Appearance

Appearance

Adults are roughly 0.4–0.5 in (10–13 mm) long, gray-brown, somewhat flattened, and rough-textured, with stout hind thighs.

Look-alikes

Images coming soon

Western conifer seed bugLeptoglossus occidentalis

The western conifer seed bug is longer, has a pale zigzag line across the folded wings, and has broad leaf-like expansions on the hind legs. Acanthocoris sordidus is shorter and stockier and lacks those leaf-like shins.

Why they get mixed up · Both are long brown leaf-footed bugs, but the western conifer seed bug is common across much of the United States.

Brown marmorated stink bugHalyomorpha halys

The brown marmorated stink bug has a broad shield-shaped outline and alternating pale and dark patches along the exposed edge of its abdomen. Acanthocoris sordidus is narrower, rougher, and has more prominent hind thighs.

Why they get mixed up · Both are mottled brown true bugs that may sit on garden plants.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• vegetable fields
• gardens
• weedy edges with host plants

Range

Its documented range includes Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. It is not part of the usual U.S. garden fauna.

Preferred conditions

It lives on plants in the nightshade and morning-glory families, especially on stems and leaves.

Behavior

Diet

Adults and nymphs pierce stems and leaves and drink plant sap.

Social life

Young nymphs stay close together in dense groups; older individuals spread out more.

Overwintering

In Korean pepper fields, adults spend the winter in sheltered sites, which they move to in late fall.

Life cycle

Reproduction

In Korean pepper fields, females lay egg clusters mainly beneath leaves, and nymphs pass through five stages before adulthood.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed

Threats

Dense groups can weaken crop plants by feeding on their sap, so the species is treated as an agricultural pest in Korea and Japan.