Southern Green Stink Bug

Southern Green Stink Bugs may look like bright green gems, but they can be garden pests in warm and humid regions.

The Southern Green Stink Bug is a large insect that can grow to be the size of an adult's thumbnail. The body of the insect is shaped like a classic shield. They are bright green, full-bodied, plump, slow-moving, and abundant in the South and far into Central America. It is a major pest to soybean farmers because they ruin their produce. Cotton plants are also susceptible to the insect's appetite.

True to its name, the Southern Green Stink Bug emits a noxious smelling chemical from its body if it feels threatened. The odor is foul enough to turn away almost every predator. While this non-native insect's usual habitat is on short weedy plants, it is commonly seen on buildings and homes along door frames and high on walls. It is considered a nuisance when it makes its way indoors. Crushing one releases the odorous chemical inside the room, so the catch-and-release method or toilet flush method should be employed to remove one from the premises.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hemiptera

Family: Pentatomidae

Genus: Nezara

Species: viridula

Identifying Information

Scientific Name: Nezara viridula

Category: True Bug

Size (Adult; Length): 14mm to 17mm (0.55in to 0.66in)

Colors: green, black

Descriptors: speckled, large, slow

Territorial Map

Alaska

Hawaii

Prince Edward Is.

Contiguous United States shape map layer graphic

Territorial Reach (A-to-Z)

Newfoundland and Labrador

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.

Southern Green Stink Bug (Nezara viridula)

Southern Green Stink Bugs may look like bright green gems, but they can be garden pests in warm and humid regions.