The southern green stink bug (Nezara viridula (Linnaeus)) feeds on a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and other plants. It gets its name because it has scent glands that emit a bad smell when it is squashed. It is one of many stink bugs that cause problems in the garden.
Description
The adult southern green stink bug is a solid light green. A true bug, it has a triangular shield shape behind the head. The stink bug is 1/2 to 3/4 inches long. The nymphs are black when hatched and get more green as they get closer to adulthood. Nymphs has white spots on the abdomen.
Lifecycle
Small barell shaped eggs are laid in clusters on food plants. They hatch into black nymphs who grow progressively green through five instars. Adults have wings. From egg to adult can take as little as 35 days and there can be as many as five generations per year.
Damage Caused
Stink bugs use sharp mouthparts to pierce the plant or vegetable and suck out the juices. Their salavia is toxic to plants, killing the plant cells around the bite.
In young fruit, such as a tomato, the cells around the bite that have not been killed continue to expand, while the dead cells do not. This causes a dimple in the fruit, called cat facing. When the bug bites a ripe or nearly ripe fruit, it causes an off-color mass in the fruit and ruins the flavor.
Control
There are several things you can do to control stink bugs in your garden. Here are some of them.
- Inspect your plants regularly, including the underside of leaves and where leaves meet the stem.
- If you find eggs on your plant, squash them.
- Pick adult stink bugs off the plant and drop into a jar of soapy water. This will drown them.
- In the fall, remove plant debris or turn it under to deprive the stink bugs a place to overwinter.
- In the spring, clear the ground of weeds and turn under cover crops before any overwintering stink bugs move to your vegetable plants.
- Stink bugs have natural enemies that will help control them if you do not use pesticides and wipe them out.
- Pesticides are not recommended in home gardens. By the time you see damage to your vegetables, the stink bug that did it is long gone.
Green stink bugs are annoying and can damage your plants and vegetables. However, practicing good sanitation and hand picking them is the best way to reduce their numbers.
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