Rice Stink Bug vs Bordered Plant Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rice Stink Bug Bordered Plant Bug
Scientific Name Oebalus pugnax Largus californicus
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Pentatomidae Largidae
Size 8-12 mm 12-17 mm
Habitat Wetlands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Seed Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions North America, Central America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Rice Stink Bug

A slender, straw-colored stink bug that is the most damaging hemipteran pest of rice in the Americas. It feeds on developing rice grains, causing 'pecky rice' that is discolored and unmarketable.

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Did You Know?

Feeding punctures allow fungi to enter developing rice grains, creating dark spots that cause entire harvests to be downgraded.

Bordered Plant Bug

A dark blue-black bug with bright orange margins common in arid parts of California. Nymphs are iridescent blue and gather in large groups.

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Did You Know?

Nymphs cluster in spectacular iridescent blue groups that can number in the hundreds on a single plant.