Pentatomidae is a family of

insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

s belonging to the order

Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising more than 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from ...

, generally called shield bugs or stink bugs. Pentatomidae is the largest family in the superfamily Pentatomoidea, and contains around 900 genera and over 4700 species.Robert G. Foottit, Peter H. Adler ''Insect Biodiversity: Science and Society'', John Wiley and Sons, 2009, As hemipterans, the pentatomids have piercing sucking mouthparts, and most are phytophagous, including several species which are severe pests on

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

crop A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. In other words, a crop is a plant or plant product that is grown for a specific purpose such as food, Fiber, fibre, or fuel. When plants of the same spe ...

s. However, some species, particularly in the subfamily Asopinae, are predatory and may be considered beneficial.

Etymology

The name "Pentatomidae" is from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

''pente'' meaning "five" and ''tomos'' meaning "section", and refers to the five segments of their antennae. Pentatomids are generally called "shield bugs" in British English, or "stink bugs" in

American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lang ...

. However, the term shield bugs is also applied broadly to include several related families (e.g. Acanthosomatidae, Scutelleridae, and

Cydnidae Cydnidae are a family of pentatomoid bugs, known by common names including burrowing bugs or burrower bugs. As the common name would suggest, many members of the group live a subterranean lifestyle, burrowing into soil using their head and forel ...

), or specifically only to refer to species in the family Acanthosomatidae. The term shield bug refers to the generalized body shape of adult bugs in these families which resembles a heraldic shield when viewed from above. The American name "stink bug" is specific to the Pentatomidae, and refers to their ability to release a pungent defensive spray when threatened, disturbed, or crushed. The composition of this spray may vary between species, and even by sex or age, but generally includes

aldehyde In organic chemistry, an aldehyde () (lat. ''al''cohol ''dehyd''rogenatum, dehydrogenated alcohol) is an organic compound containing a functional group with the structure . The functional group itself (without the "R" side chain) can be referred ...

s and

alkane In organic chemistry, an alkane, or paraffin (a historical trivial name that also has other meanings), is an acyclic saturated hydrocarbon. In other words, an alkane consists of hydrogen and carbon atoms arranged in a tree structure in whi ...

s. Descriptions of the smells vary widely, and include oily, dusty, woody and earthy, and like

coriander Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual plant, annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae. Most people perceive the ...

. In some species, the liquid contains cyanide compounds and a rancid almond scent, used to protect themselves and discourage predators. The term "stink bug" may also be a vernacular for unrelated insects such as pinacate beetles (in the genus '' Eleodes'').

Description

All pentatomids have 5-segmented antennae, and 3 tarsal segments on each foot. They generally have a large triangular scutellum in the center of the back. The body shape of adult pentatomids is generally " shieldlike," when viewed from above, but this varies between species, and is not true for the immature nymphal stages. The forewings of stink bugs are called hemelytra, with the basal half thickened while the apex is membranous. At rest, the wings are laid across the back of the insect, with the membranous wingtips overlapping. The hindwings are entirely membranous.

Economics

Several stink bugs and shield bugs are considered agricultural pests, because they can grow into large populations that feed on crops, damage production, and they are resistant to many

pesticide Pesticides are substances that are used to control pests. They include herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, and many others (see table). The most common of these are herbicides, which account for approximately 50% of all p ...

s. They are a threat to cotton, corn, sorghum, soybeans, native and ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, weeds, and many cultivated crops. In

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, some species of stink bugs are called ''jumil'', ''chinche de monte'', ''xotlinilli'', or ''chumil'' (e.g. '' Edessa mexicana''). They are most often eaten in the states of Morelos and

Guerrero Guerrero, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guerrero, is one of the 32 states that compose the administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guerrero, 85 municipalities. The stat ...

. The flavor is sometimes said to resemble cinnamon, or sometimes a bitter medicinal flavor. ''Jumiles'' may be used for making sauces or as a

taco A taco (, , ) is a traditional Mexican cuisine, Mexican dish consisting of a small hand-sized corn tortilla, corn- or Flour tortilla, wheat-based tortilla topped with a Stuffing, filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and fing ...

filling. Since its recent arrival in the U.S., the brown marmorated stink bug population has grown significantly. As of October 2014, brown marmorated stink bugs can be found in 41 out of 50 states within the U.S. In 2016 New Zealand's MPI put out an alert to prevent this invasive species from entering via imported cargo.

