Green Stink Bug in Soybean

Crop Damage

Green stink bugs (Chinavia hilaris) occur throughout the United States and in southern Canada. They have a broad host range that includes soybean. Both nymphs and adults use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on soybean leaves, stems, flowers, pods, and seeds. As they feed, they inject digestive enzymes that damage plant tissue and expose the area to pathogens. Green stink bugs cause the greatest economic damage when they feed on developing pods and seeds, which can result in shriveled seeds and reduced seed size.

Pest Description

Nymphs have various patterns of white, black, red, orange, and yellow throughout their development. A key identifying characteristic is the presence of dark orange to red bands on the edges of the shoulders (also known as the pronotum). Young nymphs have distinctive white, black, and yellow stripes on the abdomen. The final instar has a light green body with distinct black markings on the abdomen and black coloration along the outer edges of the wing pads. Adults are approximately 3/4 inches long and medium green. Key identification characteristics include alternating light green and black bands on the antennae, an orange-yellow border on the head between the antennae, five white spots at the top of the “triangle” on the stink bug’s back (scutellum), and black notches along the yellow edge of the abdomen.

Scouting

There are no established scouting or management guidelines for green stink bugs in the vegetative stages as they rarely cause economic damage. Depending on the state, scouting is recommended when soybeans begin blooming (Stage R1) and may continue until full maturity (Stage R8).

Sweep nets and drop cloths are two common tools used to monitor brown stink bug populations. When using a sweep net, take 25 sweeps in 4 locations within the field. Larger fields may require additional sampling locations to obtain an accurate estimate of stink bug populations. Count the number of older nymphs and adults. When using a drop cloth, place a 6-foot-long white sheet between two rows and shake all the plants on one side towards the sheet in 5 to 8 locations in a field. Count the older nymphs and adults that land on the sheet and determine the average number per row foot.

Management

Common insecticide treatment thresholds for stink bugs when using a sweep net are 9 stink bugs per 25 sweeps (40 stink bugs per 100 sweeps) for grain production fields and 5 stink bugs per 25 sweeps (20 stink bugs per 100 sweeps) in seed production fields. Drop cloth treatment thresholds are 1 stink bug per row foot for grain production fields and 1 stink bug in the six-foot row for seed production fields.

 Timing of scouting and treatment thresholds vary by state, so consult with local or state extension specialists for current scouting and treatment recommendations. If multiple stink bugs species are present, assess their potential impact before making management decisions. If treatment is warranted, consider the pre-harvest interval (PHI) when selecting an insecticide for late-season applications.

Developed and reviewed by Carol Pilcher, Iowa State University and Robert Wright, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with support from the United Soybean Board.