DID YOU KNOW?


Halyomorpha halys, the brown marmorated stink bug, or simply the stink bug, is an insect in the family Pentatomidae and it is native to China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.  It was accidentally introduced into the United States, with the first specimen being collected in September 1998.

The adults are approximately 1.5 centimeters (0.59 in) long and the underside is white or pale tan, sometimes with gray or black markings. The legs are brown with faint white banding. The stink glands are located on the underside of the thorax, between the first and second pair of legs.

It is an agricultural pest that can cause widespread damage to fruit and vegetable crops. In the US, the brown marmorated stink bug feeds, beginning in late May or early June, on a wide range of fruits, vegetables and other host plants including peaches, apples, green beans, soybeans, cherry, raspberries, and pears.  The brown marmorated stink bug is more likely to invade homes in the fall than others in the family.  The bug survives the winter as an adult by entering houses and structures when autumn evenings become colder.  Adults can live from several months to a year.  They will enter under siding, into soffits, around window and door frames, or any space which has openings big enough to fit through. Once inside the house, they will go into a state of hibernation. They wait for winter to pass, but often the warmth inside the house causes them to become active and they may fly clumsily around light fixtures.

The stinkbug's ability to emit an odor through holes in its abdomen is a defense mechanism meant to prevent it from being eaten by birds and lizards. However, simply handling the bug, injuring it, or attempting to move it can trigger it to release the odor.