A pest prophecy: The Brown marmorated stink bug spotted in the UK

A pest prophecy: The Brown marmorated stink bug spotted in the UK - Natural History Museum

As part of a wider study, scientists at the Natural History Museum and the horticultural research institute NIAB EMR have found evidence of the stink bug in multiple areas of the UK.

Originating from South East Asia, the Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is considered a widespread pest by fruit farmers and homeowners across the US and some parts of Europe. As part of a wider study, scientists at the Natural History Museum and the horticultural research institute NIAB EMR have found evidence of the stink bug in multiple areas of the UK.

When asked about the possible arrival of the Brown marmorated stink bug in 2014, the Natural History Museum’s Senior Curator in Charge, Coleoptera Max Barclay said it would only be a matter of time before the stink bug made its presence known in the UK.

The stink bug gets its name from the ability to produce an unattractive distinctive almond like smell which the species uses as a defense chemical. The species is known to hibernate in buildings, and there have been previous reports in the US of tens of thousands of them entering a house in the winter, clustering around window frames. Stink bugs can reduce the sell value of crops such as grapes, melons and cucumbers by piercing holes in the fruit, making them less aesthetically pleasing for buyers. This scent can affect the flavour of products such as wine if the bugs are found in the grapes used. The study found that a combination of global warming and the ease of opportunity to travel abroad is giving the species the ability to spread quickly across the globe.