Southern Green Stink Bug

The southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula, is a member of the family Pentatomidae within the order Hemiptera and is one of the most widespread and economically notable stink bug species globally, having spread from its origins to warm temperate and tropical regions on nearly every continent. Its broad, shield-shaped body and uniform green coloring are typical of the stink bug family.

This species is a generalist plant feeder, capable of feeding on the developing tissues, seeds, and fruit of a remarkably wide range of host plants, from vegetables and legumes to many ornamental and wild plants, contributing to its success as one of the most cosmopolitan true bugs.

Ecologically, the southern green stink bug is notable both for its broad host range and its adaptability to different climates, making it one of the most frequently encountered large true bugs in gardens and agricultural settings in warmer parts of the world.

• Large, broad, shield-shaped (pentagonal) body, uniformly bright green in most adults.
• Some individuals display a row of small, pale yellowish or whitish dots along the front edge of the pronotum (shoulders), a variable trait seen in a portion of the population.
• A prominent triangular scutellum covers much of the central back, typical of stink bugs.
• Antennae are moderately long with darker tips in some cases; legs are green to match the body.
• Lookalikes include the green shield bug (Palomena prasina) and other green stink bugs, but the southern green stink bug is generally larger and, when present, shows the characteristic row of pale dots along the shoulder margin.

The southern green stink bug is found in gardens, agricultural fields, and a wide variety of vegetation across warm temperate and tropical regions worldwide, including parts of the southern United States, South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and southern Europe. It is active throughout the warmer months and, in tropical climates, can be present year-round, favoring a broad diversity of host plants including vegetables, legumes, and many wild and ornamental species.

Southern green stink bugs feed by piercing plant tissue, including leaves, developing seeds, and fruit, with their beak to withdraw fluids, and their broad host range allows them to move readily between different crop and garden plants throughout the season. Like other stink bugs, they can release a distinctive defensive odor from thoracic glands when disturbed or threatened, serving as a chemical deterrent to predators. They are capable fliers and often aggregate in groups on favored host plants during periods of high population density.

Southern green stink bugs undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult). Females lay tightly packed, barrel-shaped egg clusters on the underside of leaves. Newly hatched nymphs are gregarious, remaining clustered near the egg mass before dispersing to feed individually, and they pass through five nymphal instars with distinctive black, orange, and green patterning before reaching the uniformly green-winged adult stage. Multiple generations can occur per year in warm or tropical climates, while in cooler parts of its range adults overwinter in sheltered vegetation and become active again in spring.