Pest control and management

Changes in winter temperatures may exacerbate the threat posed by Pentatomidae pest species. Habitats that have been identified as suitable for Pentatomidae expansion, such as the Midwest region of the United States, are likely to be heavily impacted by the increased threat. Furthermore, temperature affects life table parameters, such as survival, development, reproduction, and daily mortality, which can impact a variety of crops depending on the injury stink bugs have on them. As the effects of climate change increase the impacts of stinkbugs on crops, improving efficacy of existing controls and developing new solutions will be critical for pest control. Chemical control programs are commonly used to manage stink bugs, however, there is evidence of increasing insecticide resistance that will decrease the efficacy of these programs over time. Alternatives to insecticides include the removal of symbionts, using traps that disrupt stinkbug vibratory communication and chemical pheromone traps. Acoloba lanceolata01

Taxonomy

There are several subfamilies, of which the Aphylinae is often given family status, but is here retained as a subfamily, following Grazia ''et al.'' (2008). The subfamilies include: * Aphylinae Bergroth, 1906 - Australia # '' Aphylus'' Bergroth, 1906 # '' Neoaphylum'' Štys & Davidová-Vilímová, 2001 * Asopinae Spinola, 1850 - Worldwide ** '' Troilus'' Stål, 1868 *Cyrtocorinae Distant, 1880 - Americas # '' Ceratozygum'' Horváth, 1916 # '' Cyphothyrea'' Horváth, 1916 # '' Cyrtocoris'' White, 1842 # '' Pseudocyrtocoris'' Jensen-Haarup, 1926 * Discocephalinae Fieber, 1860 - Americas ** '' Discocephala'' Laporte, 1832 ** '' Ochlerus'' Spinola, 1837 *Edessinae Fieber, 1860 - Americas # '' Anisoedessa'' Nunes & Fernandes, 2019 # '' Brachystethus'' Laporte, 1833 # '' Doesburgedessa'' Fernandes, 2010 # '' Edessa (bug)'' Fabricius, 1803 # '' Grammedessa'' Correia & Fernandes, 2016 # '' Lopadusa'' Stål, 1860 # '' Mediocampus'' Thomas, 1994 # '' Neopharnus'' Van Duzee, 1910 # '' Olbia (bug)'' Stål, 1862 # '' Pantochlora'' Stål, 1870 # '' Paraedessa'' Silva & Fernandes, 2013 # '' Peromatus'' Amyot & Serville, 1843 # '' Pharnus'' Stål, 1867 # '' Plagaedessa'' Almeida & Fernandes, 2018 # '' Platistocoris'' Rider, 1998 # '' Praepharnus'' Barber & Bruner, 1932 * Pentatominae Leach, 1815 - Worldwide ** '' Bathycoelia'' Amyot & Serville, 1843 ** '' Pentatoma'' Olivier, 1789 * Phyllocephalinae Amyot & Serville, 1843 ** '' Cressona'' Dallas, 1851 ** '' Megarrhamphus'' Bergroth, 1891 ** '' Phyllocephala'' Laporte, 1833 ** '' Tetroda'' Amyot & Serville, 1843 * Podopinae Amyot & Serville, 1843 ** '' Graphosoma'' Laporte de Castelnau, 1833 ** '' Podops'' Laporte de Castelnau, 1833 *Serbaninae (monotypic) # '' Serbana borneensis'' Distant, 1906 *Stirotarsinae (monotypic) # '' Stirotarsus'' Bergroth, 1911 *''

incertae sedis or is a term used for a taxonomy (biology), taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

'' # '' Antillosciocoris'' Thomas, 2005 # '' Asopus'' Burmeister, 1834 # '' Jostenicoris'' Arnold, 2011

