2019 Pentatomidae Year in Review
This is mostly for my own records, but it anyone wants to look through it, knock yourselves out. The plan is to list out the species I encountered this year and a little summary about each. In total, I think I ended up with about 51 species. I went out on a limb with a few of these species (in particular the ones from Costa Rica) but it should be reasonably accurate. I only attached a single overview picture for most of these and many of the identifying features are absent in this post, but present in the other photos that I took of the specimens.
Get ready to see lots of my gross fingernails.
Many thanks to all of the people that have so graciously answered my constant questions and helped to steer my curiosity with these guys, especially DB Thomas, Joe Eger, David Rider.
Asopinae
This subfamily includes all of the predatory stink bugs! My favorites.
Apateticus marginiventris
Maybe the species I was most excited about this year. I found 4 different individuals in the Organ Mountains of NM this year. I came across an adult in early June that I thought was Chlorochroa ligata until I turned it over and saw the predatory mouthparts. I also came across a 4th instar and a 5th instar that were in an apache plume plant that had a large population of Chrysomelid beetles. The last one was a 5th instar nymph that I found in late July.
Perillus bioculatus
Such a cool species. I found this beauty when I was digging at the bases of some plants that had a serious leaf beetle infestation going on. Was lucky enough to find this one that was there to feed on them.
Podisus maculiventris
The "Spined Soldier Bug" was the stink bug that got me interested in stink bugs. I had 10 observations of the species this year. These observations were split between two sites. The first was out in Grant County, NM at the beginning of July when Bri and I were hiking through a stream. There was a nice population feeding on beetle larvae in a tree overhanging the stream. The second site was in September when I set out a blacklight at an AirBnB we were staying at in the lower ninth ward in New Orleans.
Podisus serieventris
I ran into this predatory species once this year. I found a nymph down at Eagle Hurst Ranch near Steelville, MO and reared it to adulthood.
Stiretrus anchorago
Finally saw my first "Anchor Stink Bugs" this year! They are most present further southeast, but I saw a couple of them in southern MO this summer, including the nymph pictured above.
Tylospilus acutissimus
One of the perks of living in the southwest is the opportunity to see these awesome predatory stink bugs. I found one in the Organ Mountains this year.
Zicrona americana
This was the Asopine that I ran into most frequently, with 11 observations this year. I only saw it a couple of times, but I found sizable populations when I came across it. They corresponded with large populations of leaf beetles that had similar coloring.
Edessinae
I believe this subfamily is under revision right now and I'm not sure whether these can be identified to species. These three were all from our honeymoon in Costa Rica, and I think I ran into three species out there.
Pentatominae
Agonoscelis puberula
I saw about 15 or 20 of the "African Cluster Bug" this year, all from Oracle State Park in AZ. They were all over the horehound and came to the lights as night fell. These guys are an invasive species and seem to be present in great numbers in a lot of spots. I kept an eye out for them, but never ran into them in NM, but I'm sure they were present.
Bagrada hilaris
Another invasive, I ran into the Bagrada Bug in a few different spots around Las Cruces, NM during June and July.
Banasa dimidiata
The "Green Burgundy Stink Bug" is common throughout a lot of the US. I found this one on cactus in the Organ Mountains. This one may actually be another B. subcarnea though- that species is more common in the SW mountains and it's tough for me to separate the two very well from photos.
Banasa euchlora
They aren't uncommon, but I hadn't actually run into any of these before. The Juniper Stink Bug, as the name suggests, can be found pretty much anywhere that its host plant grows. I found a few at my blacklights at Double E Ranch in Grant County, NM.
Banasa subcarnea
I beat one nymph of this species out of an oak tree in Cloudcroft, NM this August and reared it to adulthood. This species is common in the mountains of some of our Southwestern states.
Banasa sp.(maybe lenticularis)
I'm not sure on this one. I saw a couple of these out at the lights in Costa Rica though.
Brochymena parva
I ended the year with 11 observations of this species and it was by far my most commonly encountered Brochymena species. I found a nice population hanging out around some neglected trees that had been set up in the desert behind our place in Las Cruces, NM. I also found one out in AZ. They have great camouflage when they stay on the trees.
Brochymena sulcata
These guys are tough to tell apart from B. parva, but they're usually a bit larger. I found them a few times on one of the trees in our backyard in Las Cruces, NM. I also found one in AZ.
Chinavia hilaris
I ended up with 8 observations of our common "Green Stink Bug" this year. I never ran into them in NM, but I ran into several nymphs at Bonnie View Park in Columbia, MO, an adult at Eagle Hurst Ranch near Steelville, MO, and a couple of adults down at the Texas City Prairie Preserve in Galveston, TX.
Chlorochroa ligata
I recorded 42 observations of "The Conchuela Bug" during 2019, but I saw significantly more than that. There was a massive explosion of this species and its congener Chlorochroa sayi in the desert behind the place we lived in Las Cruces, NM during the month of July. I must have seen hundreds all over the locust and mesquite back there. I only ran into them in NM this year, but they are common throughout much of the western US.
Chlorochroa saucia
This may be the species I was most excited about finding this year. Bri and I drove from New Orleans out to Galveston, TX partly so that I could go out to the Texas City Prairie Preserve to look for this species which I had seen pop up a few times on iNaturalist. The trip did not disappoint as I finally lucked out around 2 am while blacklighting and got to see this awesome bug. There were a few historical records of the species from TX in the 70's, but it hadn't been seen in the state (as far as I could tell) until within the last few years, so it was awesome to get to go see this neat species for myself. They specialize in costal marshes, which are a threatened habitat, so efforts like that of the preserve are integral to keeping this species around.
