Southern green shield bugs cause problems in many important food and fiber crops, including key greenhouse crops such as pepper, eggplant and cucumber. The bugs damage plants by piercing and sucking plant sap from leaves, buds, blossoms and fruit. This kills seedlings, stunts plant growth, wilts leaves and creates superficial spots and pits. Fruit may drop, become deformed or fail to form at all.
The feeding punctures made by Southern green shield bugs also provide access for fungal and bacterial infections.
Combating the Southern green shield bug is a real challenge. Until now is only possible with the use of chemicals which disturb the populations of beneficials that combat pests such as thrips, spider mites, aphids, and whiteflies.