It's an Invasion!!!

Yesterday I posted about Stink bugs and the concern I had about them being a non-native invasive species....well...my fears were confirmed.  Now the war begins.  You should see the list of host plants for this creature.  It's long and contains many common garden plants.  Here is the quoted email response I received and a few more pictures.  (big sigh)

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Nymph (no wings yet)

Gee they come in colors too!

"A note from Ms. Lisa DeBruyckere :
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Hi Patricia, thank you for the report and excellent photos.

This bug is native to Asia, but is known to be established in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Oregon. Hosts include maple, serviceberry, birch, butterflybush, pepper, pecan, catalpa, hackberry, redbud, citrus, dogwood, cucumber, fig, sunflower, honeysuckle, tomato, apple, plum, pear, rose, lilac, linden, viburnum and grape. Adults emerge from overwintering in April. Eggs are 1/16 of an inch, pale green and laid from June to August. Most egg masses have about 25 eggs. The nymphal stages do not have developed wings. Size ranges from 1/8 to 3/4 of an inch as the insect grows and molts. Nymphs are first red, turning almost black, and then finally becoming brown as adults. They are the typical "shield" shape of other stink bugs, almost as wide as they are long. Injuries caused by feeding produce small necrotic areas on the outer surface of fruits and leaves. Scarring is common on fruits such as apple and peach. On other plants may have roughly circular stippled areas about 1/8 inch!
 wide. Only one generation has been observed; however, there are likely to be multiple generations as it spreads south. Adults begin overwintering at the end of September and become a nuisance as large numbers congregate and invade buildings in search of overwintering sites.

You can read more about this invasive species at http://www.invasive.org/species/subject.cfm?sub=9328

Unfortunately, this species has become established in the Portland metropolitan area.

Lisa DeBruyckere, Oregon Invasive Species Council Coordinator"

Its good to get sizes and dates too when submitting reports on bugs.

By the way I collected some 15 bugs in my little kill jar yesterday in about 5 minutes.  This is definitely a stinking good year for this bug.  Lets hope that next year is not so good.  Guess I get to go pick more bugs today.  This is just the craziest thing to me.  I had never seen them before this year and I've gardened here for nearly 20 years.  At least I know the enemy now and can arm myself accordingly.

Happy Gardening, I'm off to go pick bugs.

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