Red-shouldered Stink Bug
Thyanta custator
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Hemiptera
- Suborder: Heteroptera
- Infraorder: Pentatomomorpha
- Superfamily: Pentatomoidea
- Family: Pentatomidae
- Subfamily: Pentatominae
- Tribe: Pentatomini
- Genus: Thyanta
- Species: custator
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Thyanta custator: /ˈθaɪ.æntə kʌsˈteɪtɔr/
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Images
Summary
Thyanta custator, commonly known as the red-shouldered stink bug, is a polyphagous species of stink bug found in North America, recognized for its variability and minor pest status in agriculture.
Physical Characteristics
10-11 mm in size, highly variable in coloration; overwintering forms are often, but not always, brown. T. custator custator has a black anterolateral pronotal margin.
Identification Tips
Can be distinguished from the subspecies T. custator accerra based on the presence of a black anterolateral pronotal margin.
Habitat
Found in various habitats across North America.
Distribution
Range spans from Maine to British Columbia and from Florida to California, as well as Guatemala.
Diet
Polypahgous, recorded from dozens of species in 14 plant families.
Ecosystem Role
Minor pest of crops, interacts within various plant communities due to polyphagous diet.
Economic Impact
Minor pest of crops, potentially impacting agricultural yields.
Evolution
There are good biological reasons for keeping T. custator and T. pallidovirens as separate species despite their morphological similarities.
Misconceptions
Historically, T. custator was often misidentified in literature; confusion between it and T. pallidovirens has occurred over the years.
Tags
- stink bug
- Thyanta custator
- Hemiptera
- agricultural pest