Another Bug

As Cindy was gathering the last of the Champion tomatoes this morning, she found another unusual looking bug on one of the tomatoes.

It was about 5 millimeters long, with a black body with a pattern of white and yellowish spots on the body and orange spots on the side by the head.

It was about the size and shape of a Lady Bug Harmonia axyridis, but the spots were the wrong color and pattern.
It was actually a very pretty bug, but the fact that we found it on the tomato plants was a matter of concern.

Southern Green Stink Bug Nymph

So, was it a beneficial bug, or was it the harbinger of another invasion of pests?

I posted these pictures on BugGuide.net and it was quickly identified as the nymph of a Southern Green Stink Bug, Nezara viridula.  This nymph is probably in its the second instar; eventually the adult bug will become all green with an elongated shield shape.  The pattern of dots on the nymph is where the wings will form on the adult.

With the identification we found that the bug is definitely not a beneficial bug and is considered "an important pest of vegetables and field and orchard crops, especially legumes and crucifers."

While we're not growing cotton or peanuts, we do intend to keep growing tomatoes and Cindy is just about ready to start her winter crops, many of which are crucifers.

I think Cindy has been feeding the birds too much; they should be eating some of these bugs.