Tomato Stink Bug

Arvelius albopunctatus

Arvelius albopunctatus is a stink bug in the family Pentatomidae.
Arvelius albopunctatus - Maria-Fedida-do-Tomate (De Geer, 1773) Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomomorpha: Pentatomoidea: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae: Chlorocorini Date: 7th & 8th of April, 2018, night time. Location: Brazil, Ceará, Fortaleza (Lat: -3.75, Long: -38.51, 16th floor of a flat in an urban habitat.) More pictures in the comments. Arvelius albupunctatus, also known as the "tomato stink bug" are polyphagous in nature and are members or the order Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera, infraorder Pentatomomorpha, superfamily Pentatomoidea, family Pentatomidae, subfamily Pentatominae and tribe Chlorocorini. Their host plants include Solanum lycopersicum ("tomato"), Solanum tuberosum ("potato"), Glycine max ("soybean"), Ipomoea batatas ("sweet potato"), Phaseolus vulgaris ("green bean"), Helianthus anuus ("sunflower"), Solanum melongena ("eggplant"), Capsicum sp. ("pepper"), Abelmoschus esculentus ("okra"), Solanum palinacanthum ("joá" - PTBR), Solanum asperolanatum ("jurubeba" - PTBR), Solanum erianthum ("nightshade") and possibly many more. As such, it can be noted that they are widely associated with Solanaceae, possibly many others that are wild-growing. They are distributed as follows: Antigua, Argentina (Buenos Aires, Entre Rios, Misiones), Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil (Ceará, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Santa Catarina), Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Yucatán), Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent, Surinam, Trinidad, United States (AZ, FL, TX), Uruguay, U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Croix, St. Thomas), Venezuela. They ara parasitized by Trichopoda pennipes (invalid: Trichopodopsis pennipes) (F.) (Fabricius, 1781: 450) (Silva et al., 1968) (Tachinidae: Phasiinae: Trichopodini). Adults possess a length between 11 and 12mm. The eggs are light yellow, barrel-shaped and deposited in clusters between 7 and 65. The first instars are oval, between 1,8 and 2,0mm in length and light yellow with two gray stripes on the thorax. The second instars disperse and feed on fruits, leaves and stems. They are oval, between 2 and 2,9mm in length. The third, fourth and fifth instars are oval, between 3,4 and 5,0mm, 5,2 and 7,2mm, and 8,3 and 10,6mm in length, respectively. The spermatic class of Arvelius albopunctatus possesses nuclear volumes of 200, 400 and 1600 μ³ (Schrader and Leuchtenberger, 1950). The differences are due to nuclear proteins and RNA. (many genera of neotropical Pentatomids possess apyrene sperms formed on the "harlequin" lobe of the testes (Schrader, 1960). (Source in the comments) It was discovered that they can present polymorphism in their immature stages: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-566X2007000600022 Consult the article above for more information, as the information provided below is quoted from it with a few differences to better fit it in both the Portuguese and English description of this post's range: "Besides the normal color variations in nymphs, three new forms were discovered and nominated; "red form" (4th and 5th instars), "green form" (4th and 5th instars) and "orange form" (5th instar). The normal nymphal description presented in their 4th and 5th instars standard dorsal patterns colored an orangeish-brown, brown head with black borders, dark brown thorax with black punctuations and a dark, orange abdomen, with brown markings in the median and lateral plates (Grazia et al., 1984). The normal nymphal description was nominated the "dark form". Furthermore, the authors described a "light form" that presents a brown thorax with dark brown or black punctuations and a light brown abdomen that tended to green in the dorsal surface. The red form's (4th and 5th instars) head had red spots and darkish-brown spots with few, non-contrasting punctuations and black-lined juga. The presence of a dark thorax with a dorsal disk, light subtriangular translucid area next to the antero-lateral denticles of the pronotrum and the lateral spikes of the mesonotum with red umeral angles were noted. The pronotrum and mesonotum were delineated black, with moderated, dark punctuations. The scars were devoid of punctuations. The red abdomen had non-contrasting punctuations; the five median plates were black, with the three first possessing white spots on the openings of the odoriferous glands. The lateral plates had a central area and the intersegmental limits were light and translucid. Two black bands forming an arc delimited the central area, the anterior one being two to three times larger than the posterior one. (http://www.scielo.br/img/revistas/ne/v36n6/html/22f1.htm#fig5 - Fig. 3 & 5) The green form (4th and 5th instars) had a yellowish-green head with few non-contrasting punctuations; juga delineated black. The thorax was green on the dorsal disk, with a light and translucid subtriangular area next to the antero-lateral denticles of the pronotrum and to the lateral spike on the mesonotum. Orangeish umeral angles. The pronotrum and mesonotum were moderately punctuated black with scars devoid of punctuations. Pronotrum and the mesonotum spikes were delineated black. Four pairs of dark suboval spots were present on the thorax; a pair on the pronotrum next to the lateral internal margin of the scars and three pairs on the mesonotum, with one of the median pairs almost straightened with the pair present on the pronotrum and the other two pairs, smaller, on the pteroteca, and an anterior and posterior pair being marginal. The 4th instar and the anterior pair of spots of the pterotacae were minute, with the 5th instar presenting it as enlarged and laterally displaced. The spots on the pronotrum and medians of the mesonotum were followed, laterally, by small whitish areas. The presence of elongate 1+1 black spots next to the internal limit posteriorly to the spike could be noted. The posterior limit of the mesonotum and metanotum were delinated black on the third median with a central interruption. Light-green abdomen with non-contrasting punctuation; Suture lines and limits between the orangeish segments. The presence of 1+1 whitish spots on the 3rd and 7th urotergites, between the longitudinal median line and the lateral margin of each segment could be noted. Of all the five median plates, the first three are green, with white spots on and around the openings of the odoriferous glands, which were delineated black. The lateral plates had a central, translucid, light area and the intersegmental limits were greenish; the black bands that delimited the central area were straight, with the anterior one slightly larger than the posterior one. (http://www.scielo.br/img/revistas/ne/v36n6/html/22f1.htm#fig5 - Fig. 4 & 6) The orange form (5th instar) had an orangeish head with few non-contrasting punctuations and lighter juga delineated black. The thorax was orangeish, with a clear and translucid subtriangular area next to the antero-lateral denticles of the pronotrum and of the lateral spikes on the mesonotum. Umeral angles of the pronotrum were orangeish. Pronotrum and mesonotum moderately delinated black. Four pairs of black, suboval spots and the elongate 1+1 spot were present over the thorax, following the same pattern described for the 5th instar of the green form. The spots on the pronotrum were followed by small yellowish areas that followed the similar standard of the whitish areas mentioned on the green form. Posterior limit of the mesonotum and metanotum with 1+1 straight black spots on the third median. Abdomen orangeish, lighter on the central disk with dark-orange punctuations. Suture lines and limits between the dark-orange segments were present. 1+1 whitish spots present on the 3rd and 7th urotergites, as described for the green form. Of all five median plates, the first three are orangeish, with white spots on the openings of the odoriferous glands, which are delineated black. Lateral plates with a light, translucid central area and the intersegmental limits were orangeish; black bands delimiting the central area followed the standards described to the green form. External lateral limit of the plates slenderly delineated black. (http://www.scielo.br/img/revistas/ne/v36n6/html/22f1.htm#fig5 - Fig. 7) Adults of all these forms didn't present corresponding variation and all presented pale greenish-yellow coloration, typical of the species, with no distinction between males and females." I could note 5-6 antennal segments, the first tuberculate and short, the second slender and longer than the first and shorter than the third, fourth and fifth, which are longer than the first and second and thinner than the first. The second, third, fourth and fifth segments seemed to be of equal or semi-equal width, while the first is noticeably thicker than all other segments. The possible sixth segment is actually the first and is shorter than the following, more or less or equal in width and sort of tuberculate. All pictures are of the same individual. Synonyms include: Cimex albo-punctatus (De Geer, 1773: 331-332, pl. 34 fig. 6.) Cimex gladiator (Fabricius, 1775: 705. (syn. by Lepeletier & Serville, 1825) Cimex leucostictos (Gmelin, 1790: 2148). (unnecessary new name for Cimex albopunctatus (De Geer, 1773)) Pentatoma gladiator (Palisot de Beauvois, 1811: 127, pl. 9 fig. 1) Acanthosoma gladiator (Burmeister, 1835: 359) Arvelius gladiator (Spinola, 1837: 346) Acanthosoma luteicornis (Westwood, 1837: 7, 30) (syn. by Stål, 1872) Arvelius albopunctatus (Amyot & Serville, 1843: 150-151) Arvelius luteicornis (Herrich-Schäffer, 1853: 4, 18) Pentatoma albopunctata (Guérin-Méneville, 1857: 374-375) Distribution and synonyms source here: https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~rider/Pentatomoidea/Species_Chlorocorini/Arvelius_albopunctatus.htm Feeding habits here: https://bugguide.net/node/view/119316 Other source in the comments Other sources in the text. Identified by my dear friend Santiago Corrêa. Arvelius,Arvelius albopunctatus,Brazil,Chlorocorini,Geotagged,Hemiptera,Hemipteran,Hemíptero,Neotropical Hemipterans,Pentatomidae,Pentatominae,Pentatomoidea,Pentatomomorpha,Tomato Stink Bug,bugs hemiptera,heteroptera,heteropteraminsects

