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

Genus Podisus

Representative Images

Stink Bug nymph - Podisus Eggs - Podisus Thyanta custator?? - Podisus brevispinus Podisus serieventris Pentatomomorpha - Podisus placidus Podisus Stink nymph - Podisus Spined Soldier Bug - Dorsal - 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

Other Common Names

Spined Soldier Bug

Explanation of Names

Podisus Herrich-Schaeffer 1851

Numbers

6 spp. in our area(1), 34 total(2)

Identification

keys to spp. in (1)(3)
key to some nymphs in (4)

Range

primarily neotropical; in our area, 4 spp. are widespread, P. sagitta is restricted to s.FL & s.TX, and P. neglectus is strictly eastern(1)

Food

various arthropods, especially larval Lepidoptera & Coleoptera. Examples

Life Cycle

Eggs Eggs and first instar
4th instar light nymph 5th instar light nymph
4th instar dark nymph 5th instar dark nymph
Female laying eggs

Remarks

P. maculiventris (the most common species in se. US) is marketed as a pest control agent

See Also

Euschistus

Works Cited

1.The Heteroptera (Hemiptera) of North Dakota I: Pentatomomorpha: Pentatomoidea
Rider D.A. 2012. Great Lakes Entomol. 45: 312‒380.
2.Rider D. (2006-) Pentatomoidea home page
3.An updated synopsis of the Pentatomoidea (Heteroptera) of Michigan
Swanson D.R. 2012. Great Lakes Entomol. 45: 263‒311.
4.A key to nymphs of four species of the genus Podisus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) of northeastern North America
Evans E.W. 1985. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 87: 94–97.
Contributed by Cotinis on 9 July, 2004 - 7:03am
Additional contributions by Hannah Nendick-Mason, john and jane balaban, Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 19 July, 2025 - 4:20pm

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