# Black Stink Bug (*Proxys punctulatus*) The Black Stink Bug is a small insect that lives on plants in fields and at the edges of woods. It has a black body with a pale spot on its back and can release a smelly liquid when it feels threatened. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Edges of lowland woods and crop fields ![Black Stink Bug](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Proxys_punctulatus_P1000931a.jpg&width=800) Photo: xpda, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Proxys_punctulatus_P1000931a.jpg) ## Appearance The Black Stink Bug is a black, shield-shaped insect with a yellowish-white spot at the tip of its shield. Sharp spines on its 'shoulders' (humeral angles) point sideways, its head is pointed and its legs are black and cream. These clues help tell it apart from other dark bugs. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Hemiptera - **Family:** Pentatomidae - **Genus:** Proxys ## Black Stink Bug The black stink bug (Proxys punctulatus) is a shield-shaped true bug in the stink bug family, Pentatomidae. It lives from the south-eastern United States through Mexico and Central America to Brazil and the Caribbean. Adults are 11–13 mm long and black, with sideways-pointing shoulder spines and a pale spot at the tip of the shield. It mostly sucks plant juices but sometimes attacks insect larvae, and unlike other North American stink bugs it lays its eggs one or two at a time. Also called: Black stinkbug. A black shield bug with a pale spot, spiky shoulders and a two-way diet: plant juice and the odd insect larva. ### Special abilities - **Stink Shield** (3 main chemicals in a cousin's smell): Like most true bugs, it can release a strong-smelling liquid from its scent glands. Scientists see this as a defence against predators and germs, not a weapon. [8][5][6][10] - Adults use a scent gland in the thorax; nymphs use glands on the back of the abdomen. Both are a hallmark of true bugs. - In the brown marmorated stink bug the smell is mainly three chemicals, a mix typical of many true bugs. Nobody has analysed the black stink bug's own recipe. - Fine grooves next to the gland opening wick the liquid to a patch where it evaporates. - Crushed stink bugs smell strongly, so the best plan is to leave them alone. - **Two-Way Diet** (Plants + larvae part-time predator): The black stink bug mostly sucks juice from plants, but it can also push its beak into insect larvae. The model shows a caterpillar. [1][2][11] - It has been collected on cotton, soybean and citrus, and is linked with dayflowers (Commelina). - It has been found attacking insect larvae in cotton. How often it hunts is not known. - A Kentucky checklist lists it as a plant feeder and a facultative (part-time) predator. - In the stink bug family, the full-time hunters (Asopinae) evolved from plant-feeding ancestors. Part-timers like this one mix both diets. - **Solo Eggs** (1–2 eggs laid at a time): Most stink bugs glue their eggs down in tidy clusters. The black stink bug usually lays its eggs one at a time, sometimes in pairs. [1][12][13][14][10][15] - This is unusual: all other North American stink bugs lay their eggs in clusters. - Each egg is white, slightly oval and about 1.05 mm long. - Tiny Trissolcus wasps lay their own eggs inside stink bug eggs: the samurai wasp in brown marmorated stink bug eggs, Trissolcus basalis in southern green stink bug eggs. We found no record of them in black stink bug eggs. - Its cousin the spined soldier bug lays clusters of 17 to 70 eggs. - Eggs laid in one batch: Black stink bug 1–2; Brown marmorated stink bug 20–30; Spined soldier bug 17–70 - **Five Moults** (5 nymph stages): A nymph has no wings. It grows by moulting its skin five times, darkening from see-through brown to black. [1][16][5] - Nymphs pass through five stages (instars). Size, pitting, antenna segments and the shape of the thorax change at each step. - In the lab, the stages lasted about 5, 7, 7.5, 9 and 16 days. - From egg to adult took about 54 days in all. - In stink-bug relatives, the adult's scent-gland opening forms quickly, during the final moult. - Days in each nymph stage (lab): Stage 1 5.1 days; Stage 2 7.2 days; Stage 3 7.6 days; Stage 4 9.3 days; Stage 5 15.9 days - **Spot Check** (3 clues spot, spines, pointed head): To tell a black stink bug from other dark bugs, look for a pale spot at the tip of the shield, sideways shoulder spines and a pointed head. [1][2][15] - The spot is described as yellow in one guide and