Brown Mormorated Stink Bug

Hello, my name is Halyomorpha Halys, or the  Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, and more commonly, just stink bug. I am in the insect family Pentatomidae, which is native to Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan. Now, I know you might be thinking, wait, your from Asia?! Yes, I am, and that makes me invasive. Now, I will tell you about my journey and my life. I am actually a pretty new insect in America, I first arrived in Pennsylvania from Asia in just 1996, so I am relatively new here, and let me tell you, I LOVE it. I am normally found in the eastern states, as well as California, Oregon, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Washington. I have been sighted in other states, but they have not had as big of and issue.

The reason I am called a STINK bug is because when I am disturbed or crushed, I release a disgusting odor, that you definately don’t want to smell. My stench comes from glands on the dorsal surface of my abdomen and the underside of my thorax. I am a mottled brownish gray color, and I am aproximately 3/4 inches long. I have six legs, and I am a triangular shield shape. The nymphs do not look much different from the adults, the nyphs are just smaller, and their colouring is a bit redder. Stink bug eggs are about 1.3mm long, and they are normally a yellowish red.You can often find the eggs under leaves in masses of 20-30 eggs. I am completely harmless to humans, I do not bite, and I eat fruits. Nymphs though, feed on fruits, stems, and leaves. I am known to be an agricultural pest, even in my native land because I like to eat fruits and vegetables, which makes them unmarketable. Adult stink bugs, such as myself only invade homes when it is getting colder. In the warmer months we like to gather together in big masses on the sides of buildings. If I do end up visiting your home, DO NOT SMUSH ME, or the scent will be lingering in your house for days. Instead get a vacuum and suck me up, just remember to discard the vacuum bag when you are done, or I will still stink up your house, dead or alive. Now, let me just say that I have no regrets moving from Asia to America, I am absolutely thriving here!!!!!!! Thank you for reading about me, and I hope you enjoyed!

Resources

http://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/occasional-invaders/stink-bugs/

http://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/occasional-invaders/stink-bugs/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug