Brown Stink Bug

Euschistus servus · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Pentatomidae

Damages trees, gardens or crops. Brown stink bugs damage many garden vegetables and field crops such as tomatoes, green beans, corn, soybean, sorghum, okra and peas.

Source: extension.msstate.edu, UF/IFAS

They are common pests in vegetable gardens and can cause seedling death, stunted growth, or “suckering” of plants. Control is best with pyrethroid insecticides, hand-picking, foot-stomping, and cultural practices that remove seed heads and weeds.

Source: extension.msstate.edu, UF/IFAS

How to recognize it

They belong to the order Hemiptera and family Pentatomidae. Adults are shield-shaped, gray-yellow with dark spots, and have piercing-sucking mouthparts.

Source: extension.msstate.edu, UF/IFAS

Is it a pest in the house?

They are among the worst pests in vegetable gardens. They are especially problematic on early-season tomatoes and green beans and may need treatment to prevent heavy damage.

Source: extension.msstate.edu

How to get rid of it

Pyrethroid insecticides such as zeta-cypermethrin and permethrin are the most effective treatments in home gardens. Insecticide use should follow crop-specific action thresholds for economical management. Removing seed heads and broadleaf weeds helps keep populations low.

Source: extension.msstate.edu, UF/IFAS

Where it comes from

They are native to Central America and North America.

Source: Wikipedia

Lookalikes

Later in the season they are joined by green stink bugs, southern green stink bugs, and other Euschistus species. Several stink-bug species can damage the same vegetable crops with their piercing-sucking mouthparts. Other stink-bug species may cause similar damage on peaches in central and south Florida. They share many host plants with other stink-bug species.

Source: extension.msstate.edu, UF/IFAS

Where it is found in the US

Recorded in 49 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, North Carolina, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio.

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Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.

Source: GBIF

Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist

Months it is reported in the US

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Source: GBIF

More photos

Brown Stink Bug photo 3 — Photo: Annika Lindqvist, CC BY

Brown Stink Bug photo 4 — Photo: Adrienne van den Beemt, CC BY

Brown Stink Bug photo 5 — Photo: Annika Lindqvist, CC BY

Brown Stink Bug photo 6 — Photo: jamie bee, CC BY

Questions people ask

How can I control brown stink bugs in my garden?

Use pyrethroid sprays like zeta-cypermethrin or permethrin, and combine with hand-picking, foot-stomping, and weed removal.

Source: extension.msstate.edu, UF/IFAS

What kind of damage do they cause to plants?

Feeding can kill seedlings, stunt growth, or cause “suckering” where extra shoots emerge from the plant base.

Source: UF/IFAS

Same family (Pentatomidae)

Brown Marmorated Stink BugHalyomorpha halysDamages trees, gardens or crops

Green Stink BugChinavia hilarisDamages trees, gardens or crops

Harlequin BugMurgantia histrionicaDamages trees, gardens or crops

Green Shield BugPalomena prasina

European Striped Shield BugGraphosoma italicum

Southern Green Stink BugNezara viridula

Sources

extension.msstate.edu: https://extension.msstate.edu/newsletters/bugs-eye-view/2019/brown-stink-bug-vol-5-no-11
UF/IFAS: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN796
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euschistus_servus

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.