white in another. - The black-and-orange harlequin bug has rounded shoulders with no spines. - The spined soldier bug is mottled brown, not black. - **Winter Hideout** (Leaf litter where adults spend winter): Black stink bugs spend the winter as adults, tucked into forest leaf litter around and under logs. [1][17] - In an Illinois study, adults came out in June and began laying eggs one to two weeks later. - It is still unclear whether there are one or two generations a year. - Across the US, people record adults in every month, with most records in June and July. - **Lift-Off** (≈2 km a cousin's average flight in 22 h (lab)): Adult stink bugs have wings and fly; nymphs only grow wing pads. Nobody has measured how far a black stink bug flies. [15][18] - In the spined soldier bug, the wing pads are most prominent in the last nymph stage. - On flight mills, brown marmorated stink bugs flew on average about 2.4 km (males) and 2.1 km (females) in 22 hours. - Most of those bugs (89%) flew less than 5 km. - These are family-level numbers: the black stink bug's flight has not been studied. - **Warning Coat?** (Untested warning-colour idea; still debated): Its black body and pale spot stand out rather than blend in. Experts suggest the look may warn birds that it tastes bad, but nobody has tested it. [1][2] - This idea is called aposematism: bright or bold colours that advertise a bad taste. - Some predatory stink bugs are also black and can stab with a strong beak, so the colour might also help birds avoid it. - Its spiky shoulders are part of the same look. No experiment has checked whether they protect it. ### Body parts - **Shield (scutellum)** (1 pale spot at the tip) [1][2] - The large, rounded triangle on its back is the scutellum. A big scutellum of this shape is a feature of the stink bug family. - The tip of the scutellum carries a pale spot, described as yellow in one guide and white in another. It is the easiest way to recognise the species. - The rest of the upper side is black. - **Shoulder spines** (Sideways spine direction) [1][2] - The front corners of the thorax (the humeral angles) end in sharp spines that point out to the sides. - Identification keys use these spines: the black-and-orange harlequin bug, for example, has rounded shoulders without spines. - Nobody has tested whether the spines help to defend it. - **Head** (Pointed head tip) [1] - Its head is pointed. The middle plate at the front (the tylus) is sharp, bends upwards and sticks out well past the side plates. - Experts use this pointed head tip, together with the shoulder spines and the pale spot, to tell it from other stink bugs. - **Beak (rostrum)** (Pierce + sip how it feeds) [1][3][2][4] - Stink bugs do not chew. They feed through a beak that holds fine, needle-like stylets. - Recordings of another stink bug show the stylets probing into plant tissue, with saliva flowing, before the bug sucks food up. - The black stink bug sucks plant juices and sometimes attacks insect larvae. - Full-time predatory stink bugs (subfamily Asopinae, more than 300 species) have a thicker beak that can swing fully forward. The black stink bug belongs to a different subfamily. - **Antennae** (5 segments each) [2][1] - Like other stink bugs, it has antennae made of five segments. - In nymphs, the lengths of the antenna segments change from stage to stage, which helps scientists tell the five stages apart. - **Legs** (6 black-and-cream legs) [1][2] - Its six legs are black and cream. - Each foot has three segments (tarsi), a feature of the stink bug family. - It walks over flower heads and leaves of plants at the edges of lowland woods, where it feeds. - **Stink glands** (2 kinds nymph glands, adult gland) [5][6][7][8] - Adult true bugs make their smell in a scent gland in the thorax (the metathoracic gland). Nymphs use different glands on the back of the abdomen. - Tiny grooved channels beside the gland opening guide the liquid to a patch where it evaporates. - In stink bugs studied so far, the smell is a mix of chemicals such as tridecane and (E)-2-decenal. The black stink bug's own mix has not been analysed. - **Abdomen** (11–13 mm adult body length) [1][2][5][9] - The whole adult is 11 to 13 mm long, from the pointed head to the tip of the abdomen. - In nymphs the scent glands sit on the upper side of the abdomen. A southern green stink bug nymph, for example, has three of them. - Females lay their eggs one or two at a time, not in the neat clusters of other North American stink