Podisus maculiventris
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Podisus maculiventris, the spined soldier bug, is a medium-sized predatory shield bug common in North America. It has prominent spines on each "shoulder" and preys on a wide variety of arthropods, particularly the larval forms of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. As a generalist predator of many agricultural pests, P. maculiventris is generally considered a beneficial insect in gardens and crop fields.
The coloration of P. maculiventris ranges from pale brown to tan. The body is shield-shaped with prominent, well-defined "shoulders." A distinguishing feature is the presence of a black streak on the wing membrane, along with spined humeri, which serve as key diagnostic characteristics.
Adults and nymphs can be observed sucking and feeding on prey using their tubular mouthparts, which they can extend forward in front of the body. This differs from plant-feeding stink bugs where the mouthparts point downward when feeding. Both plant-feeding and predaceous stink bugs can fold their mouthparts backward underneath the body.
Approximately 1 mm in diameter, with small spines around the top that are especially characteristic of the genus Podisus. Eggs are laid 17 to 70... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Spined Soldier Bug sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 954th most-seen of the 1624 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spined Soldier Bug in Austin on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months.
Among the best
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Spined Soldier Bug sightings, Austin ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Dallas (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Pentatomidae
The closest relatives of the Spined Soldier Bug that you can see in Austin (family Pentatomidae, Stink Bugs) are Elf Shoe Stink Bug (about 10%), Green Stink Bug (about 10%) and Juniper Stink Bug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spined Soldier Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Austin (15 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