Appearance

Adults have pale greenish-yellow coloration, which is typical of the species. There is no distinction between males and females.

Naming

Synonyms:

Cimex albo-punctatus (De Geer, 1773: 331-332, pl. 34 fig. 6.)

Cimex gladiator (Fabricius, 1775: 705. (syn. by Lepeletier & Serville, 1825)

Cimex leucostictos (Gmelin, 1790: 2148). (unnecessary new name for Cimex albopunctatus (De Geer, 1773))

Pentatoma gladiator (Palisot de Beauvois, 1811: 127, pl. 9 fig. 1)

Acanthosoma gladiator (Burmeister, 1835: 359)

Arvelius gladiator (Spinola, 1837: 346)

Acanthosoma luteicornis (Westwood, 1837: 7, 30) (syn. by Stål, 1872)

Arvelius albopunctatus (Amyot & Serville, 1843: 150-151)

Arvelius luteicornis (Herrich-Schäffer, 1853: 4, 18)

Pentatoma albopunctata (Guérin-Méneville, 1857: 374-375)

Distribution

They are distributed as follows: Antigua, Argentina (Buenos Aires, Entre Rios, Misiones), Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil (Ceará, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Santa Catarina), Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Yucatán), Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent, Surinam, Trinidad, United States (AZ, FL, TX), Uruguay, U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Croix, St. Thomas), Venezuela

Food

Polyphagous: hosts include tomato, potato, sweet potato, green beans, sunflower, pepper, eggplant, okra, and soybean.

Predators

They are parasitized by Trichopoda pennipes.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

https://bugguide.net/node/view/119316
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderHemiptera
FamilyPentatomidae
GenusArvelius
SpeciesArvelius albopunctatus
Photographed in
Brazil