# Kudzu Bug (*megacopta cribraria*) The Kudzu Bug (Megacopta cribraria), also known as the bean plataspid, is a small but highly impactful invasive insect native to East Asia. First detected in the United States in Georgia in 2009, this tiny bug has quickly spread across the Southeast, causing significant concern for agriculturalists. Despite its pest status, the Kudzu Bug is an intriguing creature. It belongs to the family Plataspidae, which are characterized by their rounded, beetle-like bodies and a unique symbiotic relationship with gut bacteria that they transmit to their offspring in specialized packets called symbiont capsules. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Commonly found in open fields, agricultural lands, and roadsides where kudzu vines or legume crops are abundant. ![Kudzu Bug](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/77013377/medium.jpg) Photo: Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/77013377) ## Appearance The Kudzu Bug is tiny, measuring between 4 to 6 millimeters in length, and is characterized by a distinctive, square-like or globular body shape that is wider at the rear. It possesses a mottled olive-green, brown, or grayish coloration with numerous dark punctures covering its dorsal surface. Unlike typical true bugs, its scutellum is greatly enlarged, covering almost its entire abdomen and wings. When viewed from above, its body resembles a tiny, armored olive or a small, round beetle, and it has a noticeably flattened, blunt head. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Hemiptera - **Family:** Plataspidae - **Genus:** Megacopta ## Interesting facts - If a female's eggs are separated from her symbiont capsules, the emerging nymphs will suffer from stunted growth or fail to reach maturity. - Kudzu bugs are not true beetles, despite their round shape; they are true bugs (Hemiptera) and possess piercing-sucking mouthparts. - The chemical defensive spray of the kudzu bug can cause skin irritation, staining, and mild blistering in sensitive individuals. - They are hitchhiking experts; their rapid spread across the United States was heavily aided by clinging to vehicles and shipping containers. ## Special abilities - **Symbiotic Package Delivery:** Females deposit nutrient-rich bacterial capsules near their eggs, ensuring the nymphs ingest essential gut symbionts immediately upon hatching. - **Chemical Defense:** When threatened or crushed, the bug releases a highly pungent, foul-smelling liquid from abdominal glands to deter potential predators. - **Thermotactic Aggregation:** During autumn, they can detect radiant heat and gather in massive, huddled groups on warm, light-colored structures to survive the cold. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 0+ cm - **Wingspan:** 0+ cm - **Weight:** 0+ kg - **Lifespan:** 0+ years - **Speed:** 5 km/h ## Diet & Feeding Feeds exclusively on plant juices, using its piercing-sucking mouthparts to drain nutrients from stems and petioles of legumes. - **Age differences:** Nymphs and adults feed on the same host plants, but nymphs rely on the specific gut symbionts acquired at hatching to digest the plant juices. - **Primary Foods:** Kudzu vine (Pueraria montana), Soybeans (Glycine max), Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis), Green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Host plant:** [Kudzu](https://www.snappit.app/explore/kudzu) (*Pueraria montana*) — Primary host plant and main food source in wild, unmanaged areas. - **Host plant:** [Soybean](https://www.snappit.app/explore/soybean) (*Glycine max*) — Agricultural host plant where feeding causes severe yield losses. - **Parasite:** Plataspid Egg Parasitoid (*Paratelenomus saccharalis*) — An exotic parasitoid wasp that attacks Kudzu Bug eggs, acting as a potential biological control agent. ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Kudzu 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. ### How long is Kudzu Bug? 0+ cm ### What is Kudzu Bug's wingspan? 0+ cm ### How much does Kudzu Bug weigh? 0+ kg ### How long does Kudzu Bug live? 0+ years ### How fast can Kudzu Bug move? 5 km/h ### What does Kudzu Bug eat? Feeds exclusively on plant juices, using its piercing-sucking mouthparts to drain nutrients from stems and petioles of legumes. ### Where is Kudzu Bug usually found? Commonly found in open fields, agricultural lands, and roadsides where kudzu vines or legume crops are abundant. ## Where to spot - [Anderson University](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-university) — South Carolina, US · Campus - [Columbia Historic District I](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/columbia-historic-district-i) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Concord](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/concord) — Tennessee, US · Neighborhood - [Market Square](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/market-square) — Tennessee, US · Historic District - [Brantley Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brantley-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Lynwood Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lynwood-park) — California, US · Park [View all places to see Kudzu Bug](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/kudzu-bug) ## 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: [Kudzu Bug: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/kudzu-bug)