Anchor Stinkbugs?
Location: South Central Missouri
March 29, 2012 5:55 pm
My mom has a bunch of these mating all over a patch of horseradish. I’ve done some research and the closest thing I’ve found is the Anchor Stinkbug, but these seem a little different. The pattern on their bodies is more of an X shape (wings? could that be because they’re more mature than all the ones I’ve seen online?). We want to know what they are before we try to get rid of them. They don’t seem to be eating the leaves, but there is quite a bit of blistery yellowing. My understanding is that if they are anchor stinkbugs we might want to keep them around to eat caterpillars. Thanks!
Signature: Will Runyon Jr.
Hi Will,
While these are Stink Bugs, they are not predatory Anchor Stink Bugs. They are actually a plant feeding species, Murgantia histrionica, and they are commonly called Harlequin Bugs. Both winged adults and immature nymphs use sucking mouthparts to withdraw fluids from plants in the cabbage family, and they are likely responsible for the yellow spots on the leaves of the horse raddish. You may read more about Harlequin Bugs, also called Calico Bugs or Cabbage Harlequin Bugs, by visiting BugGuide.