12 Invasive Stink Bugs and Related Species (Pentatomoidea)
furcatus ( F.), Dichelops melacanthus (Dallas), Edessa meditabunda ( F.), Euschistus heros (F.), and
Tibraca limbativentris Stål.
1.11 Noninvasive Group (A Comparison)
A group of pentatomids, commonly known as antestia bugs, has been the object of many studies as
important pests of Arabica coffee in Africa. They currently attract interest because they are supposed to
be the cause of potato taste defect (PTD), which significantly downgrades the value of the coffee crop,
especially in the Great Lakes region of Africa. The specific linkage between PTD and stink bugs is
not known, although symbiotic microorganisms might be involved. The current knowledge of the dis-
tribution, life history, and natural enemies of antestia bugs, as well as their injury, role in coffee potato
taste defect, economic impact, and control is reviewed in Chapter 10. Also discussed are their current
ecological range and distribution on coffee. These bugs are particularly interesting because they appear
capable of becoming invasive species wherever coffee is grown but have remained limited to Africa and
Asia. Yet other major coffee pests, such as the coffee berry borer, which also originated in Africa, are
found wherever coffee is grown. Possible reasons are offered to explain the geographical differences
between antestia bugs and other coffee pests.
1.12 Key to Families of Pentatomoidea in America North of Mexico^3
- Tarsi 2-segmented (Figure 1.3) ................................................................................................. 2
1 ’. Tarsi 3-segmented (Figure 1.4) ................................................................................................. 3 - Scutellum U-shaped, greatly enlarged, covering wings and most of abdomen; abdomen widest
subapically (Figure 1.5) ............................................................................................Plataspidae
2 ’. Scutellum subtriangular, small, not covering wings and most of abdomen; abdomen not widest
subapically (Figure 1.6) ................................................................................Acanthosomatidae - Pronotum expanded posteriorly, covering base of scutellum (Figure 1.7) .......Tessaratomidae^4
3 ’. Pronotum not expanded posteriorly, not covering base of scutellum ........................................ 4 - Scutellum U-shaped, greatly enlarged, covering wings and most of abdomen (Figures 1.8
and 1.9) ...................................................................................................................................... 5
4 ’. Scutellum usually subtriangular, not greatly enlarged, not covering most of abdomen (Figures
1.10 and 1.11); if scutellum large and U-shaped, then colors bright and contrasting or promi-
nent tooth present either side of each anterolateral angle of pronotum ..................................... 6 - Tibiae with strong spines (Figure 1.12); color basically shiny black (Figure 1.9) ......................
...............................................................................................................................Thyreocoridae
5 ’. Tibiae without strong spines (Figure 1.13); color variable but never shiny black (Figure 1.8) ...
.......................................................................................................................................Scutelleridae - Tibiae with strong spines (Figure 1.10); front legs fossorial (Figure 1.14) or cultrate
(Figure 1.15) .................................................................................................................Cydnidae
6 ’. Tibiae without strong spines (Figure 1.16); front legs not fossorial or cultrate ...Pentatomidae
(^3) Modified from Eger et al. (2010).
(^4) Represented by Piezosternum subulatum (Thunberg), which occurs from Mexico to Brazil and the West Indies but has
not yet been found in the United States (Froeschner 1988).