Brown marmorated stink bug

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is not currently established in the ACT or anywhere else in Australia.

About the pest

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB; Halyomorpha halys) is a priority plant pest. It is a serious threat to Australia’s horticultural industries.

BMSB is a typical stink bug with a shield shaped body.

Why they are a problem

BMSB attacks over 300 species of plants, including vegetable crops and fruit and ornamental trees. In autumn, they seek warmth and can invade homes, vehicles and warehouses by the thousands.

What to look for

• Adult bugs are approximately the size of a 5 cent coin, 12–17 mm long and 7–10 mm wide.
• They are variable in colour but generally have a mottled brown coloured body with alternating light and dark bands on the antennae, legs and the side margins of the abdomen.
• Adult BMSB look like native Australian stink bugs. The white bands on their antennae are a distinguishing feature.
• In the young nymph stages, they are yellowish brown and mottled with black and red, while older nymph stages are darker with the banding pattern on the legs and antennae beginning to appear.
• Their eggs are light green, barrel shaped and found in groups of 20 to 30.
• They let off a distinctive, unpleasant odour when disturbed or crushed.

How it spreads

The BMSB spreads primarily through international trade as a hitchhiker. It seeks shelter over the winter months and is known to stow away in cargo arriving from the northern hemisphere between September and April each year.

Once in a new area, the adults rely on their strong flying abilities – covering up to 2 km per flight – to move between orchards and crops.

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