Overwintering aggregation of Boisea rubrolineatus (Heteroptera: Rhopalidae) in western Oregon

Overwintering behavior of Boisea rubrolineatus (Barber) was studied during1984-85. Large numbers of this insect aggregated on a single, large Douglas-fir, Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco, tree, with deep bark fissures, at the edge of a stand ca. 1 km froma grove of maples, Acer macrophyllum Pursh, the feeding host. Other trees near the over-wintering site were smaller and lacked deep bark fissures, or were shaded by trees along theedge of the stand. Density measurement was used to estimate number of overwinteringinsects at ca. 8,000. These results demonstrate the degree of aggregative behavior in thisinsect and suggest that aspects of stand structure influence the availability of suitable over-wintering sites.
KEY WORDS Boisea rubrolineatus, population dynamics, forest structure, resource uti-lization, overwintering site selection