Nezara viridula (L.)1 in Central Texas: I. New Host Plant Associations and Reproductive Status of Adults Encountered Within

Southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), and other phytophagous stink bug species continue to plague producers of row crops (e.g., cotton [Gossypium hirsutum L.] and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill]) in Texas and the remainder of the Cotton Belt in the southeastern United States. Developing effective management tactics for N. viridula requires a thorough understanding of factors contributing to continued production of field pest populations. Uncultivated plant species in the absence of cultivated crops are key factors known to support N. viridula. This report identifies 17 new host plant associations (from nine plant families) for N. viridula in Central Texas; 12 of these associations were previously unidentified altogether in Central Texas while five plant species associations were identified in other regions of North America and the world. Also, reproductive status data of adults in the new associations aid in identifying new plant species capable of harboring reproductive adults. The new plant species associated with N. viridula should be monitored for developing populations that might eventually, or simultaneously, infest cultivated crops.