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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Pentatomoidea » Stink Bugs (Pentatomidae) » Predatory Stink Bugs (Asopinae) » Podisus

Genus Podisus

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Spined Soldier Bug w/ eggs - Podisus maculiventris - female Stink Bug nymph - Podisus Unknown Stink Bug - Podisus maculiventris Stink Bug Eggs and Nymphs - Podisus Stink Bug strongman - Podisus brevispinus Stink Bug - Podisus maculiventris Stink Bug - Podisus maculiventris Podisus maculiventris ? - Podisus maculiventris
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Superfamily Pentatomoidea
Family Pentatomidae (Stink Bugs)
Subfamily Asopinae (Predatory Stink Bugs)
Genus Podisus
Other Common Names
Spined Soldier Bug
Explanation of Names
Author of genus is Herrich-Schäffer, 1851.
Numbers
Nearctica.com lists 9 species.
Size
12 mm (P. mmaculiventris)
Identification
Rather small, brown stinkbugs. Dark band on wings often visible in portion that overhangs abdomen. Pronotum has prominent pointy, though not always spined, margins. Abdomen below has one or two sets of black spots between midline and lateral margins (1):
Range
Much of North America
Food
Predatory, can be important in control of crop pests.
Life Cycle
We don't know if these represent two different species, but nymphs seem to come in at least two different forms.


4th instar light nymph


5th instar light nymph



4th instar dark nymph


5th instar dark nymph
Remarks
P. maculiventris is sold as a biological pest control, and appears to be the most common species in the southeastern United States.
See Also
Euschistus
Menecles
Print References
Slater figure 61, page 46--P. maculiventris (1)
Drees (2)
Salsbury, p. 97--photo of P. maculiventris (3)
Brimley, p. 64, lists four species from North Carolina, P. maculiventris being widespread (4)
Internet References
Podisus online
Univ. of Florida document on Podisus maculiventris
Univ. of Florida--another version of above document
Stink Bugs of Kentucky
Cornell University document on P. maculiventris
TAMU
Biologia Centrali-Americana--illustrations of several tropical species--see adjacent pages linked from there as well.
Forestry Images
Insects of Cedar Creek--photos of P. placidus and P. modestus
P. maculiventrispreys on lady beetles.
North Carolina State University Entomology Collection lists from that state, with number pinned: brevispinus (5), maculiventris (230), modestus (43), serieventris (4).
Podisus Online
Works Cited
1.How to Know the True Bugs
By Slater, James A., and Baranowski, Richard M.
2.A Field Guide to Common Texas Insects
By Bastiaan M. Drees, John A. Jackman
3.Insects in Kansas
By Glenn A. Salsbury and Stephan C. White
4.Insects of North Carolina
By C.S. Brimley
Contributed by Cotinis on 9 July, 2004 - 7:03am
Additional contributions by Hannah Nendick-Mason, john and jane balaban
Last updated 23 September, 2008 - 9:33pm

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