The spined soldier bug (''Podisus maculiventris'') is a species of
stink bug Stink bug or stinkbug is a common name for several insects and may refer to:
* Any of several bugs in the true bug (hemipteran) family Pentatomidae
**''Halyomorpha halys
The brown marmorated stink bug (''Halyomorpha halys'') is an insect in the ...
common in North America. They are predators of
gypsy moth caterpillars and the larvae of beetles such as the
Colorado potato beetle and the
Mexican bean beetle. Since the Mexican bean beetle is widely regarded as a notorious agricultural pest in North America, soldier bugs are generally considered to be beneficial garden insects.
''P. maculiventris'' is a generalist predator with a broad host range, reportedly attacking 90 insect species, which includes several important economic pests. Reported prey include the larvae of the
Mexican bean beetle,
Colorado potato beetle,
flea beetles and
diamondback moth
The diamondback moth (''Plutella xylostella''), sometimes called the cabbage moth, is a moth species of the family Plutellidae and genus '' Plutella''. The small, grayish-brown moth sometimes has a cream-colored band that forms a diamond along ...
, and
corn earworm,
beet armyworm,
fall armyworm
The fall armyworm (''Spodoptera frugiperda'') is a species in the order Lepidoptera and one of the species of the fall armyworm moths distinguished by their larval life stage. The term "armyworm" can refer to several species, often describing th ...
,
European corn borer
The European corn borer (''Ostrinia nubilalis''), also known as the European corn worm or European high-flyer, is a moth of the family Crambidae which includes other grass moths. It is a pest of grain, particularly maize (''Zea mays''). The in ...
,
cabbage looper,
imported cabbageworm, and
velvetbean caterpillar
''Anticarsia gemmatalis'' is a tropical species of caterpillar and moth that migrates north each season. The species can commonly be found in the Gulf states, north as far as Wisconsin. The adults have wings that are grayish brown, crossed with ...
. When prey is scarce, ''P. maculiventris'' may feed on plant juices, but this feeding is not reported to cause significant plant damage.
''P. maculiventris'' is associated with several crops, including alfalfa, apples, asparagus, beans, celery, cotton, crucifers, cucurbits, eggplant, potatoes, onions, soybeans, sweet corn and tomatoes. The effectiveness of this species in preying on economic pests has resulted in its use in classical
biological control programs outside North America, including in Eastern Europe and in Russia. However, this has not been entirely successful in colder climates, perhaps due to the bug's inability to successfully
overwinter
Overwintering is the process by which some organisms pass through or wait out the winter season, or pass through that period of the year when "winter" conditions (cold or sub-zero temperatures, ice, snow, limited food supplies) make normal activi ...
. ''P. maculiventris'' eggs are sold commercially for use in control programs; this has proven successful in controlling pests in European and North American heated greenhouses. Use in large-area field crops is often not economically viable, due to the production costs of producing large numbers of ''P. maculiventris'' eggs. In addition, resident populations of ''P. maculiventris'' often are not sufficiently large to contain large larval pest emergences in the spring.
Pheromones have been used to draw naturally occurring and newly emerging populations of this stink bug to target crops in the spring.
spined soldier bug
/ref>
References
External links
Cornell University. Biological Control
on the UF / IFAS IFAS may refer:
* Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
* Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge, a sewage treatment process
* International French adjectival system
In rock climbing, mountaineering, and other climbing disciplines, clim ...
Featured Creatures Web site
Bugguide.net
Asopinae
Insects described in 1832
Hemiptera of North America
{{Pentatomidae-stub