Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Need to know

  • The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is an invasive insect and has been identified in 47 states and 38 counties in Iowa. 
  • BMSB is similar to other stink bugs with a roughly-triangular or "shield" shaped body, and the adults are approximately 5/8 inch long and mottled brownish-grey in color. 
  • BMSB spends the winter in the adult stage hiding in houses and other protected locations. 
  • The first step in household accidental invader management is to seal cracks, gaps and potential entry points before they get in.

A map showing the reported distribution of BMSB in Iowa

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys, is an introduced invasive insect new to North America. It was first identified in fall 2001 in Allentown, PA, though unconfirmed reports go back to 1996. The accidental introduction was possibly via shipping containers from Asia. It is native to China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

BMSB is a plant pest that uses its piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on sap from a wide variety of plants, including field crops, vegetables, fruits, trees, and shrubs. In addition, like the boxelder bug and the multicolored Asian lady beetle, BMSB congregates on houses and buildings in the fall of the year and accidentally wanders inside as a nuisance pest. Stink bugs are named for the characteristic, disagreeable odor they produce, and the cilantro-like odor from BMSB makes the invasion even more distressing.

BMSB has been found in 47 states. The first discovery in Iowa was in Cedar Rapids in 2011. Currently, it has been reported in 39 Iowa counties. Please report additional county detections to insects@iastate.edu. BMSB has caused crop damage in the mid-Atlantic region and minor agricultural problems elsewhere. In Iowa and the remaining states where detected, it has been reported primarily as a household nuisance.

BMSB was the subject of an article in The New Yorker magazine on March 12, 2018.

Brown marmorated stink bug. Note the banded antennae and the alternating light and dark areas on top of abdomen.  Photo by D. Shetlar, Ohio State University Extension Entomology.
Brown marmorated stink bug. Note the banded antennae and the alternating light and dark areas on top of the abdomen. Photo by D. Shetlar, Ohio State University Extension Entomology.

Description 

BMSB is similar to other stink bugs with a roughly-triangular or "shield" shaped body. The adults are approximately 5/8 inch long and mottled brownish-grey in color. The word "marmorated" means marbled, a description of the mottled color on the back of BMSB. BMSB can be distinguished from other species of stink bugs by the alternating dark and light bands on the last two segments of the antennae and the alternating light and dark banding on the exposed upper edges of the abdomen. The underside of the abdomen is light-colored.

Compare BMSB to other stink bugs and "look-alikes" common in Iowa at Stink Bugs and Similar-Appearing Insects.

Life cycle of the brown marmorated stink bug

BMSB spends the winter in the adult stage, hiding in houses and other protected locations. In May, the adults leave the hiding sites to feed on sap from plants. After mating, the females lay eggs in clusters of about 28 eggs on the undersides of leaves from June to August. A single female can lay up to 400 eggs. Eggs hatch into wingless immature bugs called nymphs that feed and grow for about 5 weeks before reaching the adult stage in late summer. There is one generation per year.

Damage

BMSB feeds by puncturing plant tissues (leaves, fruits, stems) and sucking out plant juices with its beak. Damage can range from mild to severe and may appear as deformation, distortion, speckling, stunting, etc. In the eastern U.S., damage has been reported on field crops (soybean, corn); fruit crops (apple, peach, pear, apple, cherry, raspberry, grape, currant, and others); vegetable crops (green bean, asparagus, pepper, tomato, sweet corn); trees and shrubs (crabapple, maple, redbud, serviceberry, viburnum, rose, honeysuckle, and others).

To date, damage to field crops, fruits, vegetables, or ornamentals has not been reported in Iowa. Damage in Iowa and nearby areas has been limited to the annoyance and nuisance of stink bugs entering homes, office buildings, etc.

Underside of brown marmorated stink bug. Note the light color. Photo by D. Shetlar, Ohio State University Extension Entomology.
The underside of brown marmorated stink bug. Note the light color. Photo by D. Shetlar, Ohio State University Extension Entomology.

BMSB enters buildings in the fall when they seek sheltered locations where they can successfully spend the winter in hibernation. They are not seeking warmth, and they cannot predict colder temperatures nor that a house will be heated during winter. Like ladybugs, boxelder bugs, and cluster flies, every stink bug found indoors walked or crawled in through cracks and gaps during the fall of the year (usually late September to October). Typical entry points include cracks and gaps around windows and doors, between the foundation and siding, between the siding and soffit, around chimneys, and so forth.

Stink bugs do not bite, they cannot sting, and they do not feed on structures or house contents, or occupants. They are a nuisance and annoyance to residents because they are large, can occur in large numbers, and fly. They cannot cause any structural or cosmetic damage to your home. Further, stink bugs (and boxelder bugs, ladybugs, and cluster flies) cannot reproduce indoors or during the winter. While inside, BMSB do not feed, and they do not reproduce. Females are incapable of reproducing until early spring.

Management

The first step in household accidental invader management is to seal cracks, gaps, and potential entry points before they get in. Exclude BMSB by sealing cracks and openings with caulk or weather-stripping. Keep windows, screens, and doors in good repair to seal tightly.

Stink bugs already indoors should be vacuumed or swept up and discarded. If you use a vacuum cleaner or shop vacuum, the vacuum bag should be promptly removed and discarded. Indoor insecticide sprays for BMSB are not recommended. Spraying indoors, including the use of "bug bombs," does not prevent entry, and only accidental invaders out in the open at the time of treatment will be affected.

Do you live in Iowa and have an insect you would like identified?

The Iowa State University Plant & Insect Diagnostic Clinic will identify your insect provide information on what it eats, its life cycle, and the best ways to manage it if it is a pest. Please see our website for instructions on mailing insects and digital images.   

Contact information for each state's diagnostic laboratory for U.S. residents. If you live outside of Iowa, please do not submit a sample without contacting the Plant & Insect Diagnostic Clinic.  

Brown marmorated stink bug has light and dark bands on the antennae

Authors:
Last reviewed:
March 2022

Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Yard and Garden, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on September 12, 2016. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.