M.Y. Voice

The Halyomorpha Halys, more commonly known as the stinkbug, arrived from Asia around 1997 through shipments of trade goods. They were first seen in Pennsylvania, and rapidly spread to 32 states in 13 years including Maine, Mississippi, Ohio, California, Oregon and Maryland. Stinkbugs were first spotted in Maryland in Frederick County in 2002.

The emergence of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (the non-scientific name) has become a nuisance for many Americans. The stinkbug's extensive diet is a problem for many American farmers. The stinkbug's large variety of food sources is expanding quickly and could keep our country in a recession. When stinkbugs eat the crops, the farmers can’t sell them; so the economy continues to stay at the low level that it currently holds and could even decrease more. Dr. Michael Raupp, a bug expert and Professor of Entomology at the University of Maryland who describes stinkbugs as “biblical and awesome” says the pests can directly affect our country's economy. “They cause huge amounts of damage to crops like fruits, vegetables, corn, and soybeans,” he says.

Stinkbugs appear everywhere including inside and outside of houses, schools, cars, and swimming pools. They are famous for their smell of rotten cilantro and pepper they emit when startled. While stinkbugs are a major nuisance to most people, some think of them as “cute and friendly animals” as Kelsey, a 6th grader, thinks of them.

As you can see, there are many negative sides to stinkbugs. For example, they endanger our agriculture and can destroy our economy with their appetite. They may seem cute and friendly but these friends stink!

A Possible Solution

The stinkbug's life cycle consists of seven main stages. These stages include egg, five nymphal stages, and then adulthood. During the egg stage the Trissolcus Parasoid wasp can inject their offspring into the eggs and eat the growing stinkbug from the inside out. Scientists are unsure whether or not to bring the wasps over from Asia in worries of an outbreak like that of the stinkbug. It is very tempting to introduce these wasps into the environment because they kill 80% of stinkbugs before they become larvae. The Trissolcus Parasoid is the only natural predator of stinkbugs. Sadly, they only live in Asia, but are being tested under a quarantine in Pennsylvania. Dr. Raupp thinks that the predator wasps should be released if they clear quarantine “because they may be our best hope; and, if we cannot find a biological control agent to control this pest, the economic and environmental costs will be staggering.”

Hammond Middle School students Amanda O’Shaughnessy and Grace Cheney wrote this article together. Amanda loves to read and swim. Grace enjoys writing and playing volleyball with her family.