Nearly two decades after it accidentally arrived from China, spreading its destruction of vineyards, orchards and fields to 43 states and Canada, the stink bug has finally met its match from another accidental Chinese hitchhiker, the “samurai wasp,” according to federal officials.
The samurai wasp (Trissolcus japonicus) is a natural enemy of the brown marmorated stink bug. Photo by E. Talamas/StopBMSB.org
The government has long been studying the comma-sized wasp, Trissolcus japonicus, in quarantine. It is well known in China as the stink bug’s biggest foe because it kills up to 90 percent of their eggs in Asia.
But in the meantime, the wasp made its way to the Mid-Atlantic region and Oregon and Washington in the last three years on its own and has begun to devastate domestic stink bug eggs.
And officials hope it continues to do its thing.
“I hope we can at least get the populations down to where growers and homeowners don’t see them anymore,” said Tracy C. Leskey, a USDA research entomologist and co-director of national project dedicated to killing the brown marmorated stink bug.
Officials stumbled on the wasp in the wild when it they were testing for potential killers. “It was a huge surprise to the research community,” said Leskey.
Tracy Leskey of #USDA fruit research hub in #WV at tonight’s Twilight Meeting. pic.twitter.com/7MMj46R8te
— UNH Extension (@UNHExtension) July 10, 2013
Added to domestic killers, including praying mantis, the wasp is getting credit for the lower numbers of stink bugs found in the East this fall, though it is still too early to tell. “Something is going on,” said Leskey.
The initial impact of the wasp could be seen as early as this week, said Leskey, a key member of the StopBMSP.org project. That’s because starting this week, the bug starts to make its way to winter shelter, typically homes, barns and sheds. The peak goes from September 21-October 7.
Tracy Leskey (@BMSBresearch) and many others are authors of a new open-access article on brown marmorated stink bugs: http://t.co/yUxpdhQPxF
— Entomological Society of America (@EntsocAmerica) September 3, 2014
She revealed some new research on where the stink bug prefers to overwinter, namely dark colored structures covered with natural material, such as wood. But as many homeowners know, they also like to nestle in vinyl siding.
“They are getting ready,” she said.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
