I’m just putting the word out to report any finds of brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB). This is especially for those located in the western one-half of the state. This invasive pest is well established in the eastern parts of the state, around Nashville, and has been found in at low numbers in soybean in Shelby (2015) and Madison Counties (2016). However, they feed on corn and many other fruits (including tree fruits). Below shows the known distribution of BMSB in Tennessee, but I’m sure it’s present at least at low numbers in other counties.

This insect is a serious pests of tree fruits such as apple but also feeds in cotton, corn, and soybean. The adult brown marmorated stink bug resembles the brown stink bug in size and general color, but it often has light and dark colored bands on the antennae and sometimes the legs. The immature life stages vary considerable as they grow, but larger nymphs also often have this banding on their antennae and legs (pictured below). The larger nymphs are also more pear-shaped than the other species of stink bugs we typically find in field crops. Please try to catch and keep any specimens you think might be BMSB. If you are good with a camera, you can email me a picture at sdstewart@utk.edu.