The spined soldier bug (''Podisus maculiventris'') is a species of

stink bug Stink bug or stinkbug is a common name for several insects and may refer to: * Any of several bugs in the true bug (hemipteran) family Pentatomidae **'' Halyomorpha halys'', or brown marmorated stink bug **''Chinavia hilaris'', or green stink bug ...

common in North America. They are predators of

gypsy moth ''Lymantria dispar'', also known as the gypsy moth or the spongy moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. ''Lymantria dispar'' is subdivided into several subspecies, with subspecies such as ''L. d. dispar'' and ''L. d. japonica'' be ...

caterpillars and the larvae of beetles such as the

Colorado potato beetle The Colorado potato beetle (''Leptinotarsa decemlineata''), also known as the Colorado beetle, the ten-striped spearman, the ten-lined potato beetle, or the potato bug, is a major pest of potato crops. It is about long, with a bright yellow/or ...

and the

Mexican bean beetle The Mexican bean beetle (''Epilachna varivestis'') is a species of lady beetle that can be an agricultural pest. It is one of the few North American lady beetles that feed on plants rather than other insects. It is found throughout Mexico and ...

. Since the Mexican bean beetle is widely regarded as a notorious agricultural pest in North America, soldier bugs are generally considered to be beneficial garden insects. ''P. maculiventris'' is a generalist predator with a broad host range, reportedly attacking 90 insect species, which includes several important economic pests. Reported prey include the larvae of the

flea beetle The flea beetle is a small, jumping beetle of the leaf beetle family (Chrysomelidae), that makes up the tribe Alticini which is part of the subfamily Galerucinae. Historically the flea beetles were classified as their own subfamily. Thou ...

s and

diamondback moth The diamondback moth (''Plutella xylostella''), sometimes called the cabbage moth, is a moth species of the family Plutellidae and genus ''Plutella''. The small, grayish-brown moth sometimes has a cream-colored band that forms a diamond along i ...

, and corn earworm,

beet armyworm The beet armyworm or small mottled willow moth (''Spodoptera exigua'') is one of the best-known agricultural pest insects. It is also known as the asparagus fern caterpillar. It is native to Asia, but has been introduced worldwide and is now foun ...

fall armyworm The fall armyworm (''Spodoptera frugiperda'') is a species in the order Lepidoptera and one of the species of the fall armyworm moths distinguished by their larval life stage. The term "armyworm" can refer to several species, often describing th ...

European corn borer The European corn borer (''Ostrinia nubilalis''), also known as the European corn worm or European high-flyer, is a moth of the family Crambidae which includes other grass moths. It is a pest of grain, particularly maize (''Zea mays''). The ins ...

cabbage looper The cabbage looper (''Trichoplusia ni'') is a medium-sized moth in the family Noctuidae, a family commonly referred to as owlet moths. Its common name comes from its preferred host plants and distinctive crawling behavior. Cruciferous vegetable ...

, imported cabbageworm, and

velvetbean caterpillar ''Anticarsia gemmatalis'' is a tropical species of caterpillar and moth that migrates north each season. The species can commonly be found in the Gulf states, north as far as Wisconsin. The adults have wings that are grayish brown, crossed with ...

. When prey is scarce, ''P. maculiventris'' may feed on plant juices, but this feeding is not reported to cause significant plant damage. ''P. maculiventris'' is associated with several crops, including alfalfa, apples, asparagus, beans, celery, cotton, crucifers, cucurbits, eggplant, potatoes, onions, soybeans, sweet corn and tomatoes. The effectiveness of this species in preying on economic pests has resulted in its use in classical

biological control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically als ...

programs outside North America, including in Eastern Europe and in Russia. However, this has not been entirely successful in colder climates, perhaps due to the bug's inability to successfully

overwinter Overwintering is the process by which some organisms pass through or wait out the winter season, or pass through that period of the year when "winter" conditions (cold or sub-zero temperatures, ice, snow, limited food supplies) make normal activ ...

. ''P. maculiventris'' eggs are sold commercially for use in control programs; this has proven successful in controlling pests in European and North American heated greenhouses. Use in large-area field crops is often not economically viable, due to the production costs of producing large numbers of ''P. maculiventris'' eggs. In addition, resident populations of ''P. maculiventris'' often are not sufficiently large to contain large larval pest emergences in the spring.

Pheromones A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavi ...

have been used to draw naturally occurring and newly emerging populations of this stink bug to target crops in the spring.spined soldier bug
/ref>

References

External links

Cornell University. Biological Control
on the UF /

IFAS IFAS may refer: * Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences * Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge, a sewage treatment process * International French adjectival system, a grading system used in mountaineering * Irish Federation of Astronomical ...

Featured Creatures Web site
Bugguide.net
Asopinae Insects described in 1832 Hemiptera of North America {{Pentatomidae-stub