Who are the real stink bugs (superfamily): a complete dossier on "fragrant" pests

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In nature, there is a wide variety of bedbugs. Shields are bright representatives of their family, there are several hundred species of them. They amaze with a variety of colors, but differ from each other in culinary preferences. The shield beetle can disguise itself as a relative or even a competitor and survive in high frosts.

General description of bedbugs from the family of the Shields

Beetles from the Scutellum family have a variety of colors, but the body structure, methods of reproduction and development are similar. Many people are familiar with stink bugs or bright striped beetles that live on plants. They got their name due to the chitinous shell that covers the body, shaped like a shield.

Appearance and structure

Although the bugs of the Shield family differ in color and size, their body structure is the same:

  • the body is three-quarters covered with a shield;
  • body size from 0,7 to 18 mm;
  • triangular head. flat;
  • long antennae on head, consisting of 4-5 segments;
  • the oral apparatus is of a piercing-sucking type, differing in the length and thickness of the proboscis. In predatory individuals, it is thicker and shorter; in herbivores, it is thinner and longer;
  • 3 pairs of legs, two or three segmented.

Some individuals have wings, some do not. Bed bugs have glands on their abdomens that secrete a foul-smelling liquid that serves as a defense against insects. They fly, jump from plant to plant, some can swim.

Varieties of shields.

Reproduction, development and lifespan

In winter, shield insects are in dry litter. In the spring, when vegetation appears, they feed and gain strength to start mating.

Bedbugs breed from May to July, when the air temperature rises to +18 - +20 degrees. The male finds the female by smell, the males of some species attract the female by chirring, such a sound is obtained by rubbing the hind legs against each other.
Mating can last several hours, and one fertilization is enough for the female to lay eggs for the rest of her life. At one time, females of different species lay from 14 to 40 eggs. Shield eggs of various shapes and colors.
After 7-20 days, larvae appear from eggs, they look like adults, but they are small and without wings. They molt 5 times, as the shell does not allow insects to grow and develop. Larvae that cannot shed their shells die.
Female stink bugs, after the birth of offspring, take care of their children for some time and then die. The lifespan of stink bugs depends on the species, and can last one or two years.

Diet

Beetles are divided into three types according to culinary preferences: feeding on plant sap, carnivorous species and mixed type, feeding on both insects and plant sap. Bedbugs that feed on plant sap are classified as garden pests. Depending on the species, they feed on:

  • cereal crops;
  • plants from the nightshade family;
  • cruciferous;
  • berries;
  • weeds;
  • fodder grasses;
  • harm umbrella crops;
  • trees.

Carnivorous species of bedbugs are considered beneficial insects. They destroy pests, their eggs and larvae.

Habitat of stink bugs

Shield bugs live all over the earth. There are many of these insects in Europe, Central Asia, North and South America, Africa. Some species live even in the northern regions. Most species live in tropical climates.

In Russia, shield insects are found in the European part, in the Crimea, in Asia and even in certain regions of Siberia.

Varieties of bedbugs.

Varieties of stink bugs

Shchitniks of different species differ in body color, size and what they eat. Some of them are pests of plants, which, with a massive invasion, can destroy the entire crop.

