Species Acrosternum hilare - Green Stink Bug

Green Soldier Bug

Chinavia hilare, Chinavia hilaris, Nezara hilaris, Acrosternum hilaris, Pentatoma hilaris

described in 1832 by Say, who originally placed it in genus Pentatoma

Latin for "lively, cheerful"

one of 3 species in this genus in North America listed at nearctica.com

adult body length 13-18 mm

A large, bright green stink bug. In most of eastern North America, differentiate from A. pennsylvanicum by rather straight, not strongly arced, anterolateral pronotal margin (1).

McPherson(2) also differentiates the two by the following characters:

In genus Acrosternum (Chinavia), scent gland channel on underside of thorax extends more than half-way to edge of metapleuron:

This differentiates from Nezara, which has a shorter, more rounded scent gland channel (1):

Early instar nymphs are brightly colored and striped, becoming more green as they approach adulthood.

adult scutellum has pale dot in each basal corner; third and fourth antennal segments blackish, and color is restricted to apical half of segments; connexivium usually has conspicuous dark dot on apical margin of each abdominal segment; side of pronotum straight or slightly convex in anterior half; second abdominal sternite has pointed medial spine; ventral scent gland pore long and curved

Much of North America

Woodlands, edges, cultivated land

May-frost (North Carolina)

Feeds on plant juices from leaves, fruit, flowers. Feeds on trees, herbs, many crops. Adults and older nymphs are reported to prefer developing seeds and fruit and thus may become crop pests. "Catfacing" on developing peaches and nectarines is one type of damage to which these bugs are known to contribute (feeding by other bugs causes similar results).

"Keg-shaped" eggs are attached to the underside of leaves in double rows of twelve or more. One generation per year in North, two in south.

Hatchlings - 1st and 2nd instars

3rd instar

4th instar

5th instar

Source:

SE Stinkbug Work Group at Forestry Images

Herb Pilcher, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org

This is our best interpretation of the BugGuide images based upon Herb Pilcher's images above. The variation in these images may be because the species is very variable, or it may be that we have images of several different species of Acrosternum here. We put these images on both the genus and the A. hilare species pages since, as a number of people have commented, it is not clear that we yet know how to tell the different Acrosternum species apart.

Dr. David Rider of North Dakota State University states here that "The genus name Acrosternum should be restricted to a handful of Old World, small, pale green species that live in dry arid areas. The larger, brighter green species that live in both the Old and New Worlds should actually go by the generic name Chinavia."

15 January 2007: updated page to include information from McPherson (2). --Ethan Friedman

adult Southern Green Stink Bug (Nezara viridula) scutellum has black (not pale) dot in each basal corner; third and fourth antennae segments mostly reddish (not blackish) except at base; connexivium uniformly colored, with no or very tiny dark dot on apical margin of each abdominal segment; side of pronotum slightly concave (not straight or slightly convex) in anterior half; second abdominal sternite has rounded (not pointed) medial spine; ventral scent gland pore short and broad (not long and curved)

nymph of Southern Green Stink Bug varies greatly in appearance according to age (see species page for description)

Slater, p. 50, fig. 72, 73 (1)

Arnett, p. 252, fig. 20.13 (3)

Cranshaw, p. 228 (4)

Milne, p. 484, fig. 111 (5)

Brimley, p. 63 (6)

Swan and Papp, p. 129, fig. 125--A. hilare (7)

Salsbury, p. 96 (8)

McPherson, pp.86-89 plus figure on p159 illustrating different pronotal shapes of pennsylvanicum and hilare (2)

Rea, p. 37--adult and eggs (9)

Insects of Cedar Creek pinned adult image (U. of Minnesota)

North Carolina State University Entomology Collection lists A. hilare (425 pinned)

Identification Guide for common stink bugs in Arkansas - pdf document

University of Kentucky - includes image of green nymph

author, date, and original genus (nearctica.com)