Bug FAQBrown Marmorated Stink Bug
Halyomorpha halys · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Pentatomidae
Also called: Marbled shield bug
Source: Wikipedia
The brown-marmorated stink bug feeds on over 100 plant species, including many fruits and vegetables, and is a major pest in the eastern United States and other regions where it has spread. Its body fluids are toxic and can cause skin and eye irritation, with at least one reported case of eye infection.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are dark brown on top with a creamy white-brown underside and have light-colored bands on the antennae and dark bands on the abdomen edge.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
They are about 1.7 cm long and roughly as wide, giving them a shield shape.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
The species was first recorded in New Jersey in 2000 using a black-light trap.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
Human bites are rare, but the bug’s body fluids can irritate skin and eyes, and one case of keratitis has been documented.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
The USDA has created a synthetic pheromone to attract bugs into traps. Because they feed inside fruit and can quickly repopulate, many insecticides are ineffective and removal is difficult.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The bug is now established across much of North America and has recently spread to Europe and South America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Both nymphs and adults suck sap from a wide range of host plants using a proboscis.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Females lay clusters of about 28 light-green eggs on leaf undersides, which turn white as they develop.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Feeding begins in late May or early June and continues through the growing season.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It originates from China, Japan, Korea and other parts of Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 51 of 51 states and DC. Most records: North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Washington, Georgia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in North America; introduced in United States; introduced in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Do brown marmorated stink bugs bite or sting?
Bites are rare, but their body fluids can irritate skin and eyes; a keratitis case has been reported.
Source: Wikipedia
What crops do they damage?
They feed on over 100 plant species, including many fruits and vegetables, causing serious damage to crops in the eastern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I control them?
Traps baited with a synthetic pheromone are used, but many insecticides fail because the bugs feed inside fruit and can quickly recolonize.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pentatomidae)
Green Stink BugChinavia hilarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Harlequin BugMurgantia histrionicaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown Stink BugEuschistus servusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Green Shield BugPalomena prasina
European Striped Shield BugGraphosoma italicum
Southern Green Stink BugNezara viridulaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.