juniper stink bug

not listed

not listed

not listed

Juniper stink bug is a common, easily identified, relatively small stink bug. It occurs throughout the United States except for North Dakota, and South Dakota, where it is rare, and Montana and Wyoming, where there are no records of it. It occurs in southern Canada from Nova Scotia to Manitoba and in British Columbia, and it occurs in Mexico and Bermuda. In the U.S. it is common in the east and very common in the south. It is uncommon in Minnesota.

Juniper stink bugs are active from late May to early October. They are plant feeders and are found mostly on eastern redcedar and other species of juniper.

Adults are ⅜″ to 7⁄16″ (9 to 11 mm) in length. The body is elongated oval and almost parallel sided, appearing broad-shouldered and somewhat shield shaped. It is jade green (dark) with heavy yellowish-white, greenish-white, or cream-colored (pale) speckling and scattered pale spots.

The head is small, slightly longer than wide, slightly narrowed in front, and rounded at the tip. There are two pale, longitudinal stripes at the back of the head. The protruding mouthpart (beak) is short. The antennae are slender and green, and they have five segments. The first segment is shorter than the head, the fifth segment is the longest, and the second segment is about half as long as the fifth segment and three fourths as long as the third segment.

The thorax is more than twice as wide as long. The exoskeletal plate covering the thorax (pronotum) is moderately sloping in front, narrow behind the head, and broadest near the rear. The shoulder (humeral) angles are broadly rounded. There are scattered pale spots on the front part of the pronotum. The plate between the wing bases (scutellum) is large and triangular. It is broad at the base and gradually narrowed to a U-shaped lobe at the tip. There is a yellow or pale, crescent-shaped band at the tip of the scutellum, and a similarly colored spot at each front corner. The corner spots readily distinguish juniper stink bug from similar species. The surfaces of the pronotum and scutellum are sparsely and coarsely pitted (punctate).

The abdomen has a flattened, enlarged margin (connexivum). The connexiva are pale with six pairs of dark spots. When the hemelytra are closed, the connexiva are slightly exposed or completely hidden.

There are two pairs of wings, and they are held flat over the body when at rest. The forewings (hemelytra) are slightly longer than the abdomen. They are finely and rather evenly punctate. They have a thickened, leathery section at the base and a thin membranous section at the tip with a clear dividing line between the two. The thickened basal part is comprised of a narrow area (clavus) behind the scutellum when the wings are closed, and the remaining broad marginal area (corium). There are scattered pale spots on the corium.

The hindwings are thin, membranous, and concealed under the forewings.

The legs are green. The last part of each leg (tarsus), corresponding to the foot, has three segments.

Total length: ⅜″ to 7⁄16″ (9 to 11 mm)

Late May to early October

Adults overwinter

Sources

29, 30, 82, 83.

Uncommon in Minnesota

Location: Colerain Township, Ohio