Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowse
Info
ImagesLinksBooksData

Species Podisus maculiventris - Spined Soldier Bug

Asopinae, Predatory Stink Bugs X2 - Podisus maculiventris Podisus maculiventris Spined Soldier Bug - Anterior Dorsal  - Podisus maculiventris Female, Podisus maculiventris? - Podisus maculiventris - female Female, Podisus maculiventris? - Podisus maculiventris - female Spined Soldier Stink Bug - Dorsal  - Podisus maculiventris Podisus maculiventris? - Podisus maculiventris Podisus maculiventris? - Podisus maculiventris
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Infraorder Pentatomomorpha
Superfamily Pentatomoidea
Family Pentatomidae (Stink Bugs)
Subfamily Asopinae (Predatory Stink Bugs)
Genus Podisus
Species maculiventris (Spined Soldier Bug)
Explanation of Names
Podisus maculiventris (Say 1832)
maculiventris = 'spotted belly' (refers to ventral pattern in female)
Size
8.5-13.0 mm(1)
Identification
Pale brown to tan. Shield shaped with prominent "shoulders"
Black streak on wing membrane + spined humeri are diagnostic
Range
across NA, most common in the east - Map (1)(2)
Habitat
Crops including potatoes, tomatoes, sweet corn, cole crops, beans, eggplant, cucurbits, asparagus, apples, and onions
Food
Wide variety of insects(1); known to eat Mexican bean beetles, European corn borers, diamondback moths, corn earworms, beet armyworms, fall armyworms, cabbage loopers, imported cabbageworms, Colorado potato beetles, velvetbean caterpillars and flea beetles(3)

Hemimetabolous Insects:


Coleoptera (adults):


Lepidoptera (adults):


Larvae (incl. Lep, Hym, & Coleo):


Hymenoptera (adults):


Unknown:
Life Cycle
may produce several generations in a year(1)
Remarks
available commercially as biocontrol agent against a wide array of agriculturally significant pests(4)
See Also
Euschistus, but note spotted legs
Internet References
Featured Creatures - Richman & Mead (2001-2010)(3)
Purdue - O'Neil 1995
Works Cited
1.The Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera) of Northeastern North America
J.E. McPherson. 1982. Southern Illinois University Press.
2.Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
3.University of Florida: Featured Creatures
4.Annotated checklist of the Pentatomidae (Heteroptera) of Connecticut
O'Donnell J.E., Schaefer C.W. 2012. Great Lakes Entomologist 45: 220-234.