Bug FAQBlack Stink Bug
Proxys punctulatus · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Pentatomidae
Source: Wikipedia
Adults are about 11-13 mm long, mostly black with a yellow spot on the scutellum and black-cream legs. They live in the Caribbean, Central America and North America, overwinter in leaf litter and become active in June. They eat plant juices and insect larvae, and have been found on several crops, making them a garden pest.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
An adult measures between 11 and 13 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It is omnivorous, feeding on plant juices and on insect larvae.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Research on its life cycle was done in Union County, Illinois. In the lab, eggs hatch in about 9 days and the five nymphal stages last roughly 5, 7, 8, 9 and 16 days respectively.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults spend the winter in leaf litter near host plants. They become active in June and start reproducing then.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes the Caribbean, Central America and North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Some predatory stink bugs look similar, sharing the black colour and can stab with a strong proboscis when threatened.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 26 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Mississippi.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants does the black stink bug damage?
It feeds on plant juices and has been found on blackberry, cotton, soybean and citrus, so it can harm those crops.
Source: Wikipedia
When are black stink bugs most active?
They become active in June after overwintering in leaf litter.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I trap black stink bugs?
They are attracted to traps that use Euschistus pheromones.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the black stink bug found?
Its range includes the Caribbean, Central America and North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pentatomidae)
Brown Marmorated Stink BugHalyomorpha halysDamages trees, gardens or crops
Green Stink BugChinavia hilarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Harlequin BugMurgantia histrionicaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown Stink BugEuschistus servusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Green Shield BugPalomena prasina
European Striped Shield BugGraphosoma italicumSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxys_punctulatus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.