Clemson plant pest experts seek public's help finding new stinkbug

CLEMSON, SC – November 2, 2011 – South Carolina residents are being askedto help track down a new stinkbug that has Clemson University plant-pestexperts concerned.

The public is encouraged to take samples to their county Extension Service offices.Unlike the stinkbugs that are native to the state, the new invader has ablack and white checkerboard border along its wings. It has beenidentified in four counties this year.

“In the past few weeks there have been six captures of positivelyidentified brown marmorated stinkbugs in the state,” said SherryAultman, the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey coordinator who iswith Clemson’s plant industry department. “This is not a regulated pest,but it is new to South Carolina and can be a harmful pest to fruittrees, especially peaches and apples, and it also feeds on soybeans,corn and other hosts. We need to track it and look for ways to deal withit.”

Officials are preparing material for distribution to the countyExtension offices with descriptive information and identification aids.There also is a Web page where the public can get general information about the pest and a map to track its establishment in the state.

Native to Asia, the brown marmorated stinkbug first was identified inthe United States in 1998 in Pennsylvania, and it now has spread to atleast 35 states. There are no state or federal regulations for this pestbecause there are no practical means for eradication or to prevent itsmovement to uninfested areas.

Clemson is headquarters for the state’s official plant pestregulatory agency. The agency monitors and reports the movement of suchpests in the state to alert growers to the threats. The Clemson Department of Pesticide Regulation is cooperating with Extension and experiment station entomologists toprepare a request for EPA to allow use of an insecticide not currentlyapproved for this insect on fruit trees.