Identification
"Adult S. batatas are large insects, 18 to 23 mm in length. They are entirely dark brown. Lateral (humeral) angles of the pronotum are rounded and without teeth, and the lateral margins of the pronotum are not expanded. Newborn nymphs are red. They soon lose their bright color and become very dark brown except for the head, the lateral angles of the pronotum and the expanded lateral edges of the abdomen, which are marked with bright red-brown spots. Eggs are shaped like tiny fat sausages, and their color varies from gold to brown with age." - University of Florida
Remarks
Non-native, found in Surinam and some Caribean islands. First reported in the continental US in Florida in 1995.
