Nezara viridula
FAMILY
Pentatomidae
TAXONOMY
Cimex viridulus Linné, 1758, "Indiis" (may mean India, Southeastern Asia, or the East Indies).
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Southern green bug, green vegetable bug, tomato bug, bean bug; French: Punaise verte; Spanish: Chinche verde; Portuguese: Percevejo verde.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Broad and medium sized, 0.47–0.51 in (12–13 mm) long. Green, with dark red eyes. Other forms may be green with a yellowish collar, pink, golden, or liver brown. Antennae have five joints. All the legs are about the same shape and size, and adapted for walking. Basal part of the forewing is stiff; the distal one is translucent. Sexes are alike. Larvae wingless and brightly stained with red, yellow, white, or black.
DISTRIBUTION
Temperate and tropical zones of both hemispheres, but not in very cold and desert areas. Worldwide spread started some 250 years ago from an uncertain origin, perhaps eastern Africa or the Far East.
HABITAT
Canopy of many field and ornamental crops and weeds.
BEHAVIOR
Active mainly in the daytime, climbing to the canopy early in the morning; egg laying is mostly a nocturnal activity. Newly born larvae remain densely grouped; adults are solitary, flying readily if disturbed.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Sap is sucked from leaves, twigs, buds, growing shoots, flowers, and fruits; succulent parts are preferred. The list of food plants includes more than 80 species from more than 30 families; the species is a generalist. First-instar larvae do not feed.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Mating occurs on plants, with the partners in an end-to-end position. Egg batches with 30–130 (average 70–75) drum-shaped, yellowish eggs in several rows are glued to the under-sides of leaves; they turn pink and then red-orange. Females lay one or two egg batches. Up to five generations per year in warm climates but fewer in temperate areas.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Severe damage is done in several cultures, with yield loss and damage to quality; viruses and disease-producing fungi are transmitted. Much effort is invested in controlling these pests. Adults are controlled mainly by species of parasitic flies; eggs are efficiently controlled (95%) by tiny wasps.
