Acrosternum hilare
Copyright, Marlin. E. Rice
Green Stinkbugs are
bright green with yellow, orange, or red edges. They have
black spots on their sides and grow up to 3/4 inch long.
Stinkbugs are shield-shaped (think of a shield from Medieval
times). Green Stinkbugs live in
fields, gardens, and the edges of woods. They get their name
because of the foul-smelling liquid they release when
something disturbs them. Copyright, Oklahoma State
University Copyright, Marlin. E.
Rice Green Stinkbugs mate in
the Spring. Females lay barrel-shaped, green eggs together
under a leaf in the pattern of a honeycomb. Eggs hatch in
about a week. Green Stinkbug
nymphs
are born from the eggs. Nymphs look a little different from
adult
stinkbugs. Nymphs are black at first, then they turn green
with red, yellow, and black markings. Their bodies are
oval-shaped. These insects do not have
a pupa (resting) stage. Instead, nymphs eat and grow,
shedding their skin several times. Each time a nymph sheds
its skin, it looks a little more like an adult. It takes a Green Stinkbug
nymph about a month to turn into an adult. If the weather stays
warm, an adult stinkbug lives about two months. If a young
stinkbug is around when the weather gets cold, it will
hibernate
in leaf
litter or a tree
hole until Spring.
