, specifically on the genera Agrostis, Festuca, Nardus, Deschampsia, Carex, Scirpus, and Juncus. These bugs feed by sucking on stalk nodes (knots), and also on ears and ovules.