European species

European species within this family include: * '' Acrosternum arabicum'' Wagner, 1959 * '' Acrosternum heegeri'' Fieber, 1861 * '' Acrosternum malickyi'' Josifov & Heiss, 1989 * '' Acrosternum millierei'' (Mulsant & Rey, 1866) * '' Acrosternum rubescens'' (Noualhier, 1893) * '' Aelia acuminata'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Aelia albovittata'' Fieber, 1868 * '' Aelia angusta'' Stehlik, 1976 * '' Aelia cognata'' Fieber, 1868 * '' Aelia cribrosa'' Fieber, 1868 * '' Aelia furcula'' Fieber, 1868 * '' Aelia germari'' Kuster, 1852 * '' Aelia klugii'' Hahn, 1833 * '' Aelia notata'' Rey, 1887 * '' Aelia rostrata'' Boheman, 1852 * '' Aelia sibirica'' Reuter, 1884 * '' Aelia virgata'' (Herrich-Schäffer, 1841) * '' Ancyrosoma leucogrammes'' (Gmelin, 1790) * '' Andrallus spinidens'' (Fabricius, 1787) * '' Antheminia absinthii'' (Wagner, 1952) * '' Antheminia aliena'' (Reuter, 1891) * '' Antheminia lunulata'' (Goeze, 1778) * '' Antheminia pusio'' (Kolenati, 1846) * '' Antheminia varicornis'' (Jakovlev, 1874) * '' Apodiphus amygdali'' (Germar, 1817) * '' Arma custos'' (Fabricius, 1794) * '' Arma insperata'' Horvath, 1899 * '' Asaroticus solskyi'' Jakovlev, 1873 * '' Bagrada abeillei'' Puton, 1881 * '' Bagrada confusa'' Horvath, 1936 * '' Bagrada elegans'' Puton, 1873 * '' Bagrada funerea'' Horvath, 1901 * '' Bagrada hilaris'' (Burmeister, 1835) * '' Bagrada stolida'' (Herrich-Schäffer, 1839) * '' Bagrada turcica'' Horvath, 1936 * '' Brachynema cinctum'' (Fabricius, 1775) * '' Brachynema germarii'' (Kolenati, 1846) * '' Brachynema purpureomarginatum'' (Rambur, 1839) * '' Capnoda batesoni'' Jakovlev, 1889 * '' Carpocoris coreanus'' Distant, 1899 * '' Carpocoris fuscispinus'' (Boheman, 1850) * '' Carpocoris melanocerus'' (Mulsant & Rey, 1852) * '' Carpocoris pudicus'' (Poda, 1761) * '' Carpocoris purpureipennis'' (De Geer, 1773) * '' Chlorochroa juniperina'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Chlorochroa pinicola'' (Mulsant & Rey, 1852) * '' Chlorochroa reuteriana'' (Kirkaldy, 1909) * '' Chroantha ornatula'' (Herrich-Schäffer, 1842) * '' Codophila varia'' (Fabricius, 1787) * '' Crypsinus angustatus'' (Baerensprung, 1859) * '' Derula flavoguttata'' Mulsant & Rey, 1856 * '' Dolycoris baccarum'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Dolycoris numidicus'' Horvath, 1908 * '' Dryadocoris apicalis'' (Herrich-Schäffer, 1842) * '' Dybowskyia reticulata'' (Dallas, 1851) * '' Dyroderes umbraculatus'' (Fabricius, 1775) * '' Eudolycoris alluaudi'' (Noualhier, 1893) * '' Eurydema cyanea'' (Fieber, 1864) * '' Eurydema dominulus'' (Scopoli, 1763) * '' Eurydema eckerleini'' Josifov, 1961 * '' Eurydema fieberi'' Schummel, 1837 * '' Eurydema gebleri'' Kolenati, 1846 * '' Eurydema herbacea'' (Herrich-Schäffer, 1833) * '' Eurydema lundbaldi'' Lindberg, 1960 * '' Eurydema maracandica'' Oshanin, 1871 * '' Eurydema nana'' Fuente, 1971 * '' Eurydema oleracea'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Eurydema ornata'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Eurydema rotundicollis'' (Dohrn, 1860) * '' Eurydema rugulosa'' (Dohrn, 1860) * '' Eurydema sea'' Pericart & De la Rosa 2004 * '' Eurydema spectabilis'' Horvath, 1882 * '' Eurydema ventralis'' Kolenati, 1846 * '' Eysarcoris aeneus'' (Scopoli, 1763) * '' Eysarcoris ventralis'' (Westwood, 1837) * '' Eysarcoris venustissimus'' (Schrank, 1776) * '' Graphosoma interruptum'' White, 1839 * '' Graphosoma italicum'' (Müller, 1766) * '' Graphosoma lineatum'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Graphosoma melanoxanthum'' Horvath, 1903 * '' Graphosoma semipunctatum'' (Fabricius, 1775) * '' Halyomorpha halys'' (Stål, 1855) * '' Holcogaster fibulata'' (Germar, 1831) * '' Holcostethus albipes'' (Fabricius, 1781) * '' Holcostethus evae'' Ribes, 1988 * '' Holcostethus sphacelatus'' (Fabricius, 1794) * '' Jalla dumosa'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Leprosoma inconspicuum'' Baerensprung, 1859 * '' Leprosoma stali'' Douglas & Scott, 1868 * '' Leprosoma tuberculatum'' Jakovlev, 1874 * '' Macrorhaphis acuta'' Dallas, 1851 * '' Mecidea lindbergi'' Wagner, 1954 * '' Mecidea pallidissima'' Jensen-Haarup, 1922 * '' Menaccarus arenicola'' (Scholz, 1847) * '' Menaccarus deserticola'' Jakovlev, 1900 * '' Menaccarus dohrnianus'' (Mulsant & Rey, 1866) * '' Menaccarus turolensis'' Fuente, 1971 * '' Mustha spinosula'' (Lefèbvre, 1831) * '' Neostrachia bisignata'' (Walker, 1867) * '' Neottiglossa bifida'' (A. Costa, 1847) * '' Neottiglossa flavomarginata'' (Lucas, 1849) * '' Neottiglossa leporina'' (Herrich-Schäffer, 1830) * '' Neottiglossa lineolata'' (Mulsant & Rey, 1852) * '' Neottiglossa pusilla'' (Gmelin, 1790) * ''

