Who is she ?
It is a bug of the pentatomidae family, large bugs in the shape of an escutcheon. Adult, it looks like another bug, it also parasitizes fruits and vegetables, Palomena prasina, with which it can be confused.
It is quite easily spotted in the juvenile state because the bugs have a so-called incomplete metamorphosis, that is to say that the larval stages have a shape close to that of the adults, but without the wings and often with different colorings resemble .
Nezara viridula can be recognized by its black color punctuated with dominant white during its first larval stages.
– Jovo26 Wikipedia
How to get rid of it?
In recent years, home gardeners no longer have access to synthetic insecticides for agricultural use. The fight against this insect therefore becomes much more complicated, which favors its expansion.
White oils are not very effective, pyrethrum hardly more, as for sewage, we should not even talk about it.
Towards a hope of seeing this parasite regress:
Since this winter a new bug parasitoid has been marketed, Trissolcus basalis (synonyms: Asolcus basalis, Microphanurus basalis, Microphanurus megacephalus, Telenomus basalis, Telenomus megacephalus, Trissolcus megacephalus).
It is a “micro-wasp” very widespread on all continents, which therefore does not pose a risk of becoming invasive and which seems quite hardy.
On the other hand, it develops from 17° C and at an optimum temperature of 27° C, which requires a fairly late release or release under shelter. But there is hope for the installation of this auxiliary in our cultures.
The female lays up to 250 eggs directly into newly laid stinkbug eggs (she tracks adults to lay immediately after the Nezara females lay the eggs).
Although she prefers the green spotted stink bug, when in short supply she lays in other stink bug eggs.
– WaspWatcherWikipedia
Only one obstacle: its price
Currently the price of a bottle of 500 individuals is sold between 80 and 90 € including tax excluding delivery costs (30 to 40 € including tax) which makes this insect not very accessible to amateur purses. In addition, its packaging in large numbers is rather aimed at crops on large surfaces. Let’s hope that the releases in farms will be beneficial to our gardens, unless amateurs manage to come together for such a purchase.
To be continued…