Pentatomidae

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Pentatomidae
Acrosternum hilare
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hemiptera Suborder: Heteroptera Infraorder: Pentatomomorpha Superfamily: Pentatomoidea Family: Pentatomidae Leach, 1815
Subfamilies
Aphylinae Asopinae Cyrtocorinae Discocephalinae Edessinae Pentatominae Phyllocephalinae Podopinae Serbaninae Stirotarsinae

Pentatomidae Greek: "pente" (five) + "tomos" (a section) is a family of insects that includes some of the stink bugs and shield bugs.

If disturbed, stink bugs will emit a pungent liquid, whose rancid almond smell is due to cyanide compounds. Their antennae are 5-segmented, which gives the family its name. Their bodies are usually shield-shaped.The stink bugs have thic wing covers known as shields and and they actully cover wings that the stink bug uses to fly

Many stink bugs and shield bugs are considered agricultural pest insects, because they can create large populations; they suck plant juices and damage crop production, and they are resistant to many pesticides. However, some genera of Pentatomidae are considered highly beneficial; the anchor bug, which can be distinguished by the red-orange anchor shape on the adult, is one example. It is a predator of other insects, especially Mexican bean beetles, Japanese beetles, and other pest insects.

In the British Isles there are 33 species of shield bugs belonging to the super-family Pentatomoidea, 32 of which are native and 1 which is considered to be newly naturalised.^[1] Of these 32 species, 17 belong in the family Pentatomidae.

Contents 1 Identification features 2 See also 3 External links 4 Cited references

[edit] Identification features

The family characters include five-segmented antennae, a four-segmented beak and 3 tarsal segments. The body shape is generally shield-like when seen from above. The triangular scutellum is usually as long as the corium of the forewing.

Species include:

• Green shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
• Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys)
• Horehound bug (Agonoscelis rutila)
• Forest bug (Pentatoma rufipes)

The unscientific name "stink bug" is sometimes applied to entirely unrelated species such as Boisea trivittata, also known as the "box elder bug."

Anchor bug Stiretrus anchorago A beneficial stink bug	An aggregation of Pentatomid nymphs		A Pentatomid nymph
possibly Rhaphigaster nebulosa	Sloe Bugs hatching	A nymph of Nezara virdula

[edit] See also

• Sunn pest

[edit] External links

• Stink Bugs of North America - photos and information
• Green Stink Bug Acrosternum hilare - large format diagnostic photos, adults and nymphs
• Stink Bug Cosmopepla bimaculata diagnostic photos
• Images of shield bugs
• University of Florida featured creatures: Stiretrus anchorago
• University of Florida featured creatures: Southern green stink bug
• Brown Marmorated Stink Bug - Penn State Entomology Department Fact Sheet

[edit] Cited references

1. ^ Evans, Martin; Roger Edmondson (2005). A Photographic Guide to the Shieldbugs and Squashbugs of the British Isles. Wakefield: WGUK. ISBN 0-9549506-0-7.