Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

By: Tom Berg

Stink bugs – who likes them?  There are many species of stink bugs native to the United States, and the biggest problem with them is they emit a stinky odor when handled.  Luckily, the populations of native species are kept in check by local natural predators.  But there is an invasive species of stink bug that is spreading throughout the USA these days, and it is named the brown marmorated stink bug.  These invaders have no natural enemies here, so their populations are exploding.

The brown marmorated stink bug is native to China, Japan, Korea and other places in Asia.  It is thought this insect was accidentally introduced to the United States when a shipment from China or Japan arrived in Pennsylvania in 1998.  At least, that’s where it was first observed and documented.  Since then, it has been reported in many states throughout this country.

Brown marmorated stink bugs are dark brown in color and ‘shield-shaped’, with alternating dark and light bands along the rear edge of their abdomen.  Not all individuals are brown, however.  Some are a dark reddish color, or brownish-gray, or even almost black.  They often have a white or cream-colored mark in the middle of their back, too.  Their antennae also have light and dark bands on them.  These stink bugs are a little over a half-inch long.

Like most stink bugs, this invader does not bite and it is harmless to people.  They do produce a very smelly odor when they are handled or feel threatened, and this stinky chemical can irritate the skin or eyes of more sensitive people.  The smell is very pungent.  So like all bugs, it is best to keep them out of your house.

They do pose a big risk to agriculture, however, as they feed on a wide variety of plants and fruits.  Brown marmorated stink bugs have a very sharp proboscis that they use to puncture fruits and plant stems and suck out the fluids and juices inside.  Some of the crops they have damaged since arriving in the United States include apples, pears, peaches, cherries, tomatoes, sweet corn and soybeans (just to name a few).

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