Despite its name, the Clown Stink Bug is an East Asian jewel bug. Its rounded back is metallic green or blue-black, with red or orange stripes. It has no known established wild population in the United States.
Appearance
Appearance
Adults are about 0.7–0.8 in (17–20 mm) long and have a smoothly rounded, shield-like back. The metallic ground color varies from golden green to deep blue-black, with red or orange stripes. A large plate on its back covers most of the wings and abdomen.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
forest edges
wooded hills
host trees
Range
It occurs in East Asia, including Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. It has no known established wild population in the United States, so it is not expected outdoors there.
Preferred conditions
In its East Asian range, it uses trees for food and leaf litter for winter shelter.
Behavior
Diet
s and adults pierce stems and fruits of several trees and drink plant sap.
Social life
In Japan, nymphs sometimes gather in groups on plants.
Overwintering
In a studied Osaka population, it overwinters as a nymph.
Life cycle
Larva
It passes from egg through five nymph stages to adulthood without a pupal stage.
Caterpillar food plants
Recorded host plants include giant dogwood and several other East Asian broadleaf trees.
Name and classification
About the name
Despite its English name, the Clown Stink Bug is a jewel bug.