Predatory Stink Bug

Predatory stink bugs are shield bugs of the subfamily Asopinae that, in contrast to most stink bugs, feed on other insects rather than plants. A well-known example is the spined soldier bug (Podisus maculiventris), recognized by the sharp points on its shoulders.

These bugs have the classic five-sided shield shape of stink bugs but possess a stouter, more robust beak adapted for piercing prey. They are found across gardens, farmland, and forests, where both nymphs and adults hunt soft-bodied insects.

Because they attack many pest caterpillars, beetle larvae, and other insects, predatory stink bugs are considered beneficial and are sometimes reared for biological control. Like other stink bugs, they can emit a defensive odor when disturbed.

Look for these features:

• Shield-shaped body about 1 to 1.5 cm long, brown to grayish
• Sharp, pointed projections on the shoulders (in the spined soldier bug)
• A stout, robust beak thicker than that of plant-feeding stink bugs
• Mottled coloration with darker markings
• Often seen holding prey with its beak

Lookalikes include plant-feeding stink bugs, but the thick beak and predatory habit distinguish the soldier bugs.

Predatory stink bugs occur widely across North America and other regions, in gardens, crop fields, orchards, meadows, and woodland edges. They are found on foliage where prey insects are active, especially during the warm growing season. They overwinter as adults in sheltered sites such as leaf litter.

Predatory stink bugs hunt caterpillars, beetle larvae, and other soft-bodied insects, impaling prey with their beak and feeding on body fluids. Both nymphs and adults are predators, though young nymphs may also take some plant fluids. By consuming many pest insects, they play a beneficial role in gardens and agriculture and help regulate insect populations.

Predatory stink bugs undergo incomplete metamorphosis. Females lay clusters of barrel-shaped eggs on foliage. The emerging nymphs pass through several instars, becoming increasingly predatory as they grow, before molting into winged adults. Several generations may occur per year in warm climates, and adults typically overwinter in sheltered locations.