Brown Stinkbug - Euschistus servus

Brown Stinkbug - Euschistus servus
True Bugs (Hemiptera) / Stink Bugs (Pentatomidae)
Live adult and nymph brown stink bugs photographed at DuPage County, Illinois.
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Early Spring (March 22) Brown Stinkbug, near Chicago

Stink bugs feed on developing seed of many hosts including trees, shrubs, vines, weeds and many cultivated crops. They may also feed on the stems and foliage when seed are not present. Both nymph and adult stink bugs pierce plants with their needlelike mouthparts and suck sap from pods, buds, blossoms and seeds. The degree of damage depends on the developmental stage of the plant when it is attacked. Immature fruit and pods become deformed as they develop. Seeds are often flattened and shriveled. Germination can be reduced, or the seeds may fail to germinate at all.

The family name, Pentatomidae, comes from the Greek "pente" (five) + "tomos" (a section); perhaps a reference to the 5-segmented antennae, or perhaps a reference to the body, which, when viewed from above, appears to be divided into 5 large sections. The scutellum is the largest section.

Late season stink bug, very active in mid-October (2011).

Brown Stinkbug - Euschistus servus

Brown Stinkbug Nymph

Stink bugs get their common name from the foul-smelling fluids they exude when disturbed. Both adults and nymphs have large glands that discharge underneath the body. I can truthfully say I've never smelled anything while investigating these curious beasts. Stinkbugs are shy, I can tell you - and they will fly off very quickly if you get in their face. Stinkbugs are often also called shield bugs, due to their shield-like shape.

Several species of insects that feed on peaches and other fruits early in the growing season cause a gnarling and distortion of the fruits called catfacing. Plant bugs and stink bugs, called catfacing insects, are largely responsible for this type of injury. They suck the sap from the fruit. If the peaches do not fall as a result of this attack, fruit development is inhibited in the area of the punctures. The surrounding healthy tissue continues to grow thereby causing a defect resembling a cat's face.

The green stink bug, Acrosternum hilare, and brown stink bug, Euschistus servus are the two catfacing culprits most frequently cited from the Pentatomidae family.

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