tree shield
Representatives of tree shield insects are painted in bright green color. Their body is 1,1-1,6 cm long. The female places eggs on the leaves in the form of a hexagon, during the season she can lay 3-4 batches of eggs, each with 25-30 pieces. It feeds on various deciduous trees, berry bushes and grass, cereal crops. May eat other insects. Often found on raspberry bushes. The berries on which the insects sat have an unpleasant odor characteristic of these bugs.
The stink berry bug has a mustard-colored shell. Its body length is 10-15 mm. A female can lay two clutches of 100 eggs in each season. She places them on the back of the sheet. The stink bug feeds on berries: raspberries, currants, gooseberries. The bug at the moment of danger emits an unpleasant odor that can be felt at a distance of up to 3 meters. This smell helps the insect protect itself from enemies.
cruciferous bug
The body of the cruciferous bug, depending on the species, has a different color. There are about 30 types of cruciferous bugs in the world. They have a very bright color, the stripes on the body can be red, yellow, green, black, blue. Body length 0,8-1 cm. The female lays 12 eggs in two rows on the reverse side of the leaf. During the season, 3-4 generations of insects may appear. Cruciferous bugs settle on all types of cabbage, radish, daikon, horseradish, lettuce. With a massive invasion, it can destroy the entire grown crop of vegetables. The crusading bug is often confused with the soldier.
Shield marble
The marble stink bug on the upper part of the body has a coloration of dark and light brown spots, similar to the pattern of marble. The underparts are white or pale in color. The size of the body of the insect is 10-17 mm. A characteristic difference of this species is the light rings on the antennae, which is not found in other bugs that look similar to it in appearance. The female lays 20-30 eggs on the underside of the leaf. The emerging larvae, passing through each stage of molting, have a different body color. In the humid subtropics, 3 generations of marble bugs develop during the year. It is a pest that damages fruits and young shoots of plants.
Harmful turtle
The bug is a harmful turtle has an oval body, dark brown in color with black dots and dashes, 10-12 mm long. On a leaf plate, the female makes a clutch of 14 eggs, which are arranged in two rows. The larvae look like adults but are smaller. One generation of insects appears per season. Harmful turtle - a pest of cereal crops. Winter and wild wheat are especially affected by the bug. Flour from grain damaged by bedbugs is not suitable for food.
Ruled shield
The barred stink bug got its name from the shield along which black and red stripes run. Its body length is up to 11 mm. The female lays her eggs all summer on the stems, leaves and umbrellas of the plant. In clutch there are from 3 to 15 pieces. Ruled shield - a pest of umbrella crops, feeds on seeds, buds and flowers of plants.
pear lace maker
Pear bug or pear lace bug is a small insect, up to 3,5 mm long. Females lay eggs on the underside of the leaves, they can be in one clutch from 100 to 400 pieces. They live on pears, but as soon as the larvae develop wings, they move to other trees in the garden. Usually one generation of bedbugs appears per season, but in the southern regions, when the weather is warm, the second generation may also appear, but if the larvae do not have wings by the onset of cold weather, they will die.
cucumber stink
The cucumber bug is dark gray in color, small in size, no more than 3 mm, it is often confused with fleas. The pest settles on the back of the leaves and makes small holes all over the surface. Over time, the leaves turn yellow and the plant dries up. The bug prefers to settle where it is humid and warm. Females are very prolific, in a short time they are able to infect all the plants in the greenhouse. It harms cucumbers, tomatoes and sweet peppers.
Black-whiskered shield
The color of the body in this species is from dirty yellow to reddish brown, 1-1,4 cm long. The three-segmented antennae are black, only the first segment is rufous with a black stroke. The bug settles on legumes, aster, cereal plants. Can eat cabbage of different types. On these plants, females lay eggs that are shaped like small barrels with a lid. Grown up larvae and adults feed on raspberries in the second half of summer. currants and juice of seeds of different herbs.

The benefits and harms of stink bugs on the site

Shield insects living on plants and feeding on their sap do harm.

Carnivorous stink bugs are beneficial, they destroy harmful insects and their larvae that live on plants.

Some members of the family eat leaves and fruits, damaging the crop. With a massive invasion of stink bugs, plants can be destroyed in a few days.
On the leaves and berries, the bugs leave behind an unpleasant odor and such berries are unsuitable for food.
The turtle bug harms cereal crops, especially wheat. With a massive invasion of insects, the crop is significantly affected. Flour from wheat damaged by the turtle bug is not suitable for food.

Are stink bugs dangerous for humans

Bed bugs living on plants do not pose a danger to humans. The proboscis with which they pierce plants is soft and cannot pierce human skin.

Triatomine bugs live in the tropics, causing harm to plants and animals. They bite people. A meeting with this type of bugs for a person can end badly. The danger is that they are carriers of sleeping sickness.
On the territory of Russia there is a bug-predator. It can bite through human skin, its bite is compared to a wasp sting.
Do garden bugs bite?

Garden bugs feed on plant sap. The proboscis for piercing the stems and leaves of plants is soft, and cannot pierce the skin of a person.

Unpleasant smell of bedbugs

In bugs in the cephalothorax there are glands that emit a specific smell by which they recognize their relatives and attract a partner for mating. In case of danger, an unpleasant smell serves to scare off enemies, for some insects it can be poisonous and cause spasms, paralysis and even death.

How to remove the smell

You can eliminate the smell of stink bugs from the surface if you wash it thoroughly with a detergent. Wash clothes that the person was wearing at the time of contact with the insect using fabric softener or rinse in a vinegar solution.

How stink bugs get into the house

Usually, by chance, stink bugs get into the house, some possible reasons for entering the room:

  • can fly into an open window;
  • get from the street along with vegetables, herbs or flowers;
  • in natural disasters in habitats, this may be due to fire, hurricane or flood.

One insect won't do much harm. It can be caught and sent to the street. If the shield insects, after entering the room, settled in indoor flowers and do harm, then you need to use the available methods of control.

Shield types.

Methods of dealing with bedbugs in the house and on the site

Various methods can be used to control bed bugs. It depends on situation. In some cases, the use of chemicals is impractical, since they have a certain period of validity, and after processing, vegetables and fruits will be unsuitable for food. In such cases, you can apply a mechanical method or folk remedies.

