You may have heard of brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), an invasive insect making its way across the U.S. The first live detections of BMSB in Iowa were in 2011. Laura Jesse, Director of the Plant and Insect Diagnostic Lab, has now confirmed BMSB in 12 Iowa counties (see a map here). So far, they have only been found in urban areas, but BMSB can become an agriculture pest. They can significantly reduce corn and soybean yields, and can cause severe injury to fruit trees.
Identification of common stink bugs and how to distinguish BMSB was reviewed in a 2010 ICM News article. Note the white banding on the antennae and white markings on the exposed abdomen.
Photo by David R. Lance, USDA.
Erin Hodgson Professor
Dr. Erin Hodgson started working in the Department of Entomology, now the Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, at Iowa State University in 2009. She is a professor with extension and research responsibilities in corn and soybeans. She has a general background in integrated...