Brown Marmorated Stinkbug Halyomorpha halys new pest for NJ, PA & NY

In 2003 the Rutgers Cooperative Research & Extension service posted an article about the Yellow Brown stinkbug actually known as the Brown Marmorated Stinkbug, Halyomorpha halys . The stinkbug was apparently inadvertently brought over from Asia.

I noticed a brown stinkbug on our bedroom window screen in the fall and thought nothing of it. Later the bug appeared in the bedroom and could be seen flying around like the Asian ladybugs. I finally caught, photographed the bug and was curious to find out what kind of bug it was because it has unusual markings around the edge of the wings, like the short stripes on the pharaoh's headdress or a tortoise's shell. Googled it and found the Rutgers website which listed it as a imported pest and had a good description with photos. They want the public in the tri-state area, NJ, PA, and NY to report any sightings to see how far the bug has spread and you can do that on the site.

Here's an excerpt from the site: "The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug,
Halyomorpha halys (Ståhl), is an exotic insect
belonging to the order Hemiptera or true
bugs. Halyomorpha halys, sometimes also called the
yellow-brown stink bug or East Asian stink bug, is native
to Asia and is considered an important agricultural pest in
Japan where it attacks soybeans and various tree crops.
It was first collected in the United States just across the
Delaware River in Allentown, PA during the fall of 1996.
Since then its presence has been confirmed in Lehigh,
Northampton, Monroe and Pike Counties in Pennsylvania.
In 1999 the brown marmorated stink bug was first
recovered in New Jersey from a black light trap run by the
Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) Vegetable IPM
program in Milford, NJ. In 2002, it was again collected
from blacklight traps located in Phillipsburg and Little
York, NJ and found on plant material in Stewartsville, NJ.
A specimen was also brought into the Morris County
Cooperative Extension office in 2002 by a homeowner
who lives in southeastern Morris County."

and

"Damage
The brown marmorated stink bug is a sucking insect
that uses its proboscis to pierce the host plant in order
to feed. This feeding results, in part, in the formation
of small, necrotic areas on the outer surface of fruits
and leaves of its hosts causing characteristic cat-facing
injury in fruits such as apples and peaches. In its native
range, H. halys feeds on a variety of fruits and other
host plants including apples, cherry, citrus, figs, mulberry,
peach, pear, persimmon, and soybeans.
In Pennsylvania, H. halys has been observed feeding
on many ornamental plants and trees including crab
apple, Norway maple, pyracantha, American holly,
and butterfly bush in 2003. The stink bug has also
been observed feeding on peaches, Asian pears,
string beans, asparagus, and raspberries. It is uncertain
if H. halys will become a widespread pest in
the eastern United States.
Adults also exhibit behavior similar to Asian ladybird
beetles and boxelder bugs and can congregate on
houses in late fall and eventually move indoors. Once
inside they can become a nuisance and emit an offensive
odor if crushed. Chemical control recommendations
are not currently available. Your best option is to
vacuum up the insects and release them outdoors or
dispose of the vacuum bag. Caulking windows and
doors, etc., in areas where the insect congregates on the
outside of the house or structure, should help prevent
them from entering."

More information and photos from the Northeast Intergrated Pest Managment site.

What's marmorated? From Webster's revised unabridged dictionary: "Variegated like marble; covered or overlaid with marble" ...so now you know.