Eastern NY Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Project

Eastern New York Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Project
“Help us track the distribution of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in Eastern NY!”
The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is an invasive species that made its way from Asia to North America and was first officially documented in Allentown, PA in 2001 (it probably arrived several years earlier). The insect has spread across a number of Eastern US States, and its presence has now been documented in Oregon and California, as well. The species was first documented in NY in the Hudson Valley Region in 2008. We currently do not know the size or distribution of this pest in NY, but reports of sightings increased during 2010.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs (BMSB) can be a nuisance outside the growing season as they congregate on and inside buildings looking for winter shelter. More significantly, they are now known to be aggressive pests of agricultural crops and caused significant damage to commercial fruit plantings in the Mid-Atlantic States during the 2010 growing season. Loss of more than 80% of the crop was reported in some West Virginia apple and peach orchards during that year. We have yet to document crop losses from this pest in our area.
The Eastern NY-Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Project began in 2010 to address the potential impact this invasive species could have on NYS commercial agricultural commodities while documenting its pest status in the urban environment. The Hudson Valley Region, along with Metropolitan NY and Long Island may currently be the leading edge of the population expansion. By monitoring several agricultural commodities in the region, collecting, verifying and documenting the population spread along the agricultural-urban interface, we hope to assist residents and agricultural producers alike in understanding this pest and mediating its impact.
Help us track the distribution of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in Eastern NY! Have you seen this pest? Send us a sample for identification so we can document its distribution. Place captured specimens in a small plastic container such as a plastic medicine bottle or film canister. Be sure to fill out the Submission Form and include it with your sample. Provide the complete information listed so we can document the distribution of this insect AND let you know if your sample contained any BMSB. Live specimens will be added to the research colony being established for the project (we cannot return any samples).
For more information about the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug visit http://hudsonvf.cce.cornell.edu/bmsb1.html.
Mail samples to:
Attn: Peter Jentsch, BMSB Project
Cornell Hudson Valley Lab
P.O. Box 727
Highland, NY 12528
For more information about Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County’s community programs and events call 845-340-3990 or visit us online at www.cceulster.org or follow us on www.facebook.com