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The (Nezara viridula) southern green stink bug measures 11.5 to 16.5 millimeters and is therefore easy to detect with the naked eye. An adult bug has a shield-shaped body that is dull green in the summer period and reddish-brown in winter, with a spotted pattern on the lower body. They have six legs, two pairs of wings, black or dark red eyes and a small head with two antennae. The moment they are disturbed, they spread a smelly liquid – to which they owe the name ‘stink’ bug.

The females lay about 30 to 130 eggs at a time. They do this in 'glued together' yellow-white clusters on de underside of the leaf. Just after they are laid, they look like little pearls. As the time of hatching of the eggs approaches, these eggs gradually turn a brighter pink. Depending on the temperature, the eggs hatch after 4 days to 3 weeks, leaving the empty eggs on the leaf. The nymphs initially stay together and do not yet affect the plant. They then go through different stages, with each stage resulting in a different appearance. In the fifth stage, these bugs begin to spread out over the plant and eat the plant.

By using its sucking mouth parts, the southern green stink bug (Nezara viridula) penetrates the plant’s tissues, preferably the young plant parts, growing shoots and fruits. It ingests the plant saps but also injects toxic saliva which ends up in the sap circulation. This saliva destroys the tissues. In peppers, you can see necrotic tissue forming on the fruits.

The wounds inflicted by the southern green stink bug (Nezara viridula) pose an additional problem. Through these wounds, fungi and bacteria can easily enter the plant which makes the plant more prone to becoming infected.

To prevent the southern green stink bug (Nezara viridula) from getting into greenhouses, insect netting can be used. Because this pest is very polyphagous, it is also recommended to remove any host plants from inside and outside the greenhouse. This prevents colonies from developing around the greenhouse. 

Controlling the southern green stink bug (Nezara viridula) is currently very difficult and there is no suitable solution available at this stage. However, various broad-acting chemical agents can be used, including Vertimec, Closer, Sivanto prime and Gazelle. In order to prevent a resistance problem, it is important to alternate these agents with products that have a different mechanism of action. 

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