Western Boxelder bugs (WBB), found largely in B.C. interior
regions, are known to group together in sunlit patches and while there, release
monoterpenes, strong-smelling chemical compounds that help protect the bugs by
killing germs on their bodies.
Researchers previously thought the compounds had a role in
reproduction or defending the bugs against predators. But their latest study
found that the compounds were emitted when the bugs were in sunshine – in
effect, sunbathing – and weren’t used for communication or other purposes.