The southern green stink bug Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) is a global pest of considerable
ecological, agricultural and economical interest. The ancestral home of this species is supposed to be Africa and/or
Mediterranean and presumably it was spread worldwide during the last two centuries with human trade and
agriculture. Bugs found today on different continents do not differ morphologically, however there are substantial
differences in their mating behaviour. We used horizontal starch gel electrophoresis to determine the suitability of
biochemical markers for assessment of genetic variation between geographically isolated populations of N.
viridula. The initial survey of populations from Slovenia, France, French West Indies and Brazil resulted in the
resolution of polymorphic banding patterns within the following enzyme systems: GPI, IDH, MDH, ME, MPI and
PGM. Results indicate there are consistent differences among tested populations.
