Stink Bug

About the Stink Bug

They produce a pungent chemical cocktail from glands on their thorax when disturbed - a defense effective against most predators. The brown marmorated stink bug is an invasive agricultural pest causing hundreds of millions in crop damage in the US since arriving from Asia in 1998. They seek shelter in homes during winter, sometimes by the thousands. Over 5,000 species worldwide. Some are actually beneficial predators of other crop pests. The smell has been described as similar to cilantro or skunk. They are a major pest in soybean and fruit production.