Nezara viridula ''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 f ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Palomena formosa'' Vidal, 1940 * '' Palomena prasina'' (Linnaeus, 1761) * '' Palomena viridissima'' (Poda, 1761) * '' Pentatoma rufipes'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Peribalus congenitus'' Putshkov, 1965 * '' Peribalus inclusus'' (Dohrn, 1860) * '' Peribalus strictus'' (Fabricius, 1803) * '' Perillus bioculatus'' (Fabricius, 1775) * '' Picromerus bidens'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Picromerus brachypterus'' Ahmad & Onder, 1990 * '' Picromerus conformis'' (Herrich-Schäffer, 1841) * '' Picromerus nigridens'' (Fabricius, 1803) * '' Piezodorus lituratus'' (Fabricius, 1794) * '' Piezodorus punctipes'' Puton, 1889 * '' Piezodorus teretipes'' (Stål, 1865) * '' Pinthaeus sanguinipes'' (Fabricius, 1781) * '' Podops annulicornis'' Jakovlev, 1877 * '' Podops calligerus'' Horvath, 1887 * '' Podops curvidens'' Costa, 1843 * '' Podops dilatatus'' Puton, 1873 * '' Podops inunctus'' (Fabricius, 1775) * '' Podops rectidens'' Horvath, 1883 * '' Putonia torrida'' Stål, 1872 * '' Rhacognathus punctatus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Rhaphigaster nebulosa'' (Poda, 1761) * '' Rubiconia intermedia'' (Wolff, 1811) * '' Schyzops aegyptiaca'' (Lefèbvre, 1831) * '' Sciocoris angularis'' Puton, 1889 * '' Sciocoris angusticollis'' Puton, 1895 * '' Sciocoris conspurcatus'' Klug, 1845 * '' Sciocoris convexiusculus'' Puton, 1874 * '' Sciocoris cursitans'' (Fabricius, 1794) * '' Sciocoris deltocephalus'' Fieber, 1861 * '' Sciocoris distinctus'' Fieber, 1851 * '' Sciocoris galiberti'' Ribaut, 1926 * '' Sciocoris helferi'' Fieber, 1851 * '' Sciocoris hoberlandti'' Wagner, 1954 * '' Sciocoris homalonotus'' Fieber, 1851 * '' Sciocoris luteolus'' Fieber, 1861 * '' Sciocoris macrocephalus'' Fieber, 1851 * '' Sciocoris maculatus'' Fieber, 1851 * '' Sciocoris microphthalmus'' Flor, 1860 * '' Sciocoris modestus'' Horvath, 1903 * '' Sciocoris ochraceus'' Fieber, 1861 * '' Sciocoris orientalis'' Linnavuori, 1960 * '' Sciocoris pallens'' Klug, 1845 * '' Sciocoris pentheri'' Wagner, 1953 * '' Sciocoris pictus'' Wagner, 1959 * '' Sciocoris sideritidis'' Wollaston, 1858 * '' Sciocoris sulcatus'' Fieber, 1851 * '' Sciocoris umbrinus'' (Wolff, 1804) * '' Sciocoriscanariensis'' Lindberg, 1953 * '' Scotinophara sicula'' (A. Costa, 1841) * '' Scotinophara subalpina'' (Bergroth, 1893) * '' Stagonomus amoenus'' (Brullé, 1832) * '' Stagonomus