Bug FAQGreen potato bug
Cuspicona simplex · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Pentatomidae
Source: Wikipedia
Adult green potato bugs are bright green, about 8 to 10 mm long, and have pointed shoulders. They live on nightshade plants such as potatoes and tomatoes, and have also been seen feeding on raspberry. Females lay clusters of about 14 eggs on leaf undersides, and the insects pass through five nymph stages before becoming adults.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are bright green with pointed humeri.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure between 8.25 and 10.4 mm in length (about 0.33 to 0.41 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
It is a known pest of potatoes, tomatoes and other nightshade crops.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
A braconid wasp (Aridelus sp.) attacks fifth-instar nymphs, and a tachinid fly (Alophora sp.) attacks adults.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are usually found on nightshade family plants, especially those in the Solanum genus. They have also been recorded feeding on raspberry.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They feed on nightshade plants by piercing stems or fruits and sucking out the fluids.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Females lay about 14 eggs together on the underside of leaves. The bug goes through five nymph stages before reaching adulthood.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults overwinter at plant bases or in loose soil and emerge in late spring to mate and lay eggs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The green potato bug is native to Australia and has been introduced to New Zealand.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants does the green potato bug damage?
It feeds on potatoes, tomatoes and other nightshade crops, causing damage to those plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the green potato bug originally from?
It is native to Australia and has been introduced to New Zealand.
Source: Wikipedia
How does the green potato bug reproduce?
Females lay clusters of about 14 eggs on leaf undersides, and the insects develop through five nymph stages before becoming adults.
Source: Wikipedia
What natural enemies help control green potato bugs?
A braconid wasp (Aridelus sp.) parasitizes fifth-instar nymphs, and a tachinid fly (Alophora sp.) attacks adults.
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/Cuspicona_simplex
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.