The soldier bug is a spined insect that is related to the stink bug, commonly found in North America. They are brown with protruding spines on their legs and body.
The female soldier lays up to 1,000 eggs during her life cycle and anywhere from 15 to 70 eggs in clusters at one time, on the stems and leaves of a garden plant.
The eggs hatch in about a week and their young, known as instars emerge. The instars grow in 5 stages, changing colors as they mature. In their second stage, the instars will begin to feast on harmful insects such as the larvae of moths and beetles, corn earworms, cabbage worms, and grubs near their egg nest until they mature into an adult.
The instars or nymphs become fully mature in a month and will begin to venture out in search of prey. They generally hunt by flying from plant to plant until they find their prey. Once found the beneficial bug Adult pirate bugs have mouths that pierce and suck the fluids from other insects
Most adult spine pirate predators can live up to 8 weeks in ideal conditions, with the male living slightly longer than the female.
It is known that spine soldier bugs do tend to occasionally suck on garden plants to quench their thirst, but do not harm the plant itself. They are beneficial for gardens, greenhouses crops, and fruit trees since they can consume a variety of more than 50 bad bugs that can cause harm.
