Diet

• Adults and nymphs: Primarily plant-feeding, using their piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap, developing fruits, flowers and seeds.

• Species of Loxa are generally associated with woody plants and flowering vegetation, although host-plant information varies considerably among species.

• Feeding on developing fruits and seeds can cause blemishes, deformation and reduced plant or crop quality.

Range

• Loxa is a genus of stink bugs (Pentatomidae) in the subfamily Pentatominae.

• The genus is primarily Neotropical, occurring from Mexico and Central America through the Caribbean and into South America.

• They are occasionally sighted in Zihua, where tropical vegetation provides suitable habitat.

Habitat

• Found in tropical dry forest, tropical deciduous forest, woodland, scrub, forest edges, gardens and agricultural areas.

• Adults are generally encountered on trees and shrubs, particularly where flowering, fruiting or seed-producing plants provide suitable food.

• Around Zihua, search carefully on foliage, flowers and developing fruits, especially in forest edges and sunny areas.

• Their green colouration can make them surprisingly difficult to detect against leaves.

Size

• Adult Loxa are generally medium to large stink bugs, commonly around 15–20 mm long, depending on species.

• The body is broadly shield-shaped, with a large triangular scutellum and five-segmented antennae typical of Pentatomidae.

• Many species are predominantly green, although yellow, brown and other colour variations occur.