What is the Brown marmorated stink bug?
The Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys; Figure 1) is a pest of agricultural crops and while it is not present in Australia, it is a pest of concern for Australia’s agricultural industries (DAWR 2015). The Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has introduced emergency measures based on the pest’s biology, physiology and interception data to protect Australia’s agricultural industries from the Brown marmorated stink bug (DAWR 2015).
Figure 1: Brown marmorated stink bugs (A) Male and (B) Female (The State University of New Jersey 2016).
Adult and juvenile Brown marmorated stink bugs feed on the leaves and fruit of over 100 plant species and cause significant economic damage to commercial crops and ornamental crops (DAWR 2015; Wermelinger et al. 2008; Figure 2).
Figure 2: Brown marmorated stink bugs on a (A) tomato and (B) red pepper (University of Maryland 2016).