Chemicals

Great care must be taken in the use of chemicals for the treatment of vegetables, fruits and cereals, since chemical compounds can accumulate in plants and in the soil. Be especially careful during flowering, fruit formation and before harvesting. Some drugs have proven themselves well in the fight against stink bugs.

1
Aktellik
9.7
/
10
Details
2
Carbophos
9.5
/
10
Details
3
Chemifos
9.3
/
10
Details
4
Vantex
9
/
10
Details
Aktellik
1
The universal drug Antellik refers to contact-intestinal insecticides.
Expert rating:
9.7
/
10

It acts on the nervous system of the pest, inhibiting the work of all organs. In the open ground, it remains effective for up to 10 days. Processing is carried out at an air temperature of +15 to +20 degrees.

pros
  • fast result;
  • efficiency;
  • affordable price.
Cons
  • toxicity;
  • pungent smell;
  • high drug consumption.
Carbophos
2
Broad spectrum insecticide.
Expert rating:
9.5
/
10

Suppresses the nervous system, which leads to the death of all organs. Affects pests at all stages of development, including eggs.

pros
  • high performance;
  • universality;
  • high temperature resistance;
  • affordable price.
Cons
  • Strong smell;
  • toxicity.
Chemifos
3
Kemifos is a universal pest control product.
Expert rating:
9.3
/
10

Penetrates through the respiratory tract and kills all pests within a few hours. Retains its activity up to 10 days. acts on adults, larvae and eggs.

pros
  • universality;
  • efficiency;
  • low toxicity;
  • affordable price.
Cons
  • has a strong smell;
  • can not be used during flowering and fruit set;
  • requires strict adherence to the dosage.
Vantex
4
Vantex is a new generation insecticide that has low toxicity if dosage rules are observed.
Expert rating:
9
/
10

Retains its effect even after rain. Frequent use of the drug can be addictive in insects.

pros
  • low toxicity;
  • the range of action of the drug is from +8 to +35 degrees.
Cons
  • dangerous for bees and other pollinating insects;
  • processing is carried out in the morning or evening hours.

Biological methods of struggle

In the world in recent years, more and more people are trying to apply biological methods of protecting plants from pests. For this purpose, biological products or other insects that destroy pests are used.

To destroy the cruciferous stink bug, another parasite called trissolcus is used.

It destroys the eggs of the bug and significantly reduces its number. Such methods are more used by professionals who specialize in growing vegetables in greenhouses. Biological preparations are used for personal plots.

Bitoxibacillin is a drug whose main component is a waste product of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. This bacterium lives in the upper layers of the soil and on its surface, produces spores containing a protein dangerous for bedbugs, which, when it enters their body, begins to decay and destroys the digestive system. The pest cannot eat and dies. For humans, this drug is not dangerous.
Boverin is a bioinsecticide that acts only on harmful insects. The spores of the fungus, which is part of the drug, enter through the chitinous cover of the insect into its body, grow there, gradually killing the host. The spores of the fungus that have come to the surface of the dead pest are introduced into the contacting individuals and in this way a large number of pests are infected.

Traditional recipes

Bed bugs come out of their hiding places in the spring, when shoots appear. They lay their eggs on the leaves of plants and feed on their sap. After a while, voracious larvae appear from the eggs and cause great harm to the plants. Folk remedies for combating stink bugs are environmentally friendly and can be used from the moment the plant appears until the harvest.

For pest control, such folk remedies are used /

GarlicGarlic powder is diluted in water. Take 1 teaspoons per 4 liter, mix and process the plant.
Infusion of onion peel200 grams of onion peel is poured with 1 liter of boiling water, insisted for a day, filtered. The finished infusion is brought to 10 liters by adding the right amount of water and the plants are treated leaf by leaf.
Mustard powder100 grams of dry mustard powder is diluted in 1 liter of hot water, another 9 liters of water are added to the mixture and the plantings are sprayed.
Decoctions of herbsA decoction of wormwood, cloves, red pepper is used for the invasion of the bug.
Black cohoshA black cohosh plant is planted around the perimeter of the field, it repels the pest from the plants.

Prevention of the appearance of stink bugs

Preventive measures will help reduce the number of stink bugs on the site. Timely completion of certain types of work and compliance with certain rules will help protect the crop from pests:

  1. Bed bugs lay their eggs on weed leaves. Therefore, it is necessary to weed crops in a timely manner and remove weeds from the beds.
  2. Timely care of plants: watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil, will increase their immunity and resistance to pest attack.
  3. Planted around the beds of plants that would scare away pests.
  4. Such plants are removed from the site: shepherd's purse, hiccups, colza. They attract bed bugs.
  5. Plants from the cruciferous family are harvested and burned.

At the first appearance of stink bugs on the site, preventive treatments of plants are carried out in order to prevent the mass appearance of pests.

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