Arthropods Daily – Issue No. 53

The brown marmorated stink bug is a species of insect that is native to China or Japan but has been accidentally introduced to North America and Europe. Adult stink bugs are approximately 1.7 cm long and have a dark brown color with a creamy white-brown underside. They emit a pungent odor as a defense mechanism and their body fluids can be toxic to humans. The stink bugs are invasive pests that have rapidly spread across many regions in the United States and Europe, causing damage to crops. Biological control programs, such as the introduction of a parasitoid wasp species, have been implemented to manage their populations. In addition to agricultural areas, these bugs also invade homes during the fall and overwinter inside structures.