Stink Bugs
Stink bugs feed on many plants, including native and ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, weeds, and many cultivated crops. They can do a lot of damage to vegetable and flower gardens. Stink bugs get their common name from the foul-smelling fluids they exude when disturbed.
Stink bugs have five nymphal stages, or instars. The nymphs are smaller than adults, but similar in shape. Green stink bug nymphs are predominantly black when small, but as they mature, they become green with orange and black markings.
Adult stink bugs are shield-shaped. Green stink bugs are bright green and about 3/4 inch long. The major body regions of the green stink bug are bordered by a narrow, orange-yellow line.
Stink bugs have five nymphal stages, or instars. The nymphs are smaller than adults, but similar in shape. Nymphs of the brown stink bug are light green.
Adult stink bugs are shield-shaped. Brown stink bugs are dull brownish-yellow in color and about 5/8 inch long
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug—Halyomorpha halys
The brown marmorated stink bug, an invasive pest of fruit trees, vegetable crops, and other plants, has recently been found in the Northeast, including Maine. It can be a nuisance pest in homes when it seeks overwintering sites in the autumn, often in large numbers, and tends to have a strong disagreeable odor. It is originally from Asia.
We are tracking its establishment throughout the state of Maine. If you have this bug in your home or garden, please take a picture and make a report.
The brown marmorated stink bug has five nymphal stages, or instars, that range in size from less than 1/8 inch to 1/2 inch in length. Young nymphs are yellowish and mottled with black and red; older nymphs more closely resemble the adults.
Adults are approximately 5/8 inch long with a mottled brownish grey color. The next to last (4th) antennal segment has a white band and several of the abdominal segments protrude from beneath the wings and are alternatively banded with black and white.
Feeding damage appears as small necrotic spots on leaves and fruit.
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Identification and Control Information
- Stop BMSB—USDA Special Crop Research Initiative
- Maine CAPS BMSB page—Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
- Sucking Insects That Affect Vegetable Plants—University of Maine Cooperative Extension
- Regional Pest Alert: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (PDF)—Northeastern IPM Center
- Fact Sheet: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (PDF)—State of New Jersey, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
- Brown Marmorated Stink Bug—Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project
[Photos, left to right: Herb Pilcher, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org; Herb Pilcher, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org; David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org; Herb Pilcher, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org; Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org; Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org]