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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) » Stiretrus » Anchor Stink Bug (Stiretrus anchorago)

Species Stiretrus anchorago - Anchor Stink Bug

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited

What genus and species? - Stiretrus anchorago

one-and-done stink bug - Stiretrus anchorago

Stiretrus anchorago - Anchor Stink Bug - Stiretrus anchorago

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 Stiretrus

Species anchorago (Anchor Stink Bug)

Other Common Names

Anchor Bug, ASB

Explanation of Names

Stiretrus anchorago (Fabricius 1775)

anchorago refers to the anchor-like dorsal pattern

Size

7-9 mm(1)

Identification

Both markings and color are highly variable, but distinguishable from other predatory pentatomids by the large U-shaped scutellum, which almost reaches to the tip of the abdomen (2)

Nymphs:

profemora with strong tooth (unlike in Zicrona)

Range

e. US, s. ON, NB (TX-FL-NB-KS) to Panama - Map (3)(2)(4)(5)

Habitat

on a wide variety of herbaceous plants(1)(2)

Season

mostly Apr-Oct (slightly longer in Gulf states) (BG data), with peak abundance in the August(6)

Food

feeds on beetle larvae and caterpillars, incl. many pest spp. (notably Mexican Bean Beetle and Japanese Beetle)(1)(2)

One of the most frequently encountered predators of the bordered patch (Chlosyne lacinia). Most often attacking third and fourth instar larvae, these bugs would sometimes almost completely destroy a brood.(7)

apparently a frequent predator of monarch larvae, at least along the eastern seaboard, most the following records from FL to ME:

adults and nymphs also preys on Labidomera clivicollis larvae, in this case on Cynanchum racemosum var. unifarium:

Life Cycle

see(8)(9)

Eggs typically take seven days to hatch; nymphal phase (5 instars) takes 25-35 days(1), appears to overwinter as adults(2)

nymphs and adults are active predators primarily of beetle larvae and caterpillars:

parasitized by tachinid fly Cylindromyia fumipennis(2)

See Also

Zicrona americana Thomas 1992

- Range: sw US

Internet References

Featured Creatures (Richman & Mead 2001)(1)

Works Cited

1.	University of Florida: Featured Creatures

2.	The Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera) of Northeastern North America J.E. McPherson. 1982. Southern Illinois University Press.

3.	Pentatomidae (Heteroptera) of Honduras: a checklist with description of a new ochlerine genus Arismendi N., Thomas D.B. 2003. Insecta Mundi 17: 219-236.

4.	Catalog of the Heteroptera, or True Bugs of Canada and the Continental United States Thomas J. Henry, Richard C. Froeschner. 1988. Brill Academic Publishers.

5.	Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

6.	iNaturalist

7.	The biology and laboratory culture of Chlosyne lacinia Geyer (Nymphalidae). Drummond, III, B.A., G.L. Bush and T.C. Emmel. 1970. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 24(2): 135-142.

8.	Biology of a predaceous stink bug, Stiretrus anchorago, (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Waddill, V., M. Shepard. 1974. Florida Entomologist 57(3): 249-253.

9.	Comparative life cycles of four species of predatory stink bugs. Richman DB, Whitcomb WH. 1978. Florida Entomologist 61(3): 113-119.

Contributed by Stephen_WV on 1 September, 2004 - 7:45am
Additional contributions by cotinis, Hannah Nendick-Mason, Beatriz Moisset, Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, David Ferguson, v belov
Last updated 3 June, 2021 - 5:48pm

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