Spined predatory shield bug

Spined predatory shield bugs form part of the “true bug” group of insects and are from the Pentatomidae family. Shield bugs in general are frequently found on crops, ornamentals and weeds. The spined predatory shield bug attacks various caterpillars, including native budworm and armyworms. They use their piercing mouthparts to suck out insect body contents. Adults are 12 mm long and have a grey-brown, shield-shaped body with a light marking in the middle of the back and a pair of prominent spines on either side of the thorax. Nymphs are dark grey with a characteristic red ring on the back. Eggs are laid in irregular-shaped rafts and are black with short white spines around the rim. The adult can lay about 200 eggs in its lifetime. The developmental period from egg to adult takes about 3 weeks and the adult can live for 4-8 weeks. Newly hatched nymphs remain clustered around the egg mass before dispersing.