Chlorochroa sayi
Like I said above, I saw a ton of "Say's Stink Bug" during July in the desert behind my house in Las Cruces, NM. I recorded 40 observations of the species. I only ran into them in NM this year and found them on locust and at my porch and blacklights I had set up in my backyard.
Chlorochroa senilis
It's not quite as uncommon as its close relative C. saucia but seeing this coastal marsh specialist at the Texas City Prairie Preserve in September was a thrill.
Dendrocoris contaminatus
The second member of this genus I have seen, although the only member that I came across this year. This particular species is a creosote specialist. They're tough to see on the plant, but if you use a beating sheet, they can be found pretty easily. I found 4 this year. Some were in the Organ Mountains and some were in the desert behind our place in Las Cruces, but all were in that little part of NM.
Euschistus biformis
I ran into a few individuals of this species during a hike in late July in the Organ Mountains.
Euschistus crassus
In the US, you can really only hope to find this species in the Gulf Coast states, and south Texas seems to be about the best bet. I was lucky enough to get to see this one at the Texas City Prairie Preserve in September.
Euschistus ictericus
The spines on this make it pretty recognizable among the US Euschistus species. They can be found along much of the Gulf Coast. I got to see one at the Texas City Prairie Preserve in September at the blacklights.
Euschistus inflatus
This species seems to replace the similar servus in much of the western US. I ran into a couple this year in NM.
Euschistus obscurus
I saw a few members of this gulf coast species when I went out to the Texas City Prairie Preserve to blacklight in mid-September.
Euschistus servus
I ran into our common "Brown Stink Bug" 6 times this year in MO and TX.
Euschistus strenuus
A smaller member of the genus that you'll only run into in the SW as far as the US goes. I found one in the Organ Mountains at the end of July. I had a lot of trouble with the key for this one- could see it being E. egglestoni too, but Vassili voted for strenuus.
Euschistus tristigmus
The "Dusky Stink Bug" is pretty common through much of the US. I ran into one when I set up blacklights in the backyard of an AirBnB in the lower 9th ward of New Orleans.
Euschistus variolarius
I ran into one member of this species when I was in Columbia, MO during June.
Holcostethus abbreviatus
I recorded this species five times between June and July in the Organ Mountains near Las Cruces, NM. I also found a few Holcostethus nymphs that could be this species or the one that follows.
Holcostethus limbolarious
I ran into this species the same number of times that I ran into H. abbreviatus and like that species, all of my observations of the species were in the Organ Mountains (NM). I found them from Mid-July into early-August.
Hymenarcys crassa
I was lucky enough to find a pair of this uncommon species at the end of July in the Organ Mountains.
Loxa virescens
I saw a couple of species of Loxa while Bri and I were on our honeymoon in Drake Bay, Costa Rica. This one showed up to the porch lights one night.
Loxa viridis
The other species that I saw in Drake Bay. Really impressive pronotal spines. I think that I saw a couple of these.
Mecidea sp.
The "Narrow Stink Bugs" are difficult to ID to species without examining the genitalia. I ran into them in AZ and NM this year. They're a pretty common group to find in the SW though. Sweeping mature grasses can result in a great number of them.
Menecles insertus
The "Elf Shoe Stink Bug" was one I only saw once, although they aren't too uncommon. I saw a good number of them one night out at Eagle Hurst Ranch near Steelville, MO when Peter and I did a little night exploring. Lots of them hanging on the tree trunks near the river.
Mormidea lugens
I used to run into these all the time in MO, but I only ran into a couple in Louisiana this year.
Mormidea sp.
I can't even make a good guess on this one. I saw a few of these while we were on our honeymoon in Costa Rica though. They were very active and quick to take flight, so I had a tough time getting any good shots.
Murgantia histrionica
The "Harlequin Bug" is common in a lot of the country, but I only ran into it in the Organ Mountains during July.
Oebalus pugnax
The "Rice Stink Bug" is another easy one to find when sweeping grasses. They come to lights too. I ran into them in MO, LA, and TX this year and ended up recording 7 observations.
Piezodorus guildinii
The "Red-Banded Stink Bug" is a serious pest of soy in Brazil and can be found in a few of our gulf coast states. I ran into a few of them when I blacklighted out at the Texas City Prairie Preserve in mid-September.
Plautia stali
My first Hawaiian stink bug! This species can't be found in the continental US, but they are on Hawaii and native to Asia.
Proxys punctulatus
When I ran into this species in college it really piqued my interest in stink bugs, so I was happy to see another one when I was out at the Texas City Prairie Preserve this September.
Sibaria englemani
Bri and I ran into 2 adults and a couple of groups of nymphs while we were hiking around the rainforest near our lodge in Tortuguero, Costa Rica. The spines on these are incredible. What a cool species.
Tepa yerma
I found a decent population of nymphs and adults in the saltbush that was in the desert behind our place in Las Cruces. I recorded 8 observations of the species, but probably saw about 20 individuals in total.
Thyanta calceata
I found a single individual of this species during June in Columbia, MO.
Thyanta custator
This was my most commonly recorded species for the year with 58 observations. I saw them in three states (TX, NM, and AZ) during 2019. You can find them throughout most of the US, but they're especially common in the southwestern US, where they compete with Chlorochroa ligata and Chlorochroa sayi for being the most common species (at least in my limited experiences).
Podopinae
Amaurochrous cinctipes
I was thrilled about this one. This was my first member of the subfamily Podopinae, sometimes called the "Turtle Bugs". This subfamily have an enlarged scutellum and specialize in marshy habitats. I saw this one at the Texas City Prairie Preserve in September.