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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 · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Life Cycle · Internet References · Works Cited

Anchor Stink Bug nymph - Stiretrus anchorago

Type of Calligrapha? - 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)

Explanation of Names

Stiretrus anchorago (Fabricius 1775)

anchorago refers to the anchor-like dorsal pattern

Size

7‒9 mm(1)

Identification

markings/color highly variable • distinguishable from other predatory pentatomids by the large scutellum almost reaching the tip of abdomen; profemora with strong tooth(2)

Nymphs

Range

e.NA (NB‒FL to MN‒TX) to Colombia(3)

Habitat

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

Food

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

prey is primarily beetle larvae and caterpillars:

attacks monarch larvae:

A predator of Chlosyne lacinia, tends to attack III/IV-instar larvae and may destroy the entire brood(4)

preying on Labidomera clivicollis larvae:

Life Cycle

see (5)(6) • eggs typically take a week to hatch; nymphal phase (5 instars) takes 25‒35 days(1)

Internet References

fact sheet (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.	A distributional synopsis of the Pentatomidae (Heteroptera) north of Mexico, including new state and provincial records Rider, D.A. and Swanson, D.R. 2021. Zootaxa, 5015(1), 1–69.

4.	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.

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

6.	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 28 February, 2025 - 6:46pm

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