Nezara viridula (Linnaeus)

Scientific name: Nezara viridula (Linnaeus)
Common name: Green Stink Bug; Green Vegetable Bug

Order: Heteroptera
Family: Pentatomidae

HOSTS:
Main hosts: Castor, Various vegetables, Cotton
Alternative hosts: Potato, Sweet potato, Citrus spp, Tomato, Haricot bean, Soybean and many other Leguminosae, Cereals

IMPORTANCE IN ETHIOPIA:
Minor pest of: Maize, Sorghum, Wheat

DAMAGE:
Usually they attack the seeds or developing fruit. The feeding punctures cause local necrosis which results in spotted fruits. When young fruits are attacked this might result in fruit shedding. On cotton, the green developing bolls are attacked.

INSECT BIOLOGY & RECOGNITION:
Egg: The barrel shaped eggs are 1.2 x 0.75 mm. First they are white, later they turn pink. A female lays up to 300 eggs, stuck together in batches of 50-60. They are laid on the underside of the leaves.

Nymph: There are five nymphal instars. The first instar nymphs do not feed. They remain clustered near the remains of the eggs. After molting they disperse and start feeding. They suck the sap from soft plant parts, but they prefer to feed on developing seeds or fruits. The nymphs resemble the adults.

Adult: Adults are large shield bugs of 15 x 8 mm. The colour is green, but there are three colour varieties. The most common is a uniform apple green colour above and paler below. Sometimes the colour might be reddish brown.

CONTROL METHODS:
Generally no control is needed