Other Common Names
P. guildinii: Small Green Stink Bug
P. lituratus: Gorse Shield Bug
Numbers
2 species in North America [
P. guildinii, lituratus] (
nearctica.com)
Identification
nymphs of P. lituratus are brown in the autumn, matching the color of legume seedpods; newly-emerged adults of P. lituratus are green and purple in the autumn (in the spring, after overwintering, they are green)
Range
southern United States and the neotropics; also represented in Eurasia
Season
adults of P. lituratus from spring through fall (adults of P. guilinii may be active year-round); nymphs in summer and fall
Food
nymphs and adults feed on legumes (plants in the pea family)
Life Cycle
P. guildinii may be active year-round and have 2 or 3 generations, or it may spend the "winter" season resting on non-host plants
P. lituratus overwinters as an adult; eggs are laid in spring
Internet References
live nymph and adult images of Gorse Shield Bug [
P. lituratus] (Keith Edkins, UK)
live adult image of Gorse Shield Bug [
P. lituratus] (M. Paquay, Belgium)
food plants and biology; PDF doc of
P. guildinii (Antonio Panizzi
et al, In
Florida Entomologist. 2000. Florida Center for Library Automation)
