Do not crush it
Crushing releases a stronger odour and can leave smell on surfaces.
Brown marmorated stink bug
Halyomorpha halys
Georgia; first records from Khobi and Pitsunda
Overview
Brown marmorated stink bug in Georgia
Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is an insect in the stink bug family Pentatomidae. Georgian official sources use the names აზიური ფაროსანა and აზიური ბაღლინჯო. The Georgian Biodiversity Database at Ilia State University lists it as Halyomorpha halys (Stål, 1855) and as an introduced species in Georgia. In Georgia this is not a native wildlife species. EPPO reports the first Georgian records from 2016, in Khobi municipality and Pitsunda, and still lists the country status as Present, restricted distribution. Georgia's National Food Agency links the 2016 spread with damage to hazelnut crops and highlights western Georgian outbreak areas in 2017. Treating it only as a western Georgian pest is now too narrow. NCDC guidance used on this page states that by the end of 2017 the insect had also appeared in eastern Georgia. A 2019-2020 hazelnut-orchard survey found it in every visited western Georgian orchard but not in the eastern orchards visited in that particular study. In 2026, NFA placed 3,355 monitoring traps nationwide; that shows the national scale of monitoring, not equally confirmed populations in every region. For a reader in Georgia the useful answer is simple: this is an invasive, plant-feeding agricultural pest, especially relevant around hazelnut orchards, fruit trees, vegetable plots, gardens, and houses. Adults are about 12-17 mm long. The body is broad, shield-shaped, brown and marbled; useful field marks are the pale bands on the antennae, legs, and outer edge of the abdomen.
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Gallery
Brown marmorated stink bug in photos
Photo: USDA / Stephen Ausmus · Wikimedia Commons
Beltsville, Maryland, USA ·
Where brown marmorated stink bug occurs in Georgia
303 field records · 2016–2026 · 12 regions
The map for Halyomorpha halys combines Reptiles.ge editorial photo records with public iNaturalist observations. Region-level literature evidence and individual occurrence records are separate layers, and record counts reflect observation effort rather than population density.
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Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
Records by region
Record counts show observation effort in the available dataset; they are not a measure of population density or even spread across a region.
Identification
How to identify Brown marmorated stink bug
A broad, shield-shaped, brown-marbled stink bug. The most useful field marks are the pale bands on the antennae, alternating pale-dark marks or bands along the edge of the abdomen, and the wide mosaic-patterned body.
Adults are about 12-17 mm long. The body is broad, slightly flattened, and shield-shaped from above.
Colour alone is not enough: individuals may look grey-brown or darker brown. The pale antennal bands and alternating marks on the outer abdomen are more reliable.
Pale bands are also visible on the legs. The shoulder corners are not strongly spined, so a generic “brown stink bug” impression should not be treated as final identification.
Nymphs are smaller than adults and change appearance through development. Newly hatched nymphs may be reddish; later stages become darker with whitish-brown markings.
It can be confused with other stink bugs in Georgia. For confirmation, photograph the insect sharply from above so the antennae, abdomen edge, and body shape are visible.
Comparison
How is it different from other stink bugs?
Several native and introduced stink bugs can look brown at first glance. For Halyomorpha halys, identification is strongest when the same photo shows the pale-banded antennae, alternating abdominal edge, rounded shoulder corners, and pale-banded legs.
Brown colour or an unpleasant smell alone is not enough for identification.
- 1Two pale antennal bands
- 2Pale-dark abdomen edge
- 3Rounded shoulders
- 4Pale bands on the legs
Damage and control
What damage does brown marmorated stink bug cause?
The damage comes from feeding. Adults and nymphs pierce young shoots, leaves, fruit, nuts, or seeds and suck plant sap. NFA lists hazelnut, pome and stone fruit, berries, vegetables, sunflower, and maize among important Georgian host crops.
| Crop | What is damaged | How the damage looks |
|---|---|---|
| Hazelnut | Young shell and kernel contents are pierced and drained during nut development. | Thinned or shrivelled kernel contents, corky or rotting spots, lower market quality. |
| Peach, nectarine, apple, pear | Fruit tissue is pierced while the insect feeds on sap. | Depressed, discoloured, or corky feeding marks and reduced fruit quality. |
| Tomato, pepper, other vegetables | Soft fruit and shoots can be fed on by nymphs and adults. | Pale or sunken feeding spots and fruit that loses quality before harvest. |
| Berries, sunflower, maize | Seeds, fruit, and other soft plant parts may be attacked. | Sap-feeding injury, quality loss, and local crop damage when numbers are high. |
NFA notes that in a strong outbreak the loss may reach up to 70% of crop value. That is an outbreak-risk figure, not a prediction for every garden or field.
What should you do if it enters the house?
Adults often enter buildings in autumn because they are looking for dry overwintering shelters. Indoors, the goal is removal and exclusion: avoid crushing them, remove them mechanically, and close entry points.
Use soapy water
Collect individuals with paper or a container and place them in soapy water.
Vacuum carefully
A vacuum can work for many insects if the container or bag can be cleaned afterward.
Block entry points
Seal window and door gaps, cracks, attic openings, and damaged screens before autumn aggregations begin.
Be careful with chemicals
Use pesticides only according to the label, registration, and official agricultural guidance.
Biology
Habitat · diet · life cycle · control
Habitat and range
In Georgia, brown marmorated stink bug is mainly tied to agricultural and settled landscapes: hazelnut orchards, fruit gardens, vegetable plots, yards, garden edges, shrubs, and trees that provide host plants. It is not a native conservation-priority forest or steppe species; it is an invasive pest. Distribution on this page is separated into two evidence layers. The regional fill-map shows only records named at regional level by official or peer-