Diet

• Adults: Herbivorous, using their piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap from leaves, stems, flowers and developing fruits.

• Nymphs: Also feed on plant juices and remain associated with host plants while developing through five nymphal stages.

• Banasa calva and the closely related B. dimidiata have different host-plant associations, and the life histories of both species have been studied in detail.

Range

• Banasa calva is a stink bug (Pentatomidae) in the subfamily Pentatominae, tribe Pentatomini.

• It has a broad distribution extending from Canada and the United States south through Mexico and into Central America.

• It is occasionally sighted in Zihua, where the warm climate and abundance of woody and herbaceous vegetation provide suitable habitat.

Habitat

• Found in woodland, tropical and subtropical forest, forest edges, scrub, gardens and other areas with suitable host plants.

• Adults and nymphs are usually found on foliage and stems, where they feed on plant juices.

• Around Zihua, examine shrubs, small trees and other leafy vegetation, particularly where fresh growth is abundant.

• The species can also be encountered in more disturbed habitats and gardens.

Size

• Adult length: approximately 8.5–12 mm (0.33–0.47 in).

• Body relatively small and broadly oval, with the typical shield-shaped form of stink bugs.

• Colouration is generally greenish, brownish or muted reddish-brown, with subtle markings that can vary among individuals.

• The relatively inconspicuous colouration allows it to blend into foliage.