Stink bug research may be opening new doors for the chemical industry

Is there any reason to be thankful to invasive stink bugs?
To be sure, the proliferation of species like Bagrada hilaris and Halyomorpha halys has been a disaster on many levels, but one thing these invasions have accomplished is to direct a great deal more interest toward the Pentatomidae. A casual Internet search or two on the topic of stink bugs, their behavior, impacts, and even simply on their “stink” reveals a wide diversity of new publications - popular and scientific- regarding these insects. Never mind that many websites (especially those based in the eastern US) describe the BMSB as “the most common stink bug”, to their credit these sites have typically gone to some lengths to describe pentatomids, their physical and behavioral features, and even their roles in the environment. More remarkable are the newer findings with respect to the chemicals manufactured and exuded by these insects: not simply their obvious defensive properties, but also their functions as chemical attractants, even the anti fungal and antimicrobial properties apparent in these substances. For an example, see https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5027987/

Posted on June 28, 2019 10:26 PM by jbryant