Hello all! Before I get into it, I have another personal update. All is going well with our boy and I started back at work today for the first time in two months! It was rough for me but I enjoyed getting out of the house and look forward to working again, although it'll be less than I used to. That's enough about me, let's talk about stink bugs!
Stink bugs (or also called shield bugs) are in the family Pentatomidae. It gets just a little confusing because shield bugs can reference members of a few different families as well so I just stick to calling them stink bugs. For reference, here are the photos I have of shield bugs that are in the family Acanthosomatidae that I almost added because I thought they were in the same family. Look below at the photos of stink bugs. Do you see the resemblance?
Back to strictly Pentatomidae! They're true bugs so they have piercing mouthparts. They, most of them at least, use those mouthparts for feeding on plants.
You might be wondering, why are they called stink bugs? Well, they release a strong spray when threatened, disturbed, or crushed to ward of predators and make them unappealing. Different species have different smells and those range from a more dusty, earthy scent to that of a rancid almond. Some even have cyanide compounds!
Pictured below is the green burgundy stink bug (Banasa dimidiata), featuring a friendly little ant.
Unfortunately, they are considered agricultural pests and have evolved to be resistant to most pesticides. It always breaks my heart a bit when I research a bug and most of the pages that come up are for extermination purposes. In this case, I understand as they can harm cotton, corn, sorghum, soybeans, native and ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, weeds, and many cultivated crops.
One of the species of shield bug that follow this trend is the brown marmorated stink bug. It is present in a whopping 41 out of 50 states and is invasive. I don't have photos of this particular species but when I read it can affect over 100 species of plants I had to mention it!
Despite their flaws as crop destroyers I still enjoy spotting them when I can out in nature. I like their shape and variety of colors. I wonder what they smell like when they're crushed but don't worry, I'd never do that. As always, I hope you enjoyed my venture into another bug species. See ya next time!
To finish off the post, one final stink bug. this is the dusky stink bug (Euschistus tristigmus). Here's to hoping we see more of them in our travels. Happy bug hunting!
Yours,
Jade
