The Orient Express in Maryland: The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

ABSTRACT : The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Stal) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is an exotic invasive species, native to China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, and was first observed in the United States in the mid-1990s. BMSB are occasional pests of soybeans and many fruit trees in Asia. In the United States, they were first recognized as a nuisance pest when they entered homes in large numbers in autumn. Reports soon followed that BMSB were feeding on ornamental plants, home vegetable gardens, and fruit and shade trees in suburban and urban landscapes. Initial fears that BMSB would become a significant agricultural pest in this country were recently confirmed when they began appearing in field, vegetable, orchard, vineyard, and ornamental plantings in many states, where its feeding resulted in millions of dollars of crop losses. Maryland has not been spared invasion by this prolific stink bug, and both producers and homeowners find themselves inundated by a pest they are hard pressed to control. This article summarizes the history, biology, identification and movement of BMSB within Maryland with the hope that this information will enable citizens to deal with this pest in environmentally responsible ways.