Insect Gallery

Stink Bug Damage
Image courtesy of Becky Carroll, Oklahoma State University

Green Stink Bug
Image courtesy of Becky Carroll, Oklahoma State University

Stink bug damage
Image courtesy of Charles Rohla

Insect Details

Name: Stink Bugs

Latin Name: Nezara viridula

Description: The southern green stink bug adult is shield-shaped, light green, about 1/2 inch long and has an offensive odor.

Insects Life Cycle: The bugs overwinter as adults in leaf litter or other shelter near the orchard. In the spring, they lay eggs in clusters underneath leaves of weeds, cover crops or low growing plants. There may be as many as four generations per year. Pecans normally are attacked only by mature bugs which fly to the trees from other plants.

Insects Symptons: The southern green stink bug, leaffooted bug and similar bugs sometimes cause black pit and kernel spot of pecan nuts. Black pit is indicated by a darkening of the insides of the immature nuts which is followed by premature drop. Pecan weevils and shuckworms cause similar conditions. Kernel spot consists of brown spots from 1/16 to 3/16 inch in diameter that forms a pithy porous area. The injury cannot be detected until the nuts are shelled. Nuts will drop if bugs attack them before shell hardening; after shell hardening, spots will form on the kernels. The bugs can feed through hardened shells. The severity of black pit or kernel spot depends upon the abundance of plant bugs on the native plants and cover crops that are present.