bipunctatus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Stagonomus devius'' Seidenstucker, 1965 * '' Stagonomus grenieri'' (Signoret, 1865) * '' Staria lunata'' (Hahn, 1835) * '' Stenozygum coloratum'' (Klug, 1845) * '' Sternodontus binodulus'' Jakovlev, 1893 * '' Sternodontus obtusus'' Mulsant & Rey, 1856 * '' Tarisa dimidiatipes'' Puton, 1874 * '' Tarisa elevata'' Reuter, 1901 * '' Tarisa flavescens'' Amyot & Serville, 1843 * '' Tarisa pallescens'' Jakovlev, 1871 * '' Tarisa salsolae'' Kerzhner, 1964 * '' Tarisa subspinosa'' (Germar, 1839) * '' Tholagmus flavolineatus'' (Fabricius, 1798) * '' Tholagmus strigatus'' (Herrich-Schäffer, 1835) * '' Trochiscocoris hemipterus'' (Jakovlev, 1879) * '' Trochiscocoris rotundatus'' Horvath, 1895 * '' Troilus luridus'' (Fabricius, 1775) * '' Ventocoris achivus'' (Horvath, 1889) * '' Ventocoris falcatus'' (Cyrillus, 1791) * '' Ventocoris fischeri'' (Herrich-Schäffer, 1851) * '' Ventocoris halophilum'' (Jakovlev, 1874) * '' Ventocoris modestus'' (Jakovlev, 1880) * '' Ventocoris philalyssum'' (Kiritshenko, 1916) * '' Ventocoris ramburi'' (Horvath, 1908) * '' Ventocoris rusticus'' (Fabricius, 1781) * '' Ventocoris trigonus'' (Krynicki, 1871) * '' Vilpianus galii'' (Wolff, 1802) * '' Zicrona caerulea'' (Linnaeus, 1758) Eurydema oleracea.jpg, Image:Chinche hedionda depredadora (Euthyrhynchus floridanus).jpg, '' Euthyrhynchus floridanus'', nymph Image:Troilus luridus 20020828.jpg, '' Troilus luridus'' Image:Pentatomidae spec.jpg, '' Raphigaster nebulosa'' Image:Eurydema ornatum en Tenerife.jpg, '' Eurydema ornatum'' File:Perillus nymph.jpg, '' Perillus'', nymph File:Hemiptera, Pentatomidae, Atelocera sp.jpg, ''Atelocera serrata''

References

External links

When Twenty-Six Thousand Stinkbugs Invade Your Home
by Kathryn Schulz. ''The New Yorker,'' March 12, 2018.

Ed Yong Edmund Soon-Weng Yong (born 17 December 1981) is a British Americans, British-American science journalist and author. In 2021, he received a Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for a series on the COVID-19 pandemic. He is the author of two ...

called it a "pure delight."
I.A.D. Robertson: ''The Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Sub-Saharan Africa : a database''
Malindi, 2009

– photos and information

* I. A. D. Robertson: ''The Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Sub-Saharan Africa : a database''. Malindi, 2009
Online version in Repository Naturalis Leiden
{{Taxonbar, from=Q652142 Heteroptera families Shield bugs Taxa named by William Elford Leach la:Cimex foetidus