Brown marmorated stink bug / Halyomorpha halys

In Europe, Russia and the United States, the Brown marmorated stink bug is a serious agricultural pest.

Adults overwinter, preferring human dwellings. Brown marmorated stink bug enter houses through cracks, between gaps in the lining, where they wait out the cold season in the heat. So, several thousand insects can gather in one house. Mistaking the warmth of the premises for the onset of spring, bedbugs flood living rooms, gather around lamps and under the ceiling, causing a number of inconveniences.

In spring, the female lays eggs. She usually attaches them to the underside of the leaf in piles of 20-30 pieces. When hatching, nymphs can remain in the clutch for several days.

The larva and adult insect feed on the same plant species, preferring the fruits and young shoots of most garden crops. The bug punctures the outer tissues of plants with its proboscis, sucking out the juice.

At the beginning of the XXI century, the Brown marmorated stink bug spread to the Americas, Europe, the middle East and southern Russia, where, due to the lack of natural enemies, its population is growing uncontrollably. So, in 2017, the bug destroyed about half of the tangerine crop in Abkhazia.

SYNONYM:

Halyomorpha brevis

Halyomorpha mista

Halyomorpha remota

Pentatoma halys