...there's an entomologist that can identify the 2 species of beetles in these pictures. These were taken yesterday in my backyard on a nice stand of scapes with flowers and pods on a Hosta rectifolia. They were very slow moving and didn't show any signs of going after vegetation, so it does make you wonder what they're after that we cannot see in these images.
Likely the same species of stinkbug, just at different life stages. Have a look through the frequently seen ones here: Observations ยท iNaturalist
Thanks for that, Daniel. Going through the various taxons and species and looking @ the pictures, I'd say what this is probably Chlorochroa persimilis.
Maybe... hmm. That's supposed to be an eastern North American species. There are a few others that are close, but to my untrained eye that does look like a good match. When finding something that seems out of the ordinary, I like to suggest posting it there and having the experts give it a go.
After taking the initial pictures I noticed a couple of days later that there were some seeds and pods on the ground around the pot this plant is in. Notice the expired specimen on its back just off center. Overall I have seen no more than 8-10 individuals but it's quite amazing how highly selective they have been with their foraging. I keep checking every afternoon for egg clusters on the bottom side of the leaves and thus far haven't seen any but that's not going to lull into a false sense of security.
I think I've changed my opinion about the damaged pods, they most likely were the handy work of a small four-legged furry varmint, as in a mouse. I have now seen pod/seedhead damage on one more hosta as well as an echinacea and stink bugs were never observed anywhere near those specific plants. The type of damage on the echinacea seed and pods on particular make it highly unlikely it was the work of an insect the size of a stink bug, more than likely a small mouse.
