Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Natural Habitat

Native to East Asia, but now widely found across North America and Europe. They inhabit orchards, gardens, and agricultural fields, often entering homes/buildings in the autumn to seek warmth for overwintering.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivorous and polyphagous; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on a wide variety of plants, including fruits (apples, peaches, berries), vegetables, and ornamental plants.

Behavior Patterns

They are known for their 'stink' defense mechanism, releasing a pungent odor from scent glands when disturbed or crushed. In the fall, they exhibit aggregative behavior, gathering in large numbers on the sunny sides of buildings and finding small crevices to crawl indoors for hibernation.

Risks & Benefits

They are considered a significant agricultural pest that can damage crops. To humans, they are mostly a nuisance pest due to their odor and presence indoors; they do not bite, sting, or transmit diseases. Ecologically, they have few natural predators in regions where they are invasive.

Identified on: 3/16/2026