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The Green Stink Bug stinks literally and figuratively: it smells bad and it destroys a wide variety of food crops and plants.
This popular garden and farm pest has a hearty appetite for all the same things people enjoy eating. Both adults and young nymphs use their mouth parts to poke holes into tender young plants and then suck out the plant's juices. If this does not kill the plant, it certainly reduces its ability to produce good fruit and seeds. The Green Stink Bug's feeding habit usually results in deformed or hardened produce that is not edible or usable for re-seeding. Evidence of a Green Stink Bug's presence is seen on the host plant in the form of scarring, dimples, spotting on fruit, and overall discoloration. Typically, the population levels of Green Stink Bugs is kept in check because they are eaten by a variety of other things like birds, spiders, toads, wasps, and other bug-eating insects. Gardeners and farmers can also hand-pick Green Stink Bugs off of plants and kill them, though this may be time-consuming. Chemical insecticides are used on heavily infested farms or gardens.
Green Stink Bugs look vastly different when they are young. Green eggs are laid in clusters and look like small seeds. Once the group of eggs hatch, the round larvae emerge and may be mistaken for young beetles. Nymphs (juveniles) are mostly black with fine white or yellow lines crossing their backs, punctuated by a large orange dot on either side. As it ages, an orange border around the 'shoulders' may also stretch down the sides of the wing coverings. Red spots appear on the fringe surrounding the head. As they mature, more green coloration becomes apparent and they grow bigger with more angular elytra. By the time they are mature adults, they are completely green and their elytra is shaped almost like a shield with a triangular center.
Green Stink Bugs emit a foul odor when they feel threatened and are usually left alone because it smells quite acrid. The scent glands are located at the top of the green triangle on their 'backs' and the chemical disperses quickly. The smell is sometimes described as a mix of burning oil, hair and chemicals and may be sprayed, not secreted. They may wander indoors in the summer. Catching this bug with a tissue and removing it from the area can help prevent its odor from lingering inside the home or office.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Hemiptera
Family:Pentatomidae
Genus:Chinavia
Species:hilaris
Identifying Information
Scientific Name: Chinavia hilaris
Category:
True Bug
Size (Adult; Length): 14mm to 17mm (0.55in to 0.66in)
Note: An insect's reach is not limited by lines drawn on a map and therefore species may appear in areas, regions and/or states beyond those listed above as they are driven by environmental factors (such as climate change), available food supplies and mating patterns. Grayed-out selections indicate that the subject in question has not been reported in that particular territory. U.S. states and Canadian provinces / territories are clickable to their respective bug listings.
Colors: green, black, yellow, white, red
