Nezara viridula

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Nezara viridula
Nezara viridula MHNT verte.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Family: Pentatomidae
Genus: Nezara
Species:
N. viridula
Binomial name
Nezara viridula
Synonyms
  • Cimex smaragdulus Fabricius, 1775
  • Cimex viridulus Linnaeus, 1758
  • Nezara approximata Reiche & Fairmaire, 1848
  • Nezara aurantiaca Costa, 1884

Nezara viridula, commonly known as the southern green stink bug (USA), southern green shield bug (UK) or green vegetable bug (Australia and New Zealand), is a plant-feeding stink bug. Believed to have originated in Ethiopia, it can now be found across the world. [1] Because of its preference for certain species of legumes, such as beans and soybeans, it is an economically important pest on such crops. [2]

Contents

Description

Nezara viridula illustrated by Des Helmore HEMI Pentatomidae Nezara viridula 1.png
Nezara viridula illustrated by Des Helmore

The adult males can reach a body length (from front to elytral apex) of about 12.1 millimetres (0.48 in), while females are bigger, reaching a size of about 13.1 millimetres (0.52 in). The body is usually bright green and shield-shaped and the eyes are usually reddish, but they may also be black. There is a row of three white spots on the scutellum. They differ from the similar green stink bug (Chinavia hilare) by the shape of their scent gland openings, which are short and wide in N. viridula, and narrow and long in the green stink bug. [1]

Color morphs

Several distinct morphs can be distinguished by the pattern of their exoskeleton coloration. The most common morph is predominantly green (Nezara viridula f. smaragdula), a less common morph is green with white or yellowish front margins on the head and the thorax (Nezara viridula f. torquata Fabricius, 1775) [3] and a very rare morph has a uniformly orange or yellow (occasionally pink) coloration (Nezara viridulaf. aurantiaca). [4]

Pentatomidae - Nezara viridula f. smaragdula.JPG
Nezara viridula f. smaragdula
Pentatomidae - Nezara viridula f. torquata. torquata.JPG
Nezara viridula f. torquata
Nezara viridula golden.jpg
Nezara viridula f. aurantiaca

Life history

Nezara viridula reproduces throughout the year in tropics. In temperate zones this species presents a reproductive winter diapause, associated with a reversible change of body colouration from green to brown or russet. [5]

When ready to mate N.viridula sound 100 Hz vibration with a "tymbal" composed of a fused first and second terga (not to be confused with tymbal of cicadas) that allow bi-directional communication to any Nezara standing on the same plant so they could find each other. The female lays 30 to 130 eggs at a time, in the form of an egg mass glued firmly to the bottom of a leaf. The eggs are barrel-shaped, with an opening on the top. [1] The eggs take between 5 and 21 days to develop, depending on the temperature. [6] The newborn larvae gather near the empty eggs and do not feed until three days later, after the first moult. They moult five times before reaching maturity, increasing in size each time. Each instar stage lasts about a week, except for the last one before the metamorphosis, which is a day longer. [1] Up to four generations can develop in one year, with eggs developing into adults in as few as 35 days in mid-summer. Up until their third moult the larvae aggregate together on the host plant, the purpose of this aggregation is probably pooling of chemical defenses against predators, for example ants. [6]

Ecology

It is a highly polyphagous herbivore, able to feed on plants from over 30 families, both monocots and dicots. [6] It has a preference for legumes, preferring to feed on plants that are fruiting or forming pods. [6]

The most important factor limiting the population in temperate zones is winter cold. Mortality of overwintering individuals is between 30 and 80%, and the population cannot survive in areas where the average mid-winter temperature is below 5 °C. [7] Females are more likely to survive the winter than males, as are larger individuals and those that develop reddish-brown coloration. [6] In recent decades, the species seems to be expanding its range towards the north in the northern hemisphere, possibly because of global warming. [7] [8] The animal's ability to survive the winter also depends on the timely onset of diapause.

Origin and range

Nezara viridula is a cosmopolitan species, living in tropical and subtropical regions of Americas, Africa, Asia, Australasia and Europe between 45 degrees north and 45 degrees south. [6] Its exact origin is unknown, but it is believed to have originated from the Ethiopia region of East Africa, from where it has spread around the world thanks to its strong flight and human trade routes. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Pentatomoidea are a superfamily of insects in the Heteroptera suborder of the Hemiptera order. As Hemiptera, they share a common arrangement of sucking mouthparts. The roughly 7000 species under Pentatomoidea are divided into 21 families. Among these are the stink bugs and shield bugs, jewel bugs, giant shield bugs, and burrower bugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parent bug</span> Species of true bug

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<i>Polygonia c-album</i> Species of butterfly

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scutelleridae</span> Family of insects

Scutelleridae is a family of true bugs. They are commonly known as jewel bugs or metallic shield bugs due to their often brilliant coloration. They are also known as shield-backed bugs due to the enlargement of the thoracic scutellum into a continuous shield over the abdomen and wings. This latter characteristic distinguishes them from most other families within Heteroptera, and may lead to misidentification as a beetle rather than a bug. These insects feed on plant juices from a variety of different species, including some commercial crops. Closely related to stink bugs, they may also produce an offensive odour when disturbed. There are around 450 species worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green shield bug</span> Species of true bug

