Stink bugs (family Pentatomidae) are a concern in numerous agricultural systems and may be difficult to manage.  This page will introduce some of the important species that can be found in North Carolina and help to distinguish pest species that are found in certain crops.

Immature stink bugs are called “nymphs” and have five stages called “instars”.  Each instar is characterized by growth and eventual shedding of the cuticle.  Nymphs of some species can move fairly quickly, however, they are much less motile than adults because they do not possess wings.  For this reason, the immature stages can be more damaging to the plant because the nymphs are unlikely to stray far from their maternal host plant.

Plant-feeding stink bugs cause damage by piercing  the stem, leaf, or fruit of a plant, injecting saliva (which contains a cocktail of digestive enzymes) and drawing in a slurry of partially-digested material.    Feeding usually begins in the second instar stage.  These early nymphs feed on the parenchyma cells of soft-tissue structures like leaves, bean pods, or berries.  As the nymphs grow, they usually abandon leaf-feeding and are able to feed on deeper vascular tissues to extract phloem sap.  Later instars of some species are also able to pierce tough protective tissues like the husk of developing fruit or seeds.  In general, late– instar nymphs (4th to 5th) and adult  stink bugs feed on immature fruit and seeds (when these are available), but will also feed on vascular tissues on the stem of certain herbaceous plants.  The adult stage usually has the highest feeding capacity, however, feeding-site preferences vary among different stink bug and host plant species.  Adults may feed exclusively on the outer surface of fleshy fruits or vegetables, while tougher structures like nuts, cotton, corn, or soybeans, they may pierce the outer flesh in order to access the nutrient-rich seeds.  Feeding damage caused by stink bugs to all parts of the plant can be detrimental to plant growth and can have a direct effect on quantity or quality of harvested yield (Townsend & Sedlacek, 1986).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Brown Stink Bug: (Euschistus servus) is one of the more ubiquitous species and is a pest of wheat, soybean, corn, cotton, and a number of other specialty crops like vegetables and tree fruit.  These insects are also found on ornamentals and weeds. (Figure 1).  This insect is most active during the day and  lays clusters of 14 –28 eggs on the undersurfaces of leaves (ref).  Nymphs are mostly lime-green in color except for the brownish sclerozed (armored) portions of the thorax.  Adults are light to dark brown on the dorsal surface and may be grey, yellow, green on the ventral side.   Adults of this species feed on stems of certain types of plants like tobacco, sunflowers, or new growth of young trees.  This type of damage results in characteristic “drooping” appearance of the stem.  This species is notorious for moving in large numbers between crops like wheat, soybean, and cotton. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Green stink bug (Acrosternum hilare) is another very common species throughout North Carolina.  Green stink bugs are considerably larger than the brown stink bugs.  As the name suggests, adults are solid green in color.  Adults usually have faint bands on the antennae.    Nymphs, however, are black and green on  the abdomen and black and orange on the thorax.  Early in the season, adults migrate from overwintering sites in crop residue or leaf litter in search of wild or cultivated fruiting trees (Dietz et al. 1979; McPherson & McPherson 2000).  In July and August, adults move into suitable crops to feed and are a menace to field crops like cotton and soybean.  Like the brown stink bug, the green stink bug moves readily between cotton and soybean plantings and feeds on bolls up to 3 1/2 wk old (Blinka 2008).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dusky stink bug (Euschistus tristigmus) is similar in appearance to the brown stink bug although it has a lateral spine on either side of the pronotum—i.e. Spined shoulders”.  This species is more nocturnal than the brown stink bug and also has a greater affinity for wild vegetation.  It can be a pest of field crops like corn, cotton, and soy. 

 

The Red shouldered stink bug (Thyanta spp.) is present throughout North Carolina.  This species has similar feeding habits as the brown stink bug but is most active at night.  Adults of this genus feed on wheat and rye in the spring.  Nymphs and adults are abundant in soybean from July through August (Pannizzi 1997).

 

The Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys ) is a recent introduction into North Carolina.  Originally from Asia, this species first showed up in the US in Pennsylvania in 1996 (Hoebeke & Carter, 2003).    Since then, it has been sweeping down the eastern seaboard.  At the moment, this species appears to be well-established in the mountains and Piedmont areas.  With the exception of a few individuals found in Johnston County, the brown marmorated has not been found throughout the coastal plain.  The brown marmorated stink bug has similar feeding habits as the green stink bug; feeding on fruiting trees and wild plants early in the season and moving into field crops and vegetables in mid to late July.   Some distinguishing characteristics of this species are dark bands on the second to last antennal segment and bright spots on either side of the scutellum.

Stink Bugs in NC Agriculture

Predatory species

Predaceous stink bugs feed in a similar manner as the plant-feeders, but the mouthparts are short and broad in order to pierce other arthropods.  The saliva of predaceous stink bugs contains compounds that immobilize prey.  Common predatory species include the spined soldier bug (Podisus, spp.), which is abundant in field crops and vegetables,  the twospotted stink bug (Perillus bioculatus)  which is a common predator in vegetable gardens, and the Florida predatory stink bug (Euthyrhynchus floridanus) which is a voracious predator found in trees and other wild vegetation. 

 

References

.

Blinka, E. L. 2008. Biological and Ecological Studies on Green              Stink     Bug, Acrosternum hilare, and Brown Stink Bug,              Euschistus servus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), in Eastern              North Carolina Cropping Systems.  Doctoral dissertation.              NCSU. 2008.

Hoebeke, E. R., and M. E. Carter. 2003. Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae): A polyphagous plant pest from Asia newly detected in North America. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 105: 225-237.

 

McPherson, J. E. and R. M. McPherson. 2000. Stink bugs of              economic importance in America north of Mexico. CRC

             Press LLC. Boca Raton, FL.

 

Panizzi, A. 1997. Wild hosts of pentatomids. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 42: 99-122.

 

Townsend, L. H., and J. D. Sedlacek. 1986. Damage to corn caused by Euschistus servus, E. variolarius, and Acrosternum hilare (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) under greenhouse conditions. J. Econ. Entomol. 79: 1254-1258.

 

 

Stink bug feeding injury to corn ear

Redshouldered stink bug (Thyanta cusator) adult

Stink bug feeding injury on bell pepper

Brown marmorated stink bug adult (A); 4th instar nymph (B), and adult on soybean (C).

(C)

(B)

(A)

Florida predatory stink bug adult feeding on dusky stink bug.