bugs. ### Stats | Stat | Value | Notes | |---|---|---| | Length | 11–13 mm | adults, head to tail [1][2][10] | | Egg size | 1.05 mm | egg length; about 0.96 mm wide [1][10] | | Eggs per batch | 1–2 | eggs laid at a time; other North American stink bugs lay clusters; A spined soldier bug lays up to 70 in one mass [1][15] | | Hatching time | 9 days | lab average, 9.04 days [16] | | Nymph stages | 5 | moults before adulthood [1] | | Egg to adult | ≈54 days | whole development in the lab [1][16][15] | | Countries with records | 15 | countries and territories in GBIF, from the US to Brazil [17] | | Public records | 4,693 | GBIF records, 3,805 of them from the US (October 2026) [17] | | Busiest month | June | 697 US records, just ahead of July (633) [17] | | iNaturalist sightings | 5,592 | observations shared by naturalists (October 2026) [19] | ### Photos - [Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC, August 2014](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Stink_Bug_-_Flickr_-_treegrow_(1).jpg) (photo: Katja Schulz, CC BY 2.0) - [An adult black stink bug](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Proxys_punctulatus01.jpg) (photo: Frank Peairs, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0 US) - [An adult, photographed for the US Agricultural Research Service](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Proxys_punctulatus02.jpg) (photo: Louis Tedders, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0 US) - [Bird Rookery Swamp, Collier County, Florida, December 2016](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stink_Bug_-_Proxys_punctulatus%2C_Bird_Rookery_Swamp%2C_Collier_County%2C_Florida.jpg) (photo: Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0) - [June 2014](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Proxys_punctulatus_P1000933a.jpg) (photo: xpda, CC BY-SA 4.0) - [Shared on iNaturalist, December 2022](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Proxys_punctulatus_247671711.jpg) (photo: Andrew Durso, CC BY 4.0) - [The cousin: a spined soldier bug attacking a catalpa sphinx caterpillar](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Podisus_maculiventris05.jpg) (photo: Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn University, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0 US) - [Spined soldier bug, October 2024](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spined_soldier_bug_(Podisus_maculiventris).jpg) (photo: Fernando Tessaroli Brandl, CC0) - [A spined soldier bug egg mass: the family's usual cluster. Black stink bugs lay eggs one or two at a time.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eggs_podisus_maculiventris.jpg) (photo: Rsbernard, CC BY-SA 4.0) - [A spined soldier bug nymph, for comparison. We found no free photo of a black stink bug nymph.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Podisus_maculiventris06.jpg) (photo: Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0 US) ### Questions - **Is the black stink bug dangerous?** Not to people. Species accounts describe it only as a plant feeder and part-time insect hunter. Like other stink bugs it can release a strong-smelling liquid, so look but don't touch, and don't squash it. In the related brown marmorated stink bug, the smell can trigger allergies in sensitive people, and crushing bugs on bare skin can irritate it in a few people. [1][10] - **What does a black stink bug eat?** Mostly plant juices, sucked up through its beak. It has been found on cotton, soybean, citrus and dayflowers, and in the lab it was raised on a spiderwort. It sometimes attacks insect larvae, which makes it a part-time predator. [1][2][16] - **Why do black stink bugs smell?** Scent glands make a defensive liquid. Adult true bugs have a gland in the thorax; nymphs have glands on the back of the abdomen. In stink bugs studied so far, the smell is a mix of chemicals such as tridecane and (E)-2-decenal that helps protect them from predators and germs. The black stink bug's own mix has not been analysed. [5][8][7] - **Where do black stink bugs live?** From the south-eastern United States (North Carolina to Florida and west to Oklahoma and Texas) through Mexico and Central America to Brazil, plus Caribbean islands such as Cuba and Puerto Rico. Most records come from Texas and Florida. They feed on plants along the edges of lowland woods. [1][2][17] - **How can you tell a black stink bug from other stink bugs?** Look for a black body 11–13 mm long, sharp shoulder spines pointing sideways, a pointed head and a pale yellow-white spot at the tip of the shield. The harlequin bug, by contrast, is black and orange with rounded shoulders. [1][2] - **Is the black stink bug a pest?** Not usually. Its feeding can leave disfigured leaves and discoloured patches on stems, but its numbers stay low, so the damage is usually insignificant. In a study of corn fields in North Carolina, fewer than 3 were found per sampling date. [1][20] - **What do baby black stink bugs look like?** The young, called nymphs, have no wings. They hatch from single white eggs and pass through five stages, changing from a light, see-through brown to black. In the lab the nymph stages took about 45 days in all. [1][16] - **Where do black stink bugs go in winter?** Adults spend the winter in forest leaf litter around and under logs. In an Illinois study they became active again in June and started laying eggs one to two weeks later. [1] ### Black stink bug: myth or fact? Eight claims about the black stink bug, checked against the sources. - "Black stink bugs lay their eggs in neat clusters, like other stink bugs." **Myth!** It usually lays its eggs one at a time, sometimes in pairs. All other North American stink bugs lay clusters. [1] - "The black stink bug only eats plants." **Myth!** It mostly sucks plant juices, but it has been found attacking insect larvae in cotton. Experts call it a facultative (part-time) predator. [1][2] - "The black stink bug is a serious crop pest." **Myth!** It turns up in cotton, soybean, citrus and corn, but its numbers stay low, so the damage is usually insignificant. Other stink bugs are the problem: in the south-eastern US they cost soybean growers $279 million over 6 years. [1][20][21] - "Its black colour helps it hide in the shadows." **Not proven!** Nobody has tested this. Experts suggest the opposite: its black body with a pale spot stands out and may warn birds that it tastes bad. [1] - "When startled, it drops to the ground and plays dead." **Not proven!** We found no record of this behaviour in the black stink bug. The species accounts we read do not mention it. [1][16] - "Its scientific name, punctulatus, means “pointed”." **Myth!** Punctulatus is Latin for “having small spots or punctures”. Tiny pits (punctures) on the body even help scientists tell the nymph stages apart. [22][1] - "Stink bugs and their relatives have been smelly since the time of the dinosaurs." **Fact!** Jurassic fossils of stink-bug relatives, about 165 million years old, already show scent-gland structures. [5] - "The black stink bug lives in Canada." **Myth!** Its range runs from the south-eastern US through Central America to Brazil. Public records reach north to Maryland and Washington, DC, and GBIF holds none from Canada. [1][2][17] ### Black stink bug records Superlatives from the black stink bug and its family. - Odd one out: Black stink bug, 1–2 eggs (The only North American stink bug that does not lay its eggs in clusters.) [1] - Longest stage: Black stink bug, 5th nymph stage, 15.9 days (The last nymph stage took longest in the lab, about three times as long as the first (5.1 days).) [16] - Oldest stink glands: Fossil stink-bug relatives (Pentatomomorpha), 165 million years (Jurassic fossils give the earliest evidence of scent glands in this group of true bugs.) [5] - Most common predatory stink bug in North America: Spined soldier bug, 90 prey species (A generalist hunter recorded attacking 90 insect species from 8 orders.) [15] - Most records: Texas, 1,357 (More GBIF records of the black stink bug come from Texas than from any other state or country, ahead of Florida (1,111).) [17] ### A life of a black stink bug Based on an Illinois field study and lab rearing. Timing varies with place and temperature. - **Winter**: Under the leaves. Adults overwinter in forest leaf litter around and beneath logs. [1] - **June**: Wake-up. Adults become active and feed on flowers and leaves at the edges of lowland woods. [1] - **1–2 weeks later**: Single eggs. Females lay white eggs about 1 mm long, usually one at a time. [1] - **Day 9**: Hatching. In the lab, the eggs hatched after about 9 days. [16] - **Days 9–38**: Four early stages. The nymph moults through stages 1 to 4, which last about 5, 7, 7.5 and 9 days. [16] - **Days 38–54**: Last nymph stage. The fifth stage is the longest, about 16 days. By now the nymph is dark, nearly black. [1][16] - **Day ≈54**: Adult. A final moult gives a winged adult with a pale-tipped shield. The whole cycle took