Stink Book 10
Ophelia Gurin
The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is an invasive pest that is present throughout much of the United States. The species is native to Asia and was introduced into the United States in the mid-1990s, possibly stowing away in a shipping container. The presence of this stink bug is concerning for farmers because it feeds on a large number of high-value crops and ornamental plants in its immature and adult life stages.
In the United States, the highest concentrations of brown marmorated stink bugs occur in the mid-Atlantic region, and they have been identified in 38 states and the District of Columbia. They cause major economic damage to fruit, vegetable, and field crops in the mid-Atlantic region. However, while farmers in other regions of the country are concerned about the presence of the brown marmorated stink bug, they are currently not a significant agricultural pest in most areas outside of the mid-Atlantic region.
In addition to plant damage, brown marmorated stink bugs are a nuisance to people because adult stink bugs often seek shelter to overwinter inside houses and other buildings. While large infestations can be a nuisance, they do not bite people or animals, nor do they damage buildings. When disturbed or squashed, the stink bugs release an unpleasant odor from scent glands on their abdomen.
The adult brown marmorated stink bug is shield shaped with brown mottling. It is between 14 and 17 mm long, roughly the size of a U.S. dime. Its abdominal edges and last two antennal segments have alternating broad light and dark bands.
From May through August, adult females lay clusters of 20-30 light green or yellow, elliptical-shaped eggs on the undersides of leaves (figure 2). They usually produce one or two generations per year in cooler climates but can lay up to five generations per year in warmer climates.
Newly hatched nymphs have dark red eyes and the abdomen is yellowish, mottled with black and red. Older nymphs (figure 3) are darker with black and white bands on the legs and antennae. Similar to other stink bug species, all nymphs lack wings.
The brown marmorated stink bug can be a serious agricultural pest and has been observed feeding successfully on numerous fruit, vegetable, and field crops including apples, apricots, Asian pears, cherries, corn (field and sweet), grapes, lima beans, nectarines and peaches, peppers, tomatoes and soybeans.
Physical damage to fruit includes pitting and scarring, sometimes leading to a mealy texture. This injury makes the fruit unmarketable as a fresh product and in severe cases can even render the crop unusable for processed products. The brown marmorated stink bug also feeds on leaves, and a characteristic symptom of leaf injury is stippled areas approximately 1/8 inch in diameter around feeding sites. In addition to physical damage, wounds caused by feeding can provide an entryway for disease to attack the host fruit or plant.
Managing this pest species is challenging because there are currently few effective pesticides that are labeled for use against them. Researchers are looking into additional ways to effectively control this stink bug species.
If you suspect you have seen brown marmorated stink bugs, contact your State Department of Agriculture, University Diagnostic Laboratory or Cooperative Extension Service for further advice on effective treatment and control recommendations.
In early autumn, adult brown marmorated stink bugs look for wintering sites. During this time of year, they can often be found on the outsides of buildings or inside near doors, windows, and other entry points. They can also be found in leaf litter and vegetation outdoors. In areas where they are established, they can enter structures by the hundreds or thousands.
Once inside, they may congregate almost anywhere, including bookcases; under beds and sofas; in cracks under or behind baseboards, window and door trim; and in attics. These pests will not cause structural damage or reproduce in homes.
Both live and dead brown marmorated stink bugs can be removed from interior areas by using a vacuum cleaner; however, the vacuum may smell of stink bugs for a period of time. Also, traps made using a metal pan filled with soapy water and a light source are attractive to stink bugs, but additional tactics must be used for complete control of brown marmorated stink bugs. Aerosol and fogger type insecticides labeled for use against domestic stink bugs will kill these pests in living areas, but they will not prevent more of the insects from emerging from cracks after they dry. Use of these insecticides is not a solution for long-term management of stink bugs.
In addition to being a nuisance in homes, brown marmorated stink bugs are also problematic for businesses, especially businesses that ship products overseas. For example, cars and other vehicles manufactured in areas of the United States where brown marmorated stink bugs are present must be fumigated or heated to temperatures over 122F for several hours before they are allowed into some international ports. The cost of these measures, which are intended to prevent introductions of brown marmorated stink bugs to new countries, can be significant.
