Cuspicona simplex

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Cuspicona simplex, called the green potato bug, is a plant-eating stink bug native to Australia and now found in New Zealand. It mainly feeds on nightshade plants such as potatoes and tomatoes and can be a pest to these crops. It has also been seen on raspberry.

Adults are bright green and about 8.3–10.4 mm long, with distinctive pointed shoulders. The nymphs go through five stages: early ones are mostly black and white (sometimes with a touch of red or brown), while later instars are pale green with black patches on the abdomen. Eggs are laid in groups of around 14 on the undersides of leaves, and nymphs stay near the egg mass before molting.

Life cycle and timing: Adults overwinter at the base of plants or in loose soil and emerge in spring to mate and lay eggs. From egg to adult, development takes about 28–30 days at 21°C.

Hosts and feeding: C. simplex feeds by piercing plant tissue and sucking out fluids, mainly on Solanum plants (potatoes, tomatoes, and related crops). It has also been found on raspberry.

Natural enemies: Egg parasitoids include Trissolcus basalis (introduced as a biocontrol agent) and Trissolcus oenone (native; biology not fully known). An described Acroclisoides species may attack eggs as a primary parasitoid or as a hyperparasitoid. Fifth-instar nymphs can be attacked by Aridelus sp. (a braconid wasp), and adults by Alophora sp. (a tachinid fly).