Creating a stink about Stink Bugs

This weekend I will be attending the annual Oklahoma Bioblitz, which is held every fall at a different location in the state to count as many species as possible in a 24hr period. This year's meeting is in Foss State Park in Oklahoma, which is in the Western-Central area of the state. My duties at this year's meeting will be the Invertebrate Team leader (which means I keep track of how many species we find), and the resident expert on Heteroptera (true bugs).
   One of the most common bugs I usually run into on Bioblitzes here in Oklahoma are stink bugs. Stink bugs are members of the family Pentatomidae, and have a very distinctive, shield-like shape and are intermediate to small in size. They also get the name "stink bug" because they have tiny little glands on the underside of their body that look like little slits that, when threatened, will secrete a peppery smelled chemical that some people think stinks.

Some pinned stink bugs from West Virginia showing their body shape.

Scent glands in stink bugs on the bottom of their body. Drawing from Jason M. Squitier, University of Florida and found at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu

Most stink bugs feed on the soft parts of plants, especially the fruits and seeds. In the wild you can usually find them near trees or other plants in small numbers. However, in agricultural settings you can get them in large numbers when they find a crop of plants they like to feed on. This is a serious problem for many farmers, especially for crops such as cotton and rice. The needle-like mouth of the bug causes tiny holes in the plants, which can scar them to the point they can't be used or sold.
     One particular stink bug has received a lot of attention: the brown marmorated stink bug. This stink bug was accidentally brought over from Asia, and has caused significant damage to trees and other crops on the East Coast. It also has the annoying habit of clustering together inside houses because in their native habitat they group together on cliffs and caves to stay warm and protected during the cold months. Unfortunately houses are perfect artificial "cliffs" here in the United States.

However, there are some that are actually useful for keeping pest insect levels down in some crops or other agriculture because they feed on other insects. These bugs are part of the group Asopinae, which are also unique because they are able to bend their needle-like mouth parts forward to stab their prey. They are especially effective against caterpillars or other insects that can damage plants.

  The reason I like to collect them, though, is because many stink bugs are really pretty. Many come in reds, blues, yellows, and a lot are various shades of greens and browns to match their plants. So, I hope to collect a few beautiful Oklahoma ones this weekend too and add them to our species list!
         Have a great weekend everyone!