Spined Soldier Bug on Patrol in the Robbins Farm Garden!
Submitted by MikeS on
On Saturday morning, July 14th, I discovered this 1/4-inch long, light-orange colored bug on the basil. It proved difficult to photograph, since it really didn't like to stand still. However Alan, being very patient, finally captured these two shots -- one for close-up detail, and the other with my hand for scale.
After many hours of searching the internet, I am now convinced that what I found is the nymph stage of a type of Stink Bug -- the Spined Soldier Bug, Podisus maculiventris. While many types of Stink Bugs are exceedingly damaging to many food crops in the U.S., this particular bug is actually beneficial because it's a predator. It kills other insects by literally sucking the life out of them!
So, this is one of the good guys! It's a good thing that we don't need to get rid of this bug, as stink bugs are very difficult to control, both organically and conventionally!
