Spined Soldier Bug????
Location: Fulton County, Illinois
February 10, 2011 1:11 am
I thought this was a Spined Soldier Bug. The red patch on its back is not in any information I have found.
Signature: Steve
Spined Soldier Bug
Dear Steve,
The angle of view of your photo makes it difficult to ascertain for certain that this is a Spined Soldier Bug, Podisus maculiventris, but we believe that you are probably correct because of the spines on the pronotum at the widest point of the body. A photo posted to BugGuide shows some reddish markings on the individual as well as reddish legs. Perhaps there are some latent genes that may eventually result in a population with red markings for this beneficial Predatory Stink Bug.
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Location: Illinois
Not Podisus. This is Euschistus. Probably the species tristigmus.
Thanks. Since we are not familiar, is it the same family?
Yep. Both are Pentatomids. Different subfamilies though. Podisus are predatory, Euschistus feed on plants.