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How to identify it
- Adults are small, glossy green stink bugs about 8 to 11 mm long, roughly half the size of the green stink bug and southern green stink bug, and they look more slender for their width.[1][2]
- A single band crosses the pronotum behind the head. It is usually cream or red but can be orange to deep purple, and the flattened outer edge of the abdomen often shows the same color.[1]
- The surest mark is a long, fixed spine on the underside of the abdomen. No other economically important stink bug in Arkansas soybeans has it, though it can be hard to see.[1][2]
- Young nymphs have a black head and pronotum and a red abdomen with black markings. Older nymphs turn green with black markings and a few thick red and black stripes across the abdomen, and their bodies are oval, longer than wide.[1]
- Eggs are black and cylindrical, laid in two side-by-side rows, usually 13 to 17 per clutch.[1][2]
Look-alikes
| Look-alike | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Green stink bug and southern green stink bug | Both are about twice the size of the redbanded stink bug, have a flatter finish and lack the spine under the abdomen.[1][2] |
| Redshouldered stink bugs (Thyanta) | Also green and of similar size, often with a red or purple stripe across the pronotum, but shield-shaped with a dull finish and no belly spine. Their nymphs are about as wide as long and have many thin stripes across the abdomen.[1][2] |
Where it lives
A Neotropical species found from Argentina to the southern United States, it was first reported in the US in the early 1970s but was not considered a major economic pest here until 2002. By 2016 it had been recorded in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina and Texas, and by 2017 it had moved into southern Arkansas as far north as Marianna.[1][3]
Biology and life cycle
Adults that overwinter come out in spring to feed on other legumes such as clover while soybeans are still growing leaves. Later in the season they move into soybeans that have set pods.[2]
UF/IFAS gives four to eight generations a year, beginning to overlap in July, and Arkansas Extension cites the same estimate for Louisiana. Once generations overlap, eggs, nymphs and adults are in a field at the same time.[1][2]
Eggs take about 7.5 days to hatch under optimal conditions, and nymphs pass through five stages. The first stage does not feed on plants.[1]
It feeds mainly on legumes. Soybean is its most important host, followed by beans, peas, lentils, alfalfa and forage legumes, and it also uses weedy legumes such as Crotalaria and Indigofera.[1]
In Arkansas it has been seen in July but has usually not reached treatable numbers until August or September. It is highly mobile and quickly moves into isolated fields that still have green pods, such as soybeans planted after wheat.[2]
Damage and signs
- Nymphs and adults can feed on stems, leaves and blooms, but they prefer the pods and the seeds inside. Feeding punctures show as small brown or black spots, and the beans can shrivel and lose quality.[2][1]
- Heavy feeding delays plant maturity and causes abnormal leaflet and pod growth, and the feeding damage can leave plants open to fungi.[2][1]
- University of Arkansas data suggest it does more damage per insect than other stink bugs, and the longer it stays in a field the more damage it does.[2][3]
Health risk
It is a crop pest of soybeans and other legumes; none of the sources describe any risk to people or pets.[1][2]
Control
Prevention
It tends to arrive late in the season, so planting earlier-maturing varieties in early planting windows gives fields a chance to mature before populations build. Insect-resistant soybean varieties have also been suggested.[2][1]
Traps and physical control
Scout at least weekly with a 15-inch sweep net. Sweep deeper in the canopy in hot weather, or sample in the early morning or late evening. The threshold used in Louisiana and Arkansas is 6 redbanded stink bugs in 25 sweeps, lower than for other stink bugs, so correct identification matters.[2][1]
Pesticides
Pyrethroids that control green and southern green stink bugs usually only suppress this species when used alone. Arkansas Extension found bifenthrin the most consistent pyrethroid and higher rates of acephate generally effective, and it recommends combining two modes of action, such as acephate with bifenthrin or a premix of lambda-cyhalothrin and thiamethoxam, for control and resistance management.[2][1]
Few soybean insecticides last more than a few days, and new bugs fly in after the residual wears off. This is often mistaken for insecticide failure, and repeat applications are typically needed.[2]
Common questions
- How do I tell a redbanded stink bug from a green stink bug?
- Look for its smaller size (about half as big), glossier, more slender body, the colored band across the shoulders and a spine under the abdomen.[1][2]
- Why does it seem to come back after spraying?
- It is highly mobile, and most soybean insecticides only last a few days, so new bugs can move in after the treatment wears off.[2]
- Does it only feed on soybeans?
- No. It feeds on many legumes, including beans, peas, lentils, alfalfa, clover and weedy legumes, but soybean is its most important host.[1][2]
Sources
- University of Florida IFAS Extension (EDIS), “Redbanded Stink Bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) (EENY682/IN1176).” journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/138342 (accessed 2026-11-09)
- University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, “Biology, Identification and Management of the Redbanded Stink Bug (FSA7078).” www.uaex.uada.edu/publications/PDF/FSA-7078.pdf (accessed 2026-11-09)
- University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, “Emergency forum on redbanded stink bug set for Aug. 17 (news release, August 14, 2017).” www.uaex.uada.edu/media-resources/news/2017/august2017/08-14-2017-Ark-red-banded-stink-bugs.aspx (accessed 2026-11-09)
- iNaturalist, “Piezodorus guildinii taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/330167 (accessed 2026-11-09)