Using a Stink Bug's Smell: Pheremones May Combat Invasive Species

There's a reason you shouldn't squish a stink bug, and that reason has to do with the smell that gives them their name. While they're merely a nuisance to homeowners, though, these insects feed on and damage crops. Now, scientists have found a way to manage stink bug populations, which may give farmers the help they need when it comes to combating these pests.

The brown marmorated stink bug, also known as Halyomorpha halys, is actually an invasive species. While its native range is in Asia, it can now be found in most of the U.S., as well as parts of Canada and Europe. It has a flat, "shield-shaped" appearance and usually can be seen during the autumn as they seek places to hibernate during the winter. Yet they're even more of a nuisance in the summer, when they eat fruits, vegetables and other important crops.

Yet the downfall of the stink bug may be in their sense of smell itself. Stink bugs emit pheromones that tell others of their species to come closer when they find a viable food source. Intrigued by this, the researchers decided to take a closer look at whether or not they could use the substances to lure stink bugs to a specific spot so that they could count them and determine a better way to manage the expanding population.

More specifically, the researchers examined the chemical architectures of two pheromone components by studying closely related compounds. Then, they took the substances to the field. During these field tests, the scientists found that the two components attracted both adult and juvenile brown marmorated stink bugs.

The findings reveal a potential way to use these pheromones to trap stink bugs. Not only could they be used to assess population numbers, but it's possible that they could be used to lure in the insects before eliminating them. This could be a possible way to help farmers in the future.

The findings are published in the Journal of Natural Products.