Stink bug vs Soldier bug

12 years ago

Even though this has been well covered I found this helpful to me. I do not know if pics are to exact same scale.Note the much more defined makers flanking the abdomen on the soldier bug. Also note under magnification that he soldier bug bears the Playboy Bunny logo on it's rear end ( always a mark of good breeding and sophistication ). I have the exact same marking as well as 'This end up.'

For those with less keen eyesight I quote Ghandi or maybe Groucho.'Kill them all and let God sort them out.'

Here is a link that might be useful: stink bug

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Comments (10)

PunkinHeadJones
Original Author
12 years ago
http://www.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pest/msg0814544739.html
PunkinHeadJones
Original Author
12 years ago
sorry
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Jo, It looks fine to me. I just always look for the spines (pronounced points) on the shoulders. Also, in my garden, the spined soldier bugs are larger than the others. I don't know if that is true everywhere. Finally, you may or may not notice this, but stink bugs and squash bugs run and hide from me when they see me, and the soldier bugs tend to sit there looking at me but not fearing me. Dorothy, Some years, the leaf-footed bugs are the bane of my existence. They are very hard to fight. I try to find them and spray them directly with neem or orange oil when they are nymphs. So far this year I haven't seen any, but have had stink bugs since May and squash bugs since June. Gardening in July and August are extremely hard because of the stink bugs and leaf-footed bugs. Most years, I'd lump blister beetles into that group, but since blister beetles eat grasshopper eggs, I've put out the Welcome mat for blister beetles this year...but I've only seen 2 of them this entire year. The grasshopper situation here is desperately bad. This is turning out to be the worst bug year in ages. Dawn
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joellenh
12 years ago
See if this link works. I had the same issue last year so I created and posted my handy-dandy cheat sheet.

Now I always look for the pointy shoulders and the little brown spot before deciding wether or not to crush.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/okgard/msg0810253229057.html

Jo
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
12 years ago
No, no, no! Never kill a spined soldier bug. They are rare and solitary and generally show up in very small numbers. You need everyone you get.

I count on my spined soldier bugs to do a lot of bug control in my garden and would be very disappointed in myself if I mistook one for a stink bug and killed it. Once you see them both in the garden, you can tell them apart quite easily.

In my garden, the spined soldier bugs are larger than the brown stink bugs and they proudly stand there on their leaf waiting to attack an unsuspecting pest. The brown stink bugs slink around like the cowardly bad guys that they are, and run and hide when they see me coming. Apparently the good bugs know they are good and that I won't harm them, and the bad ones know they are bad and deserve to be harmed!

Here is a link that might be useful: The Link Is Here
PunkinHeadJones
Original Author
12 years ago
Ah, well my point was to help tell the difference.but the "pointy-less pointy" theory seems weak in the heat of battle. Sorry the link did not work.It did hold up that tiny "I'm good bug!" sign but I assumed it was a trick.
joellenh
12 years ago
Hey Dawn, how do you post links like that? I figured out pics but can't do links!

Jo
MiaOKC
12 years ago
Dunno if this is what you mean, but I put the link in the 'optional Link URL' underneath the message box where you type in the message. then, under that, you can type the name of the link as you'd like to call it, i.e., 'Squash bug photo' or it will just leave the website code

Here is a link that might be useful: sample link to msn
joellenh
12 years ago
miaokc....DOH! it was so easy I missed it. THANK YOu.

testing my new powers :)

Here is a link that might be useful: stink bug test
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
12 years ago
Glad y'all figured out the link thing.

Punkinhead, In my garden, the spined soldier bugs are substantially bigger and the pointy shoulders are more obvious than in the photos. Maybe my spined soldier bug guys are macho bodybuilder types. They also have a sort of "go ahead, make my day" attitude that stink bugs just don't have.

Dawn
MiaOKC
12 years ago
Jo,
Nice! :)

Stink bug vs Soldier bug

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Stink bug vs Soldier bug

Comments (10)

PunkinHeadJonesOriginal Author

PunkinHeadJonesOriginal Author

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joellenh

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PunkinHeadJones
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