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Picromerus lewisi is a predatory stink bug from East Asia that hunts caterpillars instead of feeding on plants. It isn't found in the United States, but in China it is mass-reared and released to control crop and forest pests.

Appearance

Appearance
A brown shield bug about 0.4–0.6 in (11–15 mm) long. The corners of its "shoulders" (the plate just behind the head) stick out only a little and are blunt at the tip.

Where it lives

Range
Native to East Asia, including China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Russia. It is not found in North America.

Behavior

Diet
Hunts caterpillars and other small insects, piercing them with its beak and sucking out the body fluids. In rearing and predation studies in China, it has been fed oriental armyworm caterpillars.

Connected species

Close relatives
  • Spiny Shield BugPicromerus bidens

    A very similar relative with sharper, more strongly projecting shoulder points; unlike P. lewisi, it has been introduced to North America.

Prey
  • Oriental armywormMythimna separata

    A moth whose caterpillars are a crop pest in Asia; Chinese studies use them as food for this bug.

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Picromerus lewisi — identification & habitat | Moeyo