The green shield bug is a European shield bug species in the family Pentatomidae. The name might equally apply to several other species in the tribe Nezarini, or if referred-to as a "green stink bug", it might more appropriately belong to the larger North American bug, Chinavia hilaris. The adult green shield bug ranges in the colour of their backs from bright green to bronze, without any substantial markings. Green shield bugs are a very common shield bug throughout Europe, including Great Britain & Ireland, and are found in a large variety of habitats, including gardens. They have been found as far north as 63° N latitude.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green stink bug</span> Species of true bug

The green stink bug or green soldier bug is a stink bug of the family Pentatomidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown marmorated stink bug</span> Species of Pentatomid insect

The brown marmorated stink bug is an insect in the family Pentatomidae, native to China, Japan, Korea and other Asian regions. In September 1998 it was collected in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where it is believed to have been accidentally introduced. The nymphs and adults of the brown marmorated stink bug feed on over 100 species of plants, including many agricultural crops, and by 2010–11 had become a season-long pest in orchards in the Eastern United States. In 2010, in the Mid-Atlantic United States, $37 million in apple crops were lost, and some stone fruit growers lost more than 90% of their crops. Since the 2010s, the bug has spread to the nation of Georgia and Turkey and caused extensive damage to hazelnut production. It is now established in many parts of North America, and has recently become established in Europe and South America.

<i>Picromerus bidens</i> Species of insect

Picromerus bidens, the spiny shieldbug or spiked shieldbug, is a carnivorous species of shield bug in the family Pentatomidae.

<i>Dolycoris baccarum</i> Species of true bug

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<i>Trichopoda pennipes</i> Species of fly

Trichopoda pennipes is a species of feather-legged fly in the dipteran family Tachinidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tessaratomidae</span> Family of true bugs

Tessaratomidae is a family of true bugs. It contains about 240 species of large bugs divided into 3 subfamilies and 56 genera.

<i>Nezara</i> Genus of true bugs

Nezara is a genus of plant-feeding stink bug of the family Pentatomidae, first described by Charles Jean-Baptiste Amyot & Jean Guillaume Audinet-Serville in 1843.

<i>Cermatulus nasalis</i> Species of true bug

Cermatulus nasalis is a species of predatory shield bug in the family Pentatomidae. It is commonly known as the brown soldier bug or glossy shield bug and is native to Australia and New Zealand.

<i>Piezodorus lituratus</i> Species of bug

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<i>Euthyrhynchus floridanus</i> Species of true bug

Euthyrhynchus floridanus, the Florida predatory stink bug, is a species of carnivorous shield bug in the family Pentatomidae, the only species in the genus Euthyrhynchus. It is native to the hottest parts of the southeastern United States and is considered beneficial because it feeds on many species of pest insects. They also feed on things such as grasshoppers and other small insects. This species also hunts in a pack, with up to twelve.

<i>Monteithiella humeralis</i> Species of shield bug of the family Pentatomidae

Monteithiella humeralis, commonly known as the pittosporum shield bug is a species of herbivorous shield bug native to Australia and introduced in New Zealand. As its common name suggests, it is most commonly observed feeding on Pittosporum plants.

<i>Trissolcus basalis</i> Species of wasp

Trissolcus basalis, or the green vegetable bug egg parasitoid, is a parasitoid wasp in the family Platygastridae known primarily for parasitising the horticultural pest Nezara viridula, the green vegetable bug.

<i>Trissolcus oenone</i> Species of wasp

Trissolcus oenone is a parasitoid wasp in the family Platygastridae, native to Australia and New Zealand. It parasitises the eggs of stink bugs (Pentatomidae), but little is known about its biology.

<i>Dictyotus caenosus</i> Species of true bug

Dictyotus caenosus, commonly known as the brown shield bug, is an Australian species of stink bug that has been introduced into New Zealand and New Caledonia.

<i>Cuspicona simplex</i> Species of true bug

Cuspicona simplex, commonly known as the green potato bug, is a herbivorous species of stink bug native to Australia and introduced to New Zealand. It feeds on nightshades. It is primarily known as a pest of potatoes, tomatoes, and other crops in the nightshade family.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Squitier J.M. (1997, updated 2007) «Southern green stink bug» Featured creatures, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural services.
  2. ↑ Panizzi A.R. et al. (2000). Stink bugs (Pentatomidae). In: Schaefer C.W. & Panizzi A.R. (eds.). Heteroptera of economic importance, str. 421-747. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
  3. ↑ Zicha, Ondrej. "BioLib: Biological library". www.biolib.cz. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  4. ↑ Mary Golden and Peter A. Follett First report of Nezara viridula f. aurantiaca in Hawai
  5. ↑ Musolin, Dmitry (2012). Surviving winter: diapause syndrome in the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula Physiological Entomology - Volume 37, Issue 4, pages 309–322
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Todd J.W. (1989). «Ecology and behavior of Nezara viridula». Annu. Rev. Entomol.34: 273-292. doi : 10.1146/annurev.en.34.010189.001421
  7. 1 2 Musolin D.L. (2005). «The Southern Green Shield Bug Nezara viridula (L.) expands its distribution range, not only in the U.K.» Het News - Newsletter of the Heteroptera Recording Schemes. Retrieved on 2008-10-14.
  8. ↑ Yukava J. et al. (2007). «Distribution range shift of two allied species, Nezara viridula and N. antennata (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), in Japan, possibly due to global warming [ permanent dead link ]». Applied Entomology and Zoology42(2): 205-215
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