Neottiglossa undata

This is a small (4.5-6mm) stink bug (Pentatomidae) of open areas. It is brown with yellowish speckling and black pits, with an off white line along each margin, and an off white stripe running from the head to the end of the scutellum. The legs and coxae are pale yellow. Other members of this genus in our area have black heads and pronotum, or dark coxae, or both. It is known to feed on Trifolium pratense (Red Clover), Verbascum thapsus (Wooly Mullein), Daucus carota (Queen Anne’s Lace), and various grasses. It is found region wide, and adults are active from April to October. It is a native, and is not regarded as a pest species.

I found these two Hemiptera (True Bugs) while sweep netting a grassy field above a lake. I almost didn’t bother with them, but it was slim pickings for some reason, and when I saw the off white border and median stripe I thought there might be a chance someone could identify them for me. But it turned out to be a pretty straightforward process, helped enormously by a simple key to this genus that I found online.