FACT SHEET

Agriculture and Natural Resources

FS-3824-08

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

by Celeste Welty1, David Shetlar1, Ron Hammond1, Susan Jones1, Barbara Bloetscher1, and Anne Nielsen2
1
The Ohio State University
2
Rutgers University

T he brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys,

is a plant pest that was recently introduced into the
United States from its native range in Japan, Korea, and
In its native range in Asia, additional hosts of the brown
marmorated stink bug are pea, apricot, fig, mulberry,
hibiscus, as well as some weeds such as burdock.
China. The word marmorated refers to its marble-like
coloration. Sometimes called the yellow-brown stink Damage and Economic Importance
bug or the East Asian stink bug, it was first reported in The first reports of damage by the brown marmorated
the United States in 2001 from Allentown, Pennsylvania. stink bug in Pennsylvania were on ornamental plants such
It has since spread to New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, as butterfly-bush and paulownia (empress tree), and on
Virginia, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, New backyard peach and pear trees. Beginning in 2006, com-
York, and as far west as Pittsburgh. Specimens have also mercial fruit growers reported damage in apple and pear
been found in Massachusetts and Ohio, but existence of orchards in eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey.
breeding populations in those two states is uncertain as In Pennsylvania, this pest is also found in high populations
of December 2007. Established populations also exist in soybeans. Based upon its known habits, it is likely to
in Oregon and California, possibly due to hitchhiking invade agricultural areas and will pose a risk to other crops
via human commerce from the mid-Atlantic region, or as it continues to expand its geographic range.
from separate introductions. The brown marmorated
stink bug feeds on fruits and seed pods of a wide range
of plants. It is also a nuisance pest that invades buildings
in the autumn.

Host Plants
Reported hosts of the brown marmorated stink bug in
the United States include the following.
• Fruit crops: peach, Asian pear, pear, apple, cherry, rasp-
berry, grape, currant.
• Agronomic crops: soybean, corn.
• Vegetable crops: green bean, asparagus, pepper.
• Ornamental trees: paulownia (empress tree), crabapple,
persimmon, catalpa, walnut, maple, basswood, sweet
gum, redbud, American holly.
• Ornamental shrubs: butterfly-bush, serviceberry (shad- Figure 1. Adults of the brown marmorated stink bug on a peach
bush), pyracantha, viburnum, rose, honeysuckle. fruit (photo by G. Bernon).

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 Brown Marmorated Stink Bug—page 2

and inside buildings. In extreme cases, hundreds can

invade a home. They enter buildings through any small
opening, mostly around windows. When disturbed, the
bugs produce a characteristic pungent acrid odor that many
humans find offensive. They do not bite humans or pets.

Appearance
Adults of the brown marmorated stink bug have the
typical shield-shape of stink bugs. They are approximately
15 mm (5/8 inch) long and 8 mm (3/8 inch) wide. The up-
per side of the body is mottled shades of brown and gray,
and is covered with dense puncture marks (Figure 2). The
Figure 2. Top side of an adult Figure 3. Underside of an underside of the body is white, sometimes with grey or
brown marmorated stink bug adult brown marmorated black markings (Figure 3). They have dark red eyes. The
(photo by D. Shetlar). stink bug (photo by D. legs are brown with faint white banding.
Shetlar).
The adults of the brown marmorated stink bug can
be distinguished from other species of stink bugs by the
The brown marmorated stink bug is highly mobile and alternating dark and light bands on the last two segments
can switch hosts, moving from plants with early-ripening of the antennae. The exposed side edges of the abdomen
fruits to those with late-ripening fruits. Because it has a also have alternating light and dark banding.
broad host range, almost any crop that has fruit is at risk Eggs are light green, barrel-shaped, and found in
of attack. Like other true bugs, the brown marmorated clusters (Figure 4). The immature stages, called nymphs,
stink bug feeds by sucking on plant juices with its beak, are oval-shaped and somewhat tick-like in appearance.
which is made of straw-like mouthparts. Its damage can Young nymphs (Figure 4) are yellowish brown, mottled
range from mild to severe. with black and red. Older nymphs (Figure 5) are darker,
On beans, damage is found on the immature seeds with light bands on dark legs and antennae, similar to
within the pods. On fruit crops, its feeding causes small the adults. Nymphs have red eyes. As shown in Figure 5,
necrotic spots. If fruit is damaged early in the season, the nymphs of the brown marmorated stink bug are sometimes
result is cat-facing, which is grooves or distorted brown found together with other stink bug species; the brightly
lines on the fruit surface. Fruits damaged in late summer colored nymph near the top of Figure 5 is the green stink
can have lesions that look like water soaked spots on the bug, Acrosternum hilare.
surface or beneath the skin (Figure 1). Damage on fruit
can be compounded by secondary infections and scarring
as the fruit matures.
In apples, stink bug damage is commonly confused with
the physiological disorder cork spot. Stink bug damage
can be distinguished by a pithy area underneath the skin
that is white to brown, contiguous with the fruit skin, and
cone-shaped.
Leaf feeding is characterized by light-colored stippling
or crows-foot shaped lesions about 3 mm (1/8 inch) in
diameter. The lesions sometimes coalesce and turn brown
over time.
Its additional status as a nuisance pest makes the brown
marmorated stink bug different than other plant-feeding
stink bug species. The adults enter homes and other build-
ings in the autumn when seeking sheltered sites to spend
the winter. The bugs are harmless, but they can become a Figure 4. Young nymphs of the brown marmorated stink bug
nuisance when they congregate in large numbers outside emerging from eggs (photo by G. Bernon).

