Invasive Pest Spotlight: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Feb 25, 2016

The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) or BMSB is a new invasive pest of urban and suburban homes and landscapes in California.

A native of Asia, the brown marmorated stink bug immigrated into the United States in the 1990s but has only recently been reported in California. The bug prefers to feed on seeds and fruits, so is most damaging to fruit crops; however, it is a polyphagous feeder that may feed on fruit, leaves, or seeds of many ornamental plants as well.

Landscape managers may become most aware of this new pest in the fall when it aggregates in very large numbers on trees or within dwellings, often becoming a nuisance pest.

For more information about the brown marmorated stink bug, read the UC IPM Pest Note: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, by authors Chuck Ingels and Lucia Varela [Excerpted from the original article “Exotic Pests Invade California Landscapes” by Mary Louise Flint]