Desert Stink Bug vs Korean Water Scorpion

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Desert Stink Bug Korean Water Scorpion
Scientific Name Chlorochroa ligata Laccotrephes japonensis
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Pentatomidae Nepidae
Size 12-16 mm 30-38 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Ponds & Lakes
Diet Sap Feeders Predators
Regions North America East Asia, Japan/Korea
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Desert Stink Bug

A green shield bug with a distinctive orange or red border found in arid western North America. It feeds on a variety of desert shrubs and weeds.

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Did You Know?

It releases a pungent chemical from thoracic glands that smells like cilantro to some people.

Korean Water Scorpion

A flat, leaf-shaped aquatic predator found in Japan and Korea. Despite its name, it is not a true scorpion but a true bug with raptorial forelegs. Breathes through a siphon-like tail appendage.

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Did You Know?

The long breathing siphon at the rear works like a snorkel, allowing the water scorpion to breathe while remaining submerged and hidden among leaf litter.