Why Kudzu Bugs Are Attracted to Wisteria

I've been wondering why our kudzu bugs love to cluster in hordes around a wisteria vine in our backyard. Well, now I know.

Wisteria belongs to the family Fabaceae. Kudzu, the plant that gives these bugs their name, also belongs to the family Fabaceae. The difference is that wisteria is a member of the subfamily Faboideae, tribe Millettieae, genus Wisteria, while the next taxon for kudzu after the family is the genus Pueraria.

So, wisteria and kudzu belong to the same plant family (a pea family to be precise). That's why the kudzu bugs are so attracted to wisteria, in lieu of their favorite plant, kudzu. Incidentally, there are species of wisteria native to China and Japan, countries from which kudzu originated.

Note: the credit for this connection must go to my mom, whose theory led me to do a little research. Turns out, she was right on the money!