Fun Lychee Stink Bug Facts For Kids

Are you an insect lover and fascinated by bugs like the green stink bug and the stick bug? Then we have the perfect insect for you. Check out these mind-blowing lychee stink bug facts. These bugs fall under the family Tessaratomidae which in turn fall under the class of Insecta.

 The natural habitat of these bugs involves farms and orchards, and they have been exclusively found in India which is a country in South Asia. Not much is known about these stink bugs as they are quite rare. Outbreaks of these bugs have occurred in India twice, once in 2008 on a limited scale and in 2012 on a massive scale. As a method of control of their population, pest management and invasive control steps are undertaken to stop and control the widescale plant and fruit destruction of this insect. These bugs release a liquid when threatened that is a foul odor.

If you find our content interesting then do check out wheel bug and western conifer seed bug.

What type of animal is a lychee stink bug?

As evident from its name, the lychee stink bug is a type of bug that belongs to the family of Tessaratomidae.

What class of animal does a lychee stink bug belong to?

All sorts and types of bugs of the world, including the lychee stink bug, fall under the class of Insecta of the Animalia kingdom.

How many lychee stink bugs are there in the world?

It is very difficult to make an assumption of the number of lychee stink bugs that are currently present on the globe. These are minor pest-type insects that are known to cause damage and infect lychees. However, this big species, Tessaratoma javanica is not listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature or the IUCN Red List. This means not much information is known about this particular bug. Moreover, the population trend of this species is also unknown. These bugs infect lychees and this often occurs seasonally. It becomes very difficult to comprehend the population size of these stink bugs.

Where does a lychee stink bug live?

Up to now, the pest lychee stink bug has been found in only one place on the globe and that is in the country of India, located in Asia.

What is a lychee stink bug's habitat?

Since these stink bugs are pests and cause occasional harm to the lychee fruit, the preferred choice of their natural habitat of these stink bugs are gardens, orchards, and farms where lychees are grown on a large scale.

Who do lychee stink bugs live with?

Owing to very little information and research data that is available, the social lifestyle of these pest lychee stink bugs is currently unknown. However, we can make an assumption based on the lifestyle of stink bugs in general. These bugs are not known to form groups or colonies and prefer staying alone. However, when these stink bugs find an adequate food source, they tend to come together in numbers to gather food.

How long does a lychee stink bug live?

The exact duration of the lifespan of the lychee stink bug is currently unknown or undetermined due to very little data being available. In general, stink bugs tend to live their life cycle within a span of six to eight months, and it can be assumed that it will be similar for lychee stink bugs too.

How do they reproduce?

These stink bugs have a clutch size of 10-16 with an average clutch size being 14 eggs per cluster. It is understood that the mating process begins in early February, while the eggs are hatched in late April. The incubation period takes around 13 days on average after which the eggs hatch and little nymphs emerge from them.

What is their conservation status?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature or the IUCN Red List is yet to list the lychee stink bug in their database, and they are currently a not-listed species. Not much is known about their population number or their population trend over the years. These are seasonal pests and their outbreak occurs only once in a while. Pest management is often used to control their population. By killing them, it helps to not attract more stink bugs.

What do lychee stink bugs look like?

These are little brown bugs or insects that have a small triangular head. They have six legs which are useful in locomotion. The end portion of the body is black in color, while the body is elongated triangular in shape. The front of the body contains two antennas which serve useful in communication. The wings of these bugs rest in a cross-shaped posture.

How cute are they?

Bugs are not adored by people and since these are pests that destroy litches, the lychee stink bug is despised by people. However, entomologists are bound to find these bugs quite adorable.

How do they communicate?

Not much is known about the communication of lychee stink bugs, however, it is understood that these bugs communicate during mating by probably releasing chemicals which can either be courtship rituals or rival alarms.

How big is a lychee stink bug?

Owing to very limited data, the size of the lychee stink bug is unknown. Bugs like green stink bugs are 0.5-0.7 in (14-19 mm) long.

How fast can lychee stink bugs fly?

The flight speed of the lychee stink bug is unknown, however, normal stink bugs are pretty fast fliers and they are known to attain speeds of around 6.7 mph (10.7 kph).

How much does a lychee stink bug weigh?

Not much is known about the weight of the lychee stink bug.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names that are used to differentiate between adult male and adult female stink bugs. Therefore, they are simply referred to as males and females.

What would you call a baby lychee stink bug?

The baby of a bug is known as a nymph. In the case of a baby lychee stink bug, it will also be known as a nymph, or more accurately a lychee stink bug nymph.

What do they eat?

Stink bugs are herbivorous animals like termites, and as a result they only feed on plant matter. Fruits are the main diet of these stink bugs, and in the case of the lychee stink bug, the litchi fruit is the main food of these bugs.

Are they dangerous?

Stink bugs are not dangerous animals with respect to humans. The lychee stink bug bite can be painful these are non-poisonous animals. However, stink bugs are dangerous in terms of fruits. These bugs are treated as pests and can destroy farms and orchards whenever there is an outbreak.

Would they make a good pet?

Though these stink bugs are harmless, it would be a bad decision to keep them as pets in your houses. They may or may not be friendly, but will definitely end up becoming a nuisance to infants and pets as they can bite.

Did you know...

In the 2012 massive outbreak of lychee bugs in India, about 3.5% of the total population of these bugs were vulnerable to natural parasitoids as means of pest management.

Are stink bugs poisonous to eat?

No, these stink bugs are not poisonous to eat just like fleas. However, it is advisable to refrain from consuming these bugs. On swallowing them, it can cause throat irritation and while eating them, these bugs often produce a foul-tasting which can cause stomach upsets and has a disgusting odor.

Can the smell of a stink bug hurt you?

No, the odor cannot harm a human being. However, these stink bugs often release a liquid as an act of self-defense that can cause irritation or swell on contact with the skin surface.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods from our leaf-footed bug facts and giant water bug facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable bug coloring pages.

Second image by SimonMacDo