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 Brown Marmorated Stink Bug—page 3

are currently studying the biology of this insect and testing

pesticides for its control on fruit crops. Damage thresholds
need to be determined. Although existing management
strategies used for other stink bug species might apply,
research is needed to tailor management tactics to this
pest species.

Management Indoors
The brown marmorated stink bug can be mechanically
excluded from homes and buildings by sealing cracks and
other openings in the buildings. If bugs are entering the
living areas of the home, the openings where the insects
gain access first should be located, then sealed. Typical
entry points include cracks and crevices around window
Figure 5. Older nymphs of the brown marmorated stink bug on and door trim, window-mounted air conditioners, exhaust
a black cherry leaf shown together with one nymph of the green fans, ceiling fixtures, baseboards, and chimneys. Cracks or
stink bug (photo by G. Bernon). openings should be sealed with caulk to prevent entry by
the stink bugs. Torn window screens should be repaired,
Life History and window-mounted air conditioners should be removed.
The brown marmorated stink bug overwinters in the Live and dead stink bugs can be removed from buildings
adult stage in houses and other protected places. The adults with a vacuum cleaner or shop vac, and the vacuum bag
begin to fly to these overwintering sites in the middle of should be promptly removed and discarded. Insecticides
September, and peak flight activity is in late September should not be used inside houses after the insects have
or early October. gained access. Using an insecticide indoors is not recom-
Adults emerge from their overwintering sites in the mended because this will not stop additional invasions,
spring, usually in early May. After they feed for about two and exposure of humans and pets to pesticides should
weeks, they mate, and the females begin to lay eggs. Eggs be avoided.
are laid in clusters of about 28 eggs on the undersides of
leaves from June to August. A single female can lay up to Reporting
400 eggs. Eggs hatch in three to seven days. Entomologists need to document the expanding range
The nymphs pass through five instars (sub-stages), of this pest. Anyone who finds specimens that seem to be
with a molt between each instar. Each instar lasts about the brown marmorated stink bug can report them to their
one week, before the final molt into the adult stage. New county Extension educator or to the centralized web site:
adults start to appear in late July or August. There is one https://njaes.rutgers.edu/stinkbug/report.asp
generation per year in the mid-Atlantic region.
Classification
Management Outdoors Halyomorpha halys (Stål); Order Hemiptera, Family
Management planning is under development for this Pentatomidae, Subfamily Pentatominae, Tribe Pentato-
newly introduced pest. Researchers at Rutgers University mini.

Acknowledgments: Thanks to Gary Bernon at USDA for information, specimens, photographs, and helpful advice.

Visit Ohio State University Extension’s web site “Ohioline” at: http://ohioline.osu.edu
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Keith L. Smith, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Director, Ohio State University Extension
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868 1/08—3824

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