A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 A different kind of mystery..

I've seen MANY of this guy's family this year. What is it? They all look pretty much alike..



They were in my garden like gangbusters.. didn't know if they were considered good or bad tho.

Meg

I think it's a stinkbug. The gray ones are good, the green ones are bad, if I remember correctly

PS their natural defense is they STINK! So don't squarsh em!

From the photo it looks like a brown Stink Bug, Euschistus servus. Not 100% sure from photo, about 98%. They are a pest insect that feed on plant sap. There are brown predatory stink bugs too like the spined soldier bug.

Some of the pest stink bugs come in green too.

Hi Suzanne! so youre saying there's 2 different types of 'non green' stink bugs, one 'good' and one 'bad'? and the green ones, are they 'bad'? I'm being accused around my house of being a closeted entomologist I've been trying to embrace them - really - and learn stuff...I noticed today that this moth had some kind of feeler (tongue?) coming out of his mouth?! I dunno...but it was cool.

yes there are brown good and bad, and most green are bad. I dont know of a green predatory one off the top of my head but they maybe one that i am not thinking of from the family Pentatomidae.

Try watching them and see what they do, feed on the plants or other bugs.

Also beneficials tend not to hang out in large numbers together (many will eat each other) so if you have a bunch of the same ones together most likely they are plant feeders.

For the mouthparts I am sure it was its proboscus, its tong. they keep it rolled in its mouth until they unroll it to feed.