THE DIURNAL ETHOLOGY OF THE ADULT GREEN STINK BUG, ACROSTERNUM HILARE, IN SENESCING SOYBEANS

A preliminary behavioral catalogue of the adult green stink bug, Acrosternum hilare (Say), was developed from observations taken in a field of senescing soybeans. A total of 20 behaviors were described, and the effects of sex and time of day on these behaviors were quantified. Behaviors were categorized as resting, componential movements, grooming, feeding, excretion, positional orientation, and locomotion. Sex significantly influenced the duration of time spent in lifted and tilted postures and resting both on pods and with conspecifics and the proportion of time spent in a lifted posture, resting on all substrates, antennal waving, shifting, and walking. Time of day significantly influenced the duration of time spent in a tilted posture, basking, and walking and the proportion of time spent in a lifted posture, resting on all substrates, antennal waving and quivering, shifting, walking, and flying. The functions of the behaviors were either implicit or inferred from current understanding of pentatomid biology.