Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

The brown marmorated stink bug,Halyomorpha halys (Stal), is an exotic stink bug introduced into the United States in 1996 in Allentown, PA (Hoebeke and Carter 2003) (Fig. 1). It is speculated that the introduction occurred through the movement of bulk containers shipped from either the port ofPhiladelphia, or Elizabeth, NJ,to Allentown. Initially,H. halys was incorrectly identified as a local species; however, after several years of increasing homeowner complaints about large numbers ofHalyomorpha entering homes in late fall,Karen Bernhard ofthe LehighCounty Cooperative Extension Service sent specimens to Cornell University for IDconfirmation in 2001. Upon their receipt, Richard Hoebeke correctly identified the specimens as the brown marmorated stink bug, thereby establishing the first known report of this insect in the United States. Following proper identification, USDA-APHISPPQand others began monitoring the spread ofH. halys. The first specimen collected in NewJersey was in 1999 from ablacklight trap maintained by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Vegetable IPMProgram. This collection from Milford,NJ, which is 15 miles east ofAllentown, was set aside and not identified until notification about the presence of H. halys in Pennsylvania in 2001. Hoebeke and Carter (2003) describe the lifehistory and morphological characteristics of the species. Overwintered females begin laying light green eggmasses on the undersides of host plants in late Mayand continue to do so throughout the summer.Halyomorpha halys nymphs pass through five instars. Newly emerged nymphs, orange and black in color;congregate around and feed on the eggmass (Fig.2). Subsequent instars are black, white, and pinkish in color;with white and black bands on the legs and antennae. These bands become more pronounced as the nymphs develop (Fig.3).Adults have amarbled or marmorated brown coloration, with alternating light and dark bands on the antennae and legs and the lateral margins of the abdomen. In Japan and China,H. halys is reported to have a very wide host range that includes tree fruit and soybeans (Hoebeke and Carter 2003). Watanabe (1996) discussed H. halys feeding damage on cherry in Japan. Funayama (1996) found that damage was heavier in early