Pentatomidae is a family of insects belonging to the order Hemiptera, 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 crops. However, some species, particularly in the subfamily Asopinae, are predatory and may be considered beneficial.
Etymology
The name "Pentatomidae" is from the Greek 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. However, the term shield bugs is also applied broadly to include several related families (e.g. Acanthosomatidae, Scutelleridae, and Cydnidae), 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 aldehydes and alkanes. Descriptions of the smells vary widely, and include oily, dusty, woody and earthy, and like coriander. 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. Nymphs do not have wings, but may have visible wing buds.
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 pesticides. They are a threat to cotton, corn, sorghum, soybeans, native and ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, weeds, and many cultivated crops.
In Mexico, 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. 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 filling.
Since its arrival in the U.S., the brown marmorated stink bug population has grown significantly. It was first confirmed in the U.S. in the mid-to-late 1990's in Pennsylvania. 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.
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:BioLib.cz: family shield bugs, Pentatomidae Leach, 1815 (retrieved 30 November 2021) 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 Authority: Fieber, 1860 – Americas
Apheledessa – Brazilian Atlantic Forest 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: South America) Stirotarsus Bergroth, 1911 incertae sedis 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 (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