about 54 days. [1][16] - **Autumn**: Back to the litter. Adults look for winter shelter. Whether one or two generations fit into a year is still unclear. [1] ### Black stink bug vs brown marmorated stink bug vs spined soldier bug Three members of the same family, with very different lives. | | Black stink bug | Brown marmorated stink bug | Spined soldier bug | |---|---|---|---| | Length [1][10][15] | 11–13 mm | ≈17 mm | ≈11 mm (males) | | Colour [1][10][15] | Black, pale spot at the shield tip | Shades of brown | Mottled brown | | Diet [1][10][15] | Plant juices, sometimes insect larvae | Plants: fruit, crops, ornamentals | Other insects (90 species recorded) | | Eggs per batch [1][10][15] | 1–2 | 20–30 | 17–70 | | Egg size [1][10][15] | 1.05 mm | 1.6 × 1.3 mm | ≈1 mm | | Nymph stages [1][10][15] | 5 | 5 | 5 | | Home range [1][23][15] | South-eastern US to Brazil and the Caribbean | Native to east Asia; invasive in the US | Mexico, the Bahamas and West Indies to Canada | | Winter [1][10][15] | Adults in leaf litter | Adults, often inside buildings | Adults hibernate (October–April in the north) | | For farmers [1][10][15] | Damage usually insignificant | Serious pest of fruit and crops | Helpful: eggs sold for pest control | All three belong to the stink bug family, Pentatomidae. Only the spined soldier bug is a full-time predator. ### Is the black stink bug endangered? There is no sign of it. It has never been assessed by the IUCN, and it is recorded across a huge range. - **IUCN Red List:** Not Evaluated (NE) (Trend unknown). It ranges from the south-eastern US through Central America to Brazil, with thousands of public records. Nobody has measured whether its numbers are changing. [17][24][1] - Not evaluated by the IUCN (checked October 2026) - **Threat: Threats not studied**: We found no study of threats to the black stink bug. Experts describe its biology as not well known. [1] - **Helping: Recording it** (5,592): Photos on iNaturalist, shared through GBIF, show where it lives and when adults are active. [19][17] - **Helping: Telling bugs apart** (42): Regional keys, like a 2024 guide to Kentucky's 42 stink bug species, help farmers and naturalists tell harmless or helpful bugs from pests. [2] - **Helping: Natural pest control**: Predatory stink bugs such as the spined soldier bug are reared and sold to control pests in heated greenhouses. [15] - **Spined soldier bug (Podisus maculiventris)** (NE): Not evaluated. The most common predatory stink bug in North America. [25][15] ### Reading a black stink bug - A sharp smell when you get close: It has probably used its scent glands, a defence. Leave it alone. [8][5] - Sitting on a flower head or leaf: Usually feeding. Adults feed and find mates on flowers and leaves at woodland edges. [1] - Beak pushed into an insect larva: A rarer hunting moment. It is a part-time predator. [1][2] - Tucked under leaf litter in winter: Resting until spring. Adults overwinter near logs. [1] ### Stages - **Adult**: Black and 11–13 mm long, with sideways shoulder spines, a pointed head, black-and-cream legs and a yellowish-white spot at the tip of the shield. (Spends winter in leaf litter; active from June in Illinois) [1][2] - **Nymph**: Wingless young that pass through five stages, turning from a light, see-through brown to black as they grow. (About 45 days as a nymph in the lab) [1][16] - **Eggs**: White, slightly oval eggs about 1.05 mm long. The black stink bug lays them one at a time or in pairs, unlike most stink bugs, which lay neat clusters. (Hatch in about 9 days (lab)) [1][16] - **Spined soldier bug (cousin)**: A mottled brown predatory stink bug, males about 11 mm long (females slightly larger), with a sharp spine on each shoulder. (A full-time hunter: 90 prey species recorded) [15] ### Black stink bug quiz 1. How long is an adult black stink bug? **11–13 mm.** Adults are 11 to 13 mm long. [1][2] 2. Where is the black stink bug's pale spot? **At the tip of the shield (scutellum).** A yellowish-white spot sits at the tip of the scutellum. [1][2] 3. How does the black stink bug lay its eggs? **One at a time or in pairs.** It lays eggs singly or in pairs, unlike all other North American stink bugs. [1] 4. What does the black stink bug eat? **Mostly plant juices, sometimes insect larvae.** It is a plant feeder that sometimes attacks insect larvae: a part-time predator. [1][2] 5. How many nymph stages does it pass through? **5.** Nymphs pass through five stages (instars). [1] 6. Where do adults spend the winter? **In leaf litter around and under logs.