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Life Cycle
The life cycle of the black stink bug is approximately two months in duration. It follows the typical insect progression from egg to nymph to adult. The adult black stink bug spends the winter in protected, moist areas such as decaying plant matter around fallen logs, and emerges in June to feed and mate (which, according to a University of Florida study, can last up to four consecutive hours). The female adult black stink bug then lays her eggs on a living plant to ensure food for newly hatched black stink bugs.
Black Sting Bug Eggs
Unlike other stink bugs, which lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves in clusters of 20 to 30 eggs, the black stink bug lays eggs either singly or in pairs. These tiny, white, oval-shaped eggs hatch into small, light brown nymphs.
Black Stink Bug Nymphs
When the eggs hatch and the black stink bug nymphs emerge, they stay near the hatching point to feed. As a nymph moves through its five stages of development, called instars, it grows larger and larger, adding length to its antennae segments, and changes from light brown to black as it becomes an adult. The body shape of the immature black stink bug nymph looks very similar to that of the adult, except the nymph's body is more rounded and less shield-like.
Adult Black Stink Bugs
Stink bugs come in every color and pattern but are all similar in size and shape. The adult black stink bug is 1/2 inch long and looks much like a shield with a wide upper body and tapering lower body. The adult black stink bug has a black body and black-and-white legs, a small, pointed head and protruding spines. A bright yellow or white spot is evident near the rear of its body. The adult black stink bug is often mistaken for the predatory stink bug, which has powerful, sharp mouth parts. This error in identification by predators may help keep the black stink bug safe.
Where Black Stink Bugs Live
Since black stink bugs feed on living plants throughout their life cycle, they are usually found in fields, meadows, croplands and your garden. They have large mouth parts that pierce the plant and suck out its juices. Some stink bugs are primarily predatory and carnivorous, eating insect larvae or caterpillars, but the black stink bug feeds almost exclusively on vegetative matter, though it has been seen occasionally in cotton fields attacking the larvae of other insects.
Stink bugs are a large and far-flung family of insects. More than 4,000 species live in every part of the world. In the United States, the black stink bugs are found in the Southeastern and south-central regions.
Why Black Stink Bugs Stink
Adult black stink bugs emit a noxious odor produced in specialized thoracic glands for several reasons. This foul smell warns predators to steer clear, as well as warning other black stink bugs of nearby danger. Perhaps the most important function of the black stink bug's stink is to attract a mate and keep the life cycle of the black stink bug moving along.