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Local Concern: The brown marmorated stink bug has been shown to affect yields in fruit, nut, legume and vegetable crops in the Eastern United States. The brown marmorated stink bug can also affect ornamental plants and be a nuisance in indoor environments where they overwinter.
The invasive brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB; Halyomorpha halys) was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 2001, and has caused tremendous crop damage in many mid-Atlantic states. Two to three years prior to noticeable crop damage, BMSB may be seen overwintering in people's homes often in large numbers.
As of 2023, reports of BMSB overwintering in Maine structures have been verified from 87 towns in 13 counties. Reports of overwintering populations help experts predict and prepare for subsequent potential crop damage.
The BMSB was first discovered in eastern Pennsylvania in 1998 and has quickly spread to almost all of the continental United States and several Canadian Provinces. In Indiana, it was first collected in Elkhart County in October 2010 and is now distributed statewide.
This pest can cause major damage in orchards by piercing fruit, leaving it unable to be sold. It can also wreak havoc on soybeans and corn. BMSB are edge feeders, meaning that they will start feeding on the edge of a field and work toward the center.
If stink bugs enter your home, there are a couple of ways to get rid of them. One of the easiest methods is to collect them with a garage vacuum. Empty the vacuum immediately into a bucket of soapy water where the sting bugs will drown. Another method is to use a pie pan full of soapy water under a desk lamp. BMSB are attracted to the light. They will fly around it, fall into the water and drown.
There are a limited number of control options for organic producers and homeowners, including trap crops and physical barriers. There has been some hope that a biological control may help. Trissolcus japonicas, the samurai wasp, is a parasitoid that lays eggs inside the egg of a BMSB. The wasp larvae then feeds on the developing BMSB and kills it. In 2014, the samurai wasp was discovered in wild populations parasitizing BMSB eggs on the East Coast as and near Vancouver. It is hypothesized that the Samurai wasp was probably introduced simultaneously with BMSB. The wasp has been kept in a federal quarantine facility since 2007 and has been undergoing evaluation for possible use as a wide-spread biological control agent.
Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is an invasive bug that is a serious pest of fruit, vegetable, and other crops. It also becomes a nuisance pest of homes as it is attracted to the outside of houses on warm fall days in search of protected, overwintering sites and can enter houses in large numbers.
Brown marmorated stink bug (Figure 1) was accidentally introduced from east Asia (China, Japan, Korean) into eastern Pennsylvania and was first collected in Allentown in 1998, although it probably arrived several years earlier. It has since spread throughout most of eastern and western of North America and will likely be found continent-wide within a few years (Figure 2).
Adults are approximately 17 mm (0.66 in) long and are shades of brown on both the upper and lower body surfaces (Figure 1). They are "shield" shaped like other stink bugs, almost as wide as they are long. To distinguish them from other stink bugs, look for lighter bands on the antennae and darker bands on the membranous, overlapping part at the rear of the front pair of wings. They have patches of coppery or bluish-metallic colored puntures (small rounded depressions) on the head and pronotum. The name "stink bug" refers to the scent glands located on the dorsal surface of the abdomen and the underside of the thorax.
There are five nymphal instars (immature stages). They range in size from the first instar at 2.4 mm to the fifth instar that is 12 mm in length. The eyes are a deep red. The abdomen is a yellowish red in the first instar and progresses to off-white with reddish spots in the fifth instar. Protuberances are found before each of the abdominal scent glands on the dorsal surface. The legs, head and thorax are black. Spines are located on the femur, before each eye, and several on the lateral margins of the thorax (Figure 3).
This species probably has a single generation per year in Pennsylvania, although warm spring and summer conditions may permit the development of two generations. Adults emerge in the spring (late April to mid-May) and mate and deposit eggs from May through August. The eggs hatch into small black and red nymphs that go through five molts. Adults begin to search for overwintering sites starting in September through October.
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