** Adults overwinter in forest leaf litter near logs. [1] 7. In the lab, how long did it take to grow from egg to adult? **About 54 days.** The whole cycle took about 54 days. [1][16] 8. Where does an adult stink bug make its smell? **In a scent gland in the thorax.** Adults use a metathoracic scent gland in the thorax; nymphs use glands on the abdomen. [5] 9. How old are the oldest known scent-gland fossils of stink-bug relatives? **About 165 million years.** Jurassic fossils about 165 million years old show scent-gland structures. [5] 10. What does the Latin word punctulatus mean? **Having small spots or punctures.** Punctulatus means having small spots or punctures. [22] 11. Which cousin is a full-time predator whose eggs are sold for pest control? **Spined soldier bug.** Spined soldier bug eggs are sold to control pests in greenhouses. [15] 12. What is the black stink bug's IUCN Red List status? **Not evaluated.** The IUCN has never assessed it. [17][24] ### Sources (checked 2026-10-16) 1. [Gomez C, Mizell RF III (2009). Black stink bug, Proxys punctulatus (Palisot). Featured Creatures EENY-432, University of Florida IFAS (EDIS IN795).](https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-in795-2009) 2. [Falcon-Brindis A, Villanueva RT (2024). Checklist and key to species of stink bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Pentatomidae) of Kentucky, United States of America. ZooKeys 1213:75–93.](https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1213.122843) 3. [Lucini T, Panizzi AR (2018). Electropenetrography Monitoring of the Neotropical Brown-Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on Soybean Pods: An Electrical Penetration Graph-Histology Analysis. Journal of Insect Science 18.](https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iey108) 4. [Roell T, Poester-Carvalho JA, Campos LA, Ferrari A (2025). Global biogeography of predatory stink bugs (Pentatomidae: Asopinae): richness, endemism and regionalization. Zoological Studies 64:50.](https://doi.org/10.6620/zs.2025.64-50) 5. [Dai R, Du S, Ren D et al. (2025). A foul odor from the mesozoic: early evolution of scent gland defense in pentatomomorphan true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). BMC Biol 23:345.](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02446-x) 6. [Hischen F, Buchberger G, Plamadeala C et al. (2018). The external scent efferent system of selected European true bugs (Heteroptera): a biomimetic inspiration for passive, unidirectional fluid transport. J. R. Soc. Interface. 15:20170975.](https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2017.0975) 7. [Eliyahu D, Ceballos RA, Saeidi V et al. (2012). Synergy Versus Potency in the Defensive Secretions from Nymphs of two Pentatomomorphan Families (Hemiptera: Coreidae and Pentatomidae). J Chem Ecol 38:1358–1365.](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-012-0200-0) 8. [Fujimori H, Noge K (2026). De novo synthesis of short‐chain aldehydes and hydrocarbons secreted by the brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys. FEBS Open Bio, e70314.](https://doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.70314) 9. [Pavis C, Malosse C, Ducrot PH et al. (1994). Dorsal abdominal glands in nymphs of southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae): Chemistry of secretions of five instars and role of (E)-4-oxo-2-decenal, compound specific to first instars. J Chem Ecol 20:2213–2227.](https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02033198) 10. [Penn State Extension (2026). Brown marmorated stink bug. Pennsylvania State University (updated 24 June 2026).](https://extension.psu.edu/brown-marmorated-stink-bug) 11. [Sun J, Meng Y, Chen Z et al. (2026). Gut microbiome convergence and functional adaptation underlie the evolution of predation in stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). Microbiome 14:56.](https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-025-02300-w) 12. [Sion A, Hiltpold I, Cléroux M et al. (2025). What’s my age again? Assessing the impact of stink bug egg mass age on host recognition by egg parasitoids Trissolcus basalis and Trissolcus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). Front. Physiol. 