BirdingNZ.net

First instar nymphs are like small, red and black, wingless adults. There are five nymphal stages, each is called an instar. Nymphs go from one stage to the next by moulting, changing their skin. During moulting, the “skin” on the dorsal side splits and the next stage pulls itself out. As the insects progress through the nymphal stages their body changes colour. The first instar is almost circular in outline. The body is red with black around the abdominal scent gland openings, black areas also on the thorax and a black head, legs and antennae. The second instar is shiny black. The abdomen has a pair of white lateral patches on the first segment and two pairs of tiny orange spots near the scent glands. The third instar is also black, but has more white on the first abdominal segment and more small yellow or white spots on the abdomen. The lateral edges of the prothorax and mesothorax (first and second segments of the middle section of the body) are coloured. The colour of fourth instar nymphs is more variable. The background colour may be black or green and the lateral edge of each abdominal segment may have an area of pink. Antennae and legs vary from pink to dark brown. The small wing buds extend to the edge of the abdomen. Fifth instar nymphs are even more variable. They may be almost black to almost green with a pink abdominal fringe. Amongst the variable patterns, they all have three pairs of white or yellow abdominal spots near the scent glands. Most also have more small white spots.

flossiepip wrote:Interesting to go to the garden center and see warning leaflets from mpi.govt KEEP NEW ZEALAND STINK BUG FREE. Well fat chance of that but it would seem that they mean the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug!