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Kudzu bug

Megacopta cribraria

Photo by TeresaBurke
Published on Project Noah
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32.2604, -80.8988

Species ID Suggestions

Kudzu bug

Megacopta cribraria

Comments (4)

You're welcome, Teresa. You'll probably start noticing them all the time now. The bug is originally from Japan, no one's really sure how it was introduced to the SE US, but they are starting to become pests, attacking our legume crops and coming into homes to overwinter in large numbers. They've been particularly problematic in Georgia.
Good spotting. He's about as handsome as a potato.
Very cool!! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! I saw him on a little bush outside the house. Never seen them before, neat to know. :)
This little guy may look like a juvenile, but its wings are actually hidden under its enlarged scutellum. This bug belongs to the family Plataspidae. The Kudzu bug was introduced into the SE US around 2009, and though it has been effectively controlling Kudzu, it also likes legume crops like soybeans. You can read more about them here: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megacopta_cribraria

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