16:1588946.](https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1588946) 13. [Peterson HM, Talamas E, Krawczyk G (2021). Survey for Adventive Populations of the Samurai Wasp, Trissolcus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) in Pennsylvania at Commercial Fruit Orchards and the Surrounding Forest. Insects 12:258.](https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12030258) 14. [Van Hee S, Alınç T, Weldegergis BT et al. (2024). Differential effects of plant-beneficial fungi on the attraction of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis in response to Nezara viridula egg deposition. PLoS ONE 19:e0304220.](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304220) 15. [Richman DB, Mead FW, Fasulo TR (2010). Spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris (Say). Featured Creatures EENY-231, University of Florida IFAS (EDIS IN387).](https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-in387-2010) 16. [Wikipedia contributors (2026). Proxys punctulatus. English Wikipedia (summarising Vangeison & McPherson 1975, Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 68:25–30).](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxys_punctulatus) 17. [GBIF (2026). Proxys punctulatus (Palisot, 1818): taxon 2079131 and occurrence records.](https://www.gbif.org/species/2079131) 18. [Lee DH, Leskey TC (2015). Flight behavior of foraging and overwintering brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Bull. Entomol. Res. 105:566–573.](https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007485315000462) 19. [iNaturalist (2026). Black stink bug, Proxys punctulatus (taxon 55262).](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/55262-Proxys-punctulatus) 20. [Reisig DD (2011). Insecticidal Management and Movement of the Brown Stink Bug, Euschistus servus, in Corn. Journal of Insect Science 11:1–11.](https://doi.org/10.1673/031.011.16801) 21. [Possebom T, Reisig DD (2026). Seasonal dynamics of pheromone traps and lures to monitor stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in soybean. Journal of Economic Entomology 119:1919–1930.](https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toag125) 22. [Wiktionary (2026). pūnctulātus (Latin adjective).](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/punctulatus) 23. [Lee DH, Short BD, Joseph SV et al. (2013). Review of the Biology, Ecology, and Management of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. Environ Entomol 42:627–641.](https://doi.org/10.1603/EN13006) 24. [Wikidata (2026). Proxys punctulatus (Q10641268).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10641268) 25. [GBIF (2026). Podisus maculiventris (Say, 1832): taxon 2079037.](https://www.gbif.org/species/2079037) ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 15-20 mm - **Size:** 11-13 mm - **Lifespan:** 150-240 days - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding This bug mostly drinks plant juices through its straw-like beak, and sometimes it attacks insect larvae too! - **Primary Foods:** soybean, cotton, citrus, dayflowers - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [soybean](https://www.snappit.app/explore/soybean) (*Glycine max*) — Sucks sap from soybean plants. Its numbers stay low, so the damage is usually small. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Toxic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/toxic): Toxic organisms contain substances that are poisonous and can cause adverse effects upon exposure. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't touch stink bugs, as they can release a smelly liquid when scared. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Black Stink Bug? Look for six legs, antennae, three body sections and the shape of the wings. Beetles have hardened front wings; flies have just one working pair. Tiny insects may need a close view before their group is clear. Insect Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Black Stink Bug's wingspan? 15-20 mm ### How big is Black Stink Bug? 11-13 mm ### How long does Black Stink Bug live? 150-240 days ### What does Black Stink Bug eat? This bug mostly drinks plant juices through its straw-like beak, and sometimes it attacks insect larvae too! ### Where is Black Stink Bug usually found? Edges of lowland woods and crop fields ### How many legs does Black Stink Bug have? 6 ## Where to spot - [Foley Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/foley-downtown-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Wahiawa Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wahiawa-botanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Black Stink Bug: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-stink-bug)