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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Two Spotted Stink Bug

What is this guy?
Hi there Bugman,
I ran across this charming fellow in my house today. Can you identify him? I have his mugshot attached. Thanks so much,
Susan

Hi Susan,
This is a Two Spotted Stink Bug, Perillus bioculatus.

Posted 09 April 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Colorful Stink Bug from Canary Islands

sum bug help!
Hi!
I just found your site and I must say it’s really awesome!! I’m from Canary Islands, Spain. I found this today walking around my lettuces and I’m wondering if it’s good or bad (I mean for my veggy garden, I know it won’t harm me). I think it’s an hemipteran, but I’m not sure what it feeds on. I googled it a little bit, but I’ve read some feed on other smaller insects, others eat plants and some feed on blood. Can you ID this one for me and maybe guess what it eats? Thank you, and keep up the great job! Hugs,
Cernunnas

Hi Cernunnas,
We can’t tell you the species, but we have narrowed down your identification to the family level. This colorful specimen is a Stink Bug in the family Pentatomidae. It is probably a plant eating specimen (sucking mouthparts for ingesting plant fluids) but some Stink Bugs are predatory. In trying to find you an answer, we found a profile on an entomologist, Jordi Ribes, who specializes in the Pentatomidae of Europe, and we will try to contact him.

Dear Daniel,
This Stink bug is Eurydema (Eurydema) ornata (L. 1758). Best wishes.
Jordi Ribes

Posted 24 January 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Two Spotted Stink Bug

Some kind of beetle?
Hi Folks,
This bug was found attracted to a light in January in Vermont! I’ve never seen one like this in the house & with very cold weather outside I’m guessing it’s been here awhile. Very interesting "bell" marking…any ideas? Take care,
Jim

Hi Jim,
This distinctively marked Hemipteran is a Two Spotted Stink Bug, Perillus bioculatus. There are also other color patterns seen in this species.

Posted 22 January 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Australian Stink Bug and molted exoskeleton

Bronze orange stink bug Australia
Dear Daniel,
Yesterday we (carefully gloved) were picking the stink bugs (Musgraveia sulciventris)* off the citrus, when I found this strange creature. After it had posed patiently for my camera for some minutes without moving, I realised it was not alive. Eventually the penny dropped – it was a stink bug moult! I’ve included the adult for your interest: a much loathed creature, but beautiful up close. *We don’t kill them, but, as they are natives, release them in the bush. Best wishes,
Grev

Hi Grev,
Thanks for sending us your photos of an Australian Stink Bug and its cast off skin.

Posted 27 November 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Stink Bug Home Invasion: But What Species???

The Answer is: BROWN MARMORATED STINK BUG

what’s up what’s that bug?
Hello there.
I enjoy the site which I stumbled upon in trying to help my nephew learn more about his favorite past time, looking at bugs. Nonetheless I know think I have an appropriate question with which I need help. A few weeks ago, as the night temperatures began to dip into the 30’s (Fahrenheit), I removed the air-conditioner from my apartment window. Falling from the unit’s crevasses were tens of these bugs, which I have never seen before. This specific window faces the NNW and gets no direct sunlight as well there a number of tress about 30 feet away from my 4 th story, multi-dwelling apartment building in the heart of Georgetown, Washington DC. The pictures a crude, but can you identify these creatures? To be honest I am not typically ‘grossed-out’ by a bug or two, however the quantity here (as shown in one photo) and the proximity of my hands, arms and bare feet to tens of falling, semi-lifeless bugs was odd… Hope all is well. Thanks!
V.M.
Washington, DC

Hi Victor,
Your home is being invaded by Stink Bugs in the family Pentatomidae. Many True Bugs, including Stink Bugs, Western Conifer Seed Bugs and Boxelder Bugs, invade homes to excape the cold of winter. Your photo does not have enough detail to get an exact species identification, but there are individuals in several genera pictured on BugGuide that look very close. These include Apateticus, Banasa, Euschistus, Menecles, and the predatory Spined Soldier Bug in the genus Podisus.

Update: from Eric Eaton (11/28/2007)
Daniel:
I have the unfortunate answer to the “stink bug home invasion.” The species in the image is the recently introduced “brown marmorated stink bug,” Halyomorpha halys. It is well known for its habit of congregating on, or in, homes to overwinter, in contrast to our native stink bug species. So far, Halyomorpha halys is known mostly from Pennsylvania and adjacent states (and District of Columbia, obviously), but other populations have turned up in Oregon and elsewhere. It is a good idea for anyone with invading stink bugs to alert their state department of agriculture to positively identify the offending insects.
Eric

Posted 26 November 2007 § ‡ Comments (2) °

Southern Green Stink Bug

Greetings from France
Trying to identify this little fellow, I explored your website and, need I say, enjoyed my tour immensely. A labour of love. A delight. I showed the photo at the Geneva Museum of Natural History (though I live in France, Geneva Switzerland is only a few kilometres away). It was identified as the fifth instar of Nezara viridula, the southern green stink bug, and I was given a handy link: http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu /veg/bean/southern_green_stink_bug.htm where I read that it is a very common bug, in the US as well as in Europe and elsewhere. Best wishes,
(Mrs) Ira Gardner-Smith
France

Dear Mrs Ira Gardner-Smith,
Thank you for submitting your wonderful image of an immature Southern Green Stink Bug. According to the Featured Creatures link you provided: “The southern green stink bug is believed to have originated in Ethiopia. Its distribution now includes Europe, Asia, Africa and North and South America. In the United States it is known to be found in the southern states of Virginia, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, California, Texas, and Hawaii.”

