Melon bug
Namibian crop pests  #  12&13
Coridius viduatus 
Coridius nubilus		 Order: Hemiptera Family: Dinodoridae

      
 
Coridius viduatus
 		  
Coridius nubilus 
 
Newly laid eggs (green)
eggs just before hatching (red)
 
Young nymphs (C. nubilus)
Edible nymph ("nakapunda")
  

Note: Most farmers in northern Namibia grow a type of wild melons in their fields. The melons germinate from dropped seeds and are left in the field to grow between the other crops. Melons are collected during the dry season and the kernels, are used for production of cooking oil or local cosmetics. 

COMMON NAMES

stink bug, melon bug (English); nymph: nakapunda (Oshikwanyama, Oshikwambi) Adult: omankili (Oshindonga, Oshikwambi); omanghili (oshikwanyama); etandapuka (Oshingandjera, Oshikwaluudhi, Oshikolonkadhi); ó-tsiras (Damara), okakuze maambi (Herero); otjinkili (Dhimba); stinkbesie (Afrikaans) 

Coridius viduatus 
The most common species of melon bug. This species is found all over northern Namibia. 

Coridius nubilus 
Apart from the common melon bug, a second species, C. nubilus, was found on pumpkins at Ongwediva and Oshakati, Oshana region and on melons in the Oshikoto region. C. nubilus is quite similar to C. viduatus though much darker with bright orange antennae. The wider distribution of this species is at present unclear. 

PEST STATUS

Melon bug are found in most fields in northern Namibia. Farmers do not usually consider them to be pests, although they may sometimes cause damage to melon shoots. They may be a more severe problem on commercial melon varieties and other cucurbits, e.g. pumpkins. 

DESCRIPTION

The eggs are pale green and laid in 3-4 cm long straight rows on the underside of cucurbit leaves. They are glued so tightly together that they can be lifted off as one long stick of eggs. When eggs are ready to hatch, they change colour from green to reddish or purple. 
Young nymphs of melon bugs range from reddish or black to pale brown, depending on their age and are found near the clusters of eggs. Already at this young stage, the orange antennae on C. nubilus can be clearly distinguished from C. viduatus. 
The adult melon bug is a brown and black bug, 20 mm long. They are usually found by lifting the young melon plants from the ground and inspecting the underside of leaves. Melon bugs suck the sap from leaves and tender shoots (similar to other plant-feeding bugs), but the plants show few symptoms, even when attacked by scores of melon bugs. 

CONTROL

Control cannot be recommended at present. Damage to the crop seems to be limited and melons are not at present a cash crop. 
 
Chemical control is especially not recommended, as people often collect bugs for food. 

OTHER NOTES

Melon bugs are edible. The last nymph stage is called “nakapunda” and in this relatively soft stage the bug is cooked and eaten. 
 

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