Stages In The Life Cycle Of A Predatory Stink Bug, Podisus Maculiventris (Say)

The spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris (Say) is a medium-sized predatory stink bug which preys on a wide variety of other arthropods, especially larval forms of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera (Mukerji and LeRoux (1965)). This beneficial species is associated with several crops in Florida, including alfalfa, celery, soybeans, cotton, and crucifers (Stoner 1930, Hayslip et al. 1953, Whitcomb 1973, Deitz et al. 1976). This stink bug ranges over most of the United States and into southern Canada. The Florida State Collection of Arthropods (FSCA) has specimens from 22 Florida counties in all regions of the state.