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Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Halyomorpha halys

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug has been detected in the UK on several occasions, mainly on imports from China, mainland Europe and North America  It serious and what are its possible implications to UK wildlife and our biosecurity. Initial reports indicated it is a serious pest on more than 100 plant genera, including Apple Peaches and ornamentals such as Acer as a whole genus.

Background

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is native to much of East  Asia. The adults will feed mainly on fruits where they suck out the juices, while the younger stages of the bug tend to feed on foliage and stems. There are more than 57 species of hitch-hiker stink bugs. Therefore, if established in the UK, it could cause serious economic damage to our food supply and devastate ornamentals.

It has spread to North America and was first detected in 1996 and in Europe in 2004. It now causes huge losses in crops like apple, pear, peach, apricot, cherry and kiwis. Perhaps more worrying is that it attacks soya and corn crops, causing damage estimated at é250,000,000. It has also been attacking greenhouse crops in Hungary and Switzerland. More worrying for consumers is the fact adults can invade warm houses in order to over-winter, where they leave a very unpleasant odour.

As of March 2022 this bug is not being treated as a quarantine pest as some think it is impossible due to its ability to hitch a ride not just on plant materials but also virtually any for of packaging. There  have been several sightings in the south of England and one in the city of Leicester. Scientists have not yet reported finding prof of breeding in the UK, unlike in Europe, where breeding is widespread.

Word Wide Distribution

This pest has been detected in China, Japan South Korea, Russia, Taiwan and Vietnam. It is widespread in the USA and southern Canada and most of Europe, and still spreading.

Host Subjects

This pest has a very wide host range, having been detected in more than 100 host genera from trees, woody subjects and  field crops down to weeds.

Fruit crops include: Citrus spp., Diospyros spp., Malus domestica (apple), Morus spp.,
Prunus armeniaca (apricot), P. avium (sweet cherry), P. domestica (plum), P. persica
(peach), Pyrus communis (pear), Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), Rubus idaeus
(raspberry) and Vitis vinifera (grapevine). Field crops include: Asparagus spp., Glycine
max (soybean), Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) and Zea mays (maize). Forest and
ornamental trees/shrubs include: Abelia grandiflora (glossy abelia), Acer spp. (maples),
Aralia elata (Japanese angelica tree), Buddleia davidii (summer lilac), Cryptomeria
japonica (Japanese cedar), Cupressus, Decaisnea fargesii (blue bean shrub), Hibiscus,
Lonicera, Paulownia tomentosa (foxglove tree), Rosa rugosa, Salix, Stewartia
pseudocamellia and Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium). In Asia, BMSB has also been found
on weeds (e.g. Actrium spp.).

Description

Not to be confused with other Shield Bugs

Life Cycle and Biology

Infection and Spread

Economic Impact

Supplementary Information

Further Information Sources

For England and Wales, contact your local APHA Plant Health and Seeds Inspector or
the PHSI Headquarters, York. Tel: 0300 1000 313
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For Scotland, contact the Scottish Government’s Horticulture and Marketing Unit:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For Northern Ireland, contact the DAERA Plant Health Inspection Branch:
Tel: 0300 200 7847 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For additional information on UK Plant Health please see:
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/phiw/riskRegister/
https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/
https://www.gov.uk/plant-health-controls
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/plant/PlantHealth/PlantDiseases
https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk