Fri., November 13, 2009 12:20pm (EST)

Kudzu Eating Bug in Georgia

By Josephine Bennett

Updated: 2 years ago

MACON, Ga.  —   There's a new bug in Georgia and it likes to eat kudzu, but unfortunately that's not all it feeds on. Its scientific name is the Megacopta Cribraria, also known as the Globular Stink Bug. Researchers at the University of Georgia say it came her from Asia, but no one knows exactly how it arrived.

Entomologists describe it as pea size, brown in color with a wide posterior. When it walks it waddles and when it's threatened it releases a chemical that stinks. It feeds on kudzu but it also likes soybeans. It has no natural enemies.

Right now the pest has been found in North Georgia, but it's spreading. Homeowners are finding it not only on kudzu but lighting on the sides of homes. UGA researchers are studying ways to control it. They say it might be a good way to get rid of kudzu but could harm soybean crops.