Posted 15 November 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Florida Predatory Stink Bug Hatchlings

what bug is this?
I found these "hatching" as it appeared out of our rotting fence post. They appear to be baby beetles of some sort, but I’m not sure just what kind. Can you identify these? Thanks!
Caroline
Gastonia, NC

Hi Caroline
These are Florida Predatory Stink Bugs, Euthyrhynchus floridanus, newly hatched. According to BugGuide, they are “Predatory on other insects, including caterpillars, beetle. Nymphs, and to some extent, adults, are gregarious, and may attack large prey in groups.” This species is also known as the Halloween Bug.

Posted 18 August 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Florida Predatory Stink Bug

help with bug
I thought it might be a boxelder bug but the markings are different. Can you help me? I live in south MS. Thanks
Andrew

Hi Andrew,
This is a Florida Predatory Stink Bug, Euthyrhynchus floridanus.

Posted 15 July 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Conchuela Bug Nymph

I’ve been invaded
Hello, I live in Yucca Valley Ca and over the past week or so these bugs are all over my house. They are everywere. What are they? I haven’t found any information on them. They aren’t on my plants per sey… They are on everything. Any Ideas? Great Websight hope you can help.
Jaymee Elder

Hi Jaymee,
This is an immature Stink Bug, and immature specimens are often much more difficult to positively identify than the winged adults. We did find a close match on BugGuide from Corpus Christi, Texas, but it is not identified to the species level either. We will continue to research this, especially as the numbers are so plentiful. More searching has led us to believe this is a Conchuela Bug, Chlorochroa ligata, which is pictured on BugGuide as an adult. On the Death Valley.net site the adult is described as: “The conchuela is a large black stink bug with a reddish marginal border and a reddish spot in the middle of the back.” If you get a photo of a winged adult, please send it our way. You might also want to try taking it to the nature center in Joshua Tree National Park to see if a ranger has any ideas. Nice French Tips.

Posted 11 July 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Harlequin Bugs

Harlequin bugs?
I think that these may be Harlequin bugs? By the way, the photos on your site are marvelous – what lovely bugs! I snapped these on an unknown plant in the field behind our house; possibly a mustard plant of some kind. Have been practicing taking pictures of small things like flowers, and am proud of this bug photo.
Liana

Hi Liana,
Our site does have many marvelous photos, all of which have been contributed by mostly amateur photographers like you. Not only should you be proud of your photo, you should also be commended for taking the time to properly identify your Harlequin Bugs, Murgantia histrionica.

Posted 01 June 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

First Ever: Nasty Reader Award

Hawthorn Shieldbug: Concise answer results in virulent response
Real culprit is cad of a boyfriend!!!!!

Bug ID Request
Hi Bugman,
I live in Glasgow, Scotland, and I am moving house next week and picked up some boxes from my local supermarket for packing purposes.Theseboxes appear to have originated in the Cameroons and Costa Rica. This morning I awoke to the bug below sauntering around on my window blinds. After taking these snaps I set it free out of the window, however would be very interested to know what type of bug this was and if it could have arrived in the boxes.Can you help?
Lorna

stink bug, probably local

Re: Bug ID Request
Well thank you for the thorough reply. I have spent the whole afternoon wondering what the BUG MAN was going to say to me. I told all my friends about you and everything. I’m now feeling rather sorry for myself and the $20 paypal donation that I was going to send your way can now take a hike! 3 hours ago I thought “the bug man rocks” – now I think “the bug man SUCKS”! Keep up the good work….. LOSER!
Lorna Easton

Ed. Response: Here at What’s That Bug? we can only post a small fraction of the submissions that come our way. In addition to posting to our site, we also send a personal email to the querent. In an effort to assist as many of our curious readers as possible, we sometimes respond personally without posting our answers. These answers are generally concise, to the point, and answer the questions posed. Lorna requested an identification as well as information regarding her insect’s origin. We answered both questions and do not feel we deserved the virulent, hateful and insultory response we got from what evidence indicates might be a malcontent. In an effort to be more thorough, we now believe this is a Hawthorn Shieldbug, Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale, as evidenced by this link. The family Acanthosomatidae or Shield Bugs and the family Pentatomidae or Stink Bugs are closely related and both in the superfamily Pentatomoidea. Stink Bugs and Shield Bugs are easily confused. Please email Lorna Easton at (censored) and tell her what you think. Remember What’s That Bug? is a public service that does not profit from this column.

And the Public Weighs In
Here are some of the emails we were copied on when our kind and faithful readers responded to Lorna.

(05/14/2007) I hope that nasty email didn’t rattle you too much
I sent her this reply. “You’re lucky they answered your email at all. They receive hundreds of ID requests a day. They are also both teachers, and provide US with the service of this webpage. You need a lesson in manners. Would you treat your parents the way you acted toward Lisa Ann and Daniel? If so, I’m surprised you’re still above ground.” Please know that there are many of us out here that appreciate what you do with your web page. We also know that you have full time jobs, and this is something that you do for an art project with no monetary compensation. It also provides us with knowledge and information about all these wonderful creatures. I get upset when I see a letter like this, as I’ve seen a few others on your site resembling this one. Not all people are self-centered and absorbed as this person is. I check your webpage every day, and I just LOVE IT! When you were on vacation last year in Ohio picking tomatoes, I emailed you telling you of my withdrawal pains,(no new pics-lol) and you sent me a wonderful email. Keep up the good work, Lisa and Daniel. Regards,
Sueann Juzwiak

(05/14/2007) Your bug
Does your mommy know you are on the internet? Your email to “What’s That Bug?” makes me think you are about 12 years old. Thanks for the laugh, anyway. Next time, do your own damn homework.
CW (not affiliated with WTB in any way, shape, or form – just a frequent reader)

Lorna responds: (05/14/2007)
Hi, I am utterly horrified that you have received such an email. This was not sent by me but by my extremely rude and unprincipled boyfriend who has been told exactly what I think of him. It is completely unacceptable that you received such an offensive response when you were helping me in your own time to answer my query I cannot apologise enough and I am going to make him make a donation to your organisation or whatever charity you would wish funds to go to – please let me know. Once again my sincere apologies,
Lorna

Dear Lorna,
Thank you for writing back to clear up this gross misunderstanding. Please choose some local environmental charity for your donation and then kick that cad of a boyfriend to the curb. We would also strongly recommend changing your password. In lieu of the misunderstanding, we will remove your email address from the posting on our site so our devoted readership, many of whom will act like a mother bear defending her cubs on our behalf, will no longer be able to inundate you with their private thoughts.
P.S. Your (hopefully) former boyfriend is still the recipient of the First Ever Nasty Reader Award.

Posted 13 May 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Florida Predatory Stink Bug: Nymph and Adult

Possible Redbugs
Let me start with my apologies for sending big, clumsy pics rather than cropping and optimizing them, and, if it’s inconvenient, for sending these smaller files to replace them. I must also apologize for failing to include any information regarding the bugs aside from their location. Truth is, they didn’t do anything remarkable aside from be very pretty and hang about. I rarely if ever saw them on plants, but almost always on structures (the house, the shed, even the bird perches, but never plants that I can recall). I never saw them eat. I was never bitten by one. I tried for years to have them identified. They were there every summer, first in congregations and later alone or in much smaller and less cohesive groups. They were beautiful and I enjoyed their company greatly, but the only thing I ever learned about them was that they were ’some kind of assassin bug’. :-> That may be all I ever learn, I suppose, but that doesn’t diminish at all what they added to our landscape. Anyway, thanks again for a truly excellent resource (and a great idea all the way around; I admit to a certain sense of curiosity what you learn in your occupational field of expertise from the photos submitted by us non-photographers). I hope these photos (poor as two of them are) are of some use. Peace,
Peace

Greetings Peace,
We want to begin our reply by telling you how much your letter has warmed our hearts. First, your name “Peace” is a joy. The polite tone of your query is quite refreshing. As you might have read on our homepage, we are having difficulties receiving images. All large images are being transmitted, but we cannot open them. This is a problem we are eagerly waiting for our web master to correct, but personal obligations have limited the time he can devote to charity work on our site. We are being forced to delete most correspondance as it is too much for us to email each and every person back and redirect them to send us images in another format. Additionally, we have never been able to answer everything. Now, getting to your question. These photos show a juvenile and adult Florida Predatory Stink Bug, Euthyrhynchus floridanus. Clear images of the adult can be located on BugGuide. The Florida Predatory Stink Bug is doing something remarkable for your yard. They are helping to control problematic insects in your garden without the need to use pesticides. Lastly we want to critique your images that you have labeled as “poor”. Poor is subjective. Your blurry image shows the distinctive coloration and markings of the adult specimen and that allowed us to make the identification. As artists who teach photography, we tell our students that a less than optimum image of a rare or important event or thing is preferable to no photograph at all. It is also our observation that the introduction of digital photography has made many amateurs into quite competant visual chronicalers, though we fear for the longevity of the archives due to the lack of negatives. Thanks again for your appreciation of the aesthetics of the natural world.
Peace,
Daniel and Lisa Anne

Posted 10 May 2007 § ‡ Comments (0) °

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