Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Pentatomidae
Genus: Halyomorpha
Species: H. halys
Binomial name: Halyomorpha halys
Common name: Brown marmorated stink bug, BMSB.
Report all sighting to PEST-AND-DISEASE HOTLINE – 0800 80 99 66
The Brown marmorated stink bug is not at present in New Zealand. It is a voracious true bug in the insect family Pentatomidae is known as an agricultural pest in its native range of China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. It has aggressively invaded the US where it is causing huge losses to crop sand could successfully establish in New Zealand. If introduced here it would have the potential to seriously damage the horticulture sector in New Zealand. This insect feeds on more than 300 hosts, primarily fruit trees and woody ornamentals but also field crops. Plants hosts include apples, stone fruit, grapes, kiwifruit, citrus, pip fruit, stone fruit, berries, grapes, asparagus, maize, honeysuckle, maple, butterfly bush, cypress, hibiscus, roses and a range of vegetables. Adults generally feed on mature and immature fruit, while nymphs feed on leaves and stems, as well as fruit. It severely disfigures fruit and renders it unmarketable, which results in control costs and production losses.
"At the moment in the US, they're struggling with chemical control of the stink bug. They did have some very good integrated pest management programmes, where they use natural enemies to control pest levels, but with the arrival of the stink bug in the States, they went from spraying chemicals twice in a season to having to spray twice weekly, and they're still suffering up to 40 percent crop loss," Catherine Duthie an N.Z. senior biosecurity risk assessment adviser.
Under the new biosecurity rules, all vehicles, machinery, boats and parts imported from the United States now have to be heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide before being shipped here.
Report anything you find to MPI on 0800 80 99 66. If possible photograph and/or collect samples.
There are currently other species of stink bugs found in New Zealand that could be confused with the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB).
Brown shield bug (Dictyotus caenosus). Approx 10mm long
http://www.padil.gov.au/maf-border/pest/main/141085
Glossy shield bug (Cermatulus nasalis turbotti). Approx 15mm long
http://www.padil.gov.au/maf-border/search?sortType=ScientificName&viewType=Details&pageSize=10&queryText1=Cermatulus+nasalis&queryType1=all
Forest shield bug (Oncacontias vittatus) Approx 10mm long
http://www.terrain.net.nz/friends-of-te-henui-group/local-insects/shield-bug-forest-sheild-bug-oncacontias-vittatus.html
Pittosporum shield bug (Monteihiella humeralis). Approx 10mm long
http://www.terrain.net.nz/friends-of-te-henui-group/local-insects/bug-shield-pittosporum-shield-bug-monteithiella-humeralis.html
Brown form of Green Vegetable bug (Nezara viridula). Approx 17mm long
http://www.terrain.net.nz/friends-of-te-henui-group/local-insects/green-vegetable-bug.html
Halyomorpha halys adults are approximately 14–17mm long, with a distinctive brown “shield” shape. The underside is white/tan, legs are brown with white banding. The brown antennae have two white bands.Young nymph stages (instars) are yellowish brown, mottled with black and red. Older nymph stages are darker, with the banding pattern on the legs and antennae beginning to appear.
The eggs are light green, barrel-shaped, and found in clusters of 20–30 eggs on the underside of leaves.
The Brown marmorated stink bug when disturbed or crushed it emits a characteristic, unpleasant and long-lasting odour.
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Brown marmorated stink bug eggs hatching on the underside of a leaf.
VIDEO
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
