Insects and Spiders - invasive

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys) on Dec 29, 2016

Submitter does not have a specimen

Description of specimen

I think it looks like this:

http://oregoninvasivespecies.blogspot.com/2011/02/watch-out-for-big-bad-stink-bug.html

Commentary

This is a brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys), which is native to Asia but identified in Oregon in 2004 and commonly recorded in many western Oregon counties including Marion. It is a pest of many agricultural crops and ornamental plants but not a pest in the home (i.e., does not bite and will not cause any damage). They often enter homes to hunker down for the winter. I would not advise insecticide, you can simply squish them as you find them and seal any entry points. There are similar looking native stink bugs that are actually beneficial predators and should not be killed. Here is a simple visual key to identifying brown marmorated stink bugs: http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/bmsb

Christine Buhl
Jan. 29, 2017, 11:54 p.m.