Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Physical Description

Eggs: 1.6 x 1.3 mm, barrel-shaped; pale green initially then turn white with a white halo-like circle on the upper part of the egg. Closer to hatching, red eye spots develop an egg breaker (black triangle on top of halo). Eggs are usually found in clusters of approximately 25 on the underside of leaves.

Photo by Alison Grant

Nymphs: Look similar to ticks. The nymphs shed their exoskeleton in five nymphal stages, ranging from 2.4 mm to 12 mm in length, until they reach their winged adult form.

First instars: Yellowish-orange abdomen, black thorax.

Photo by Alison Grant

Second instars: Mostly black with orange abdomens.

Photo by Alison Grant

Third through fifth instars: Banding on the antennae of the nymphs and a single white band on each of the legs.

Photo by Alison Grant

Adults: 14-17 mm in length, brown and white mottled appearance with smooth rounded “shoulders”. The most distinguishable characteristic is the two white bands on each antenna.

Photo by Alison Grant

Life Cycle

Adult female BMSB lay eggs over a period ranging from two weeks to several months. Each of the nymphal stages lasts for about a week, but this duration varies based on the temperature of the area at the time. Newly mature adults in the fall feed before heading to protected overwintering sites. In the springtime, adults emerge over a prolonged period ranging from mid-April to early June. Females require two weeks of feeding, post-emergence, before they become sexually active and can mate. Female BMSB can lay more than 400 eggs per year, making the risk of crop damage high. BMSB is considered damaging to the fruit in both its nymphal and adult stages because it injects tissue-destroying enzymes into fruit and sucks the fruit’s juice in both stages.

The BMSB attacks a wide range of crops and non-crop plants ranging from grapes to orchard crops, bush and tree ornamentals, to vegetable and field crops, such as apples, peaches, pears, mulberries, soybeans and sweet corn. This is concerning to Ontario’s economy as large BMSB populations are found in the fruit-growing regions of Ontario (e.g. Niagara) that grow peaches, grapes and other fruits extensively. Non-crop hosts in Ontario include buckthorn, catalpa, honeysuckle, tree of heaven, black walnut and Manitoba maple trees.

• Destroyed tissue (appears corky)
• Distorted skin
• Hardened flesh

BMSB has been detected/ intercepted in most U.S. states, as well as in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. BMSB was intercepted on a shipment into Prince Edward Island and was destroyed.

EDDMapS. 2020. Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System. The University of Georgia – Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. Available online at http://www.eddmaps.org/; last accessed July 24, 2020.

A detailed distribution map of BMSB in Ontario including where it has been found and where it is established

Distribution Map provided by EDDMapS 

In the United States, BMSB is a serious agricultural problem. In Ontario, BMSB has been a nuisance pest for homeowners for the most part, yet growers are continuing to see more BMSB injuries on their crops in areas where it has been detected and determined to be established.

Economic impacts

Amongst the wide variety of crop and non-crop hosts that BMSB feeds on, this insect prefers the reproductive parts of the crop and agricultural output. This puts fruit, vegetable, and agronomic crop growers where BMSB is established at a threat of an economic loss. The economic injury for apple growers had been estimated to be around $37 million US dollars , as of 2010, in the mid-Atlantic states with some farmers losing more then 90% of their peach crop yield (Leskey et al., 2012). BMSB threatens Ontario’s $145 million tender fruit and grape industry including peaches, pears, plums, and nectarines (OMAFRA, 2019), and the $138 million apple industry (OMAFRA, 2019). BMSB infestations have already been found affecting wine grapes in the U.S. in Virginia, Oregon, and New Jersey. Ontario’s prominent wine and grape industry might be jeopardized with the spread and persistence of the BMSB, with a total economic impact of $3.3 billion (Frank, Rimerman & Co. LLP, 2013) including impacts on jobs, taxes, and tourism. The potential impacts mentioned in this section are meant to provide a glimpse into a wide range of potential economic threats that BMSB may impose in areas where it is established.

Photo: Brian Little, The University of Georgia, Bugwood.org.

Ecological impacts

BMSB mainly targets fruiting structures, seeds, and pods. BMSB also feeds on the vegetative parts of plants, flower buds, leaves, and stems. It has been recorded that the BMSB can feed through the bark of thin-barked trees, often affecting young trees; however, the impact of BMSB feeding on young trees is still being evaluated.

In addition, management options for BMSB include insecticides, which may have associated environmental impacts and have a large non-target insect impact.

Social impacts

BMSB poses a challenge to many farmers across North America, impacting their livelihood and well-being. BMSB is not only an agricultural pest, but also a nuisance pest for homeowners causing problems in urban areas. BMSB makes its way into homes and buildings, especially during the fall season, releasing odors and producing secretions that can stain surfaces.

Detect

Pheromones, black lights, and pyramid traps are used as tools for detecting BMSB if they are present near where the traps are set. Agencies may consider using pheromone traps as a early detection tool. A pheromone lure is placed inside a pyramid trap to attract BMSB, guiding it in one direction to the holding chamber. See photo below for more detail. Alongside agencies, community members can preform visual surveys on preferred host plants, sweep nets, and tapping trays as another tool for detecting BMSB.

BMSB are also invasive in areas outside of North America. Check out this video from Agriculture Victoria on surveillance and management efforts for BMSB in Australia!

Respond and Control

Mechanical

Physical barriers such as placing bags on fruit growing in gardens and in small scale orchards can prevent BMSB damage.

Tree banding can be used to stop nymphs from moving up a tree trunk (please note that this method may be impractical in cases where canopies are intertwined).

Outdoors

Suggested methods to try:

• Tree banding in an attempt to impede the movement of the BMSB nymph populations.
• Aggregation pheromone traps in the peripheries of field crops may assist in the reduction of pesticides sprayed in the field.
• Natural ingredients such as lemongrass and cloves may be used as BMSB repellents. Creating slow release formulas for the essentials oils or combining this technique with other methods may increase its effectiveness against BMSB

Indoors

Prevention is key to dealing with BMSB indoors:

• It is important to repair cracks and seal any spaces around windows to prevent BMSB from finding their way inside.
• If BMSB populations are found near or in living spaces, an old vacuum cleaner may be used to capture BMSB, as the captured BMSB can leave behind an unpleasant smell and stains within the vacuum. Drop the captured insects into soapy water to kill them.

Biological

Studies are being undertaken to determine whether the egg parasitoid wasp, Trissolcus japonicus, is specific to BMSB. Trissolcus japonicus controls 50-80% of BMSB populations in its native range in Asia by parasitizing the BMSB eggs (Yang et al., 2009). Research on whether T. japonicus is a suitable biological control of BMSB in Canada and the U.S. is still ongoing and will most likely be the best option for long term management.

Field surveys conducted in North America have showed that while several native enemies pray on BMSB, in its invaded range, they do not provide enough control to offset the agricultural impact from BMSB (Rice et al., 2014).

Chemical

In Canada, there limited commercially registered products that are currently available for control or suppression of the BMSB (Fraser, 2013). Please refer to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency label database as products are subject to change.

Although chemical control options exist, there are associated challenges with this type of approach. In some cases, BMSB has been noted to develop resistance against insecticides. In addition, the residual activity of the insecticides is limited, so unless the insect comes into contact with the insecticide directly via spray contact or shortly thereafter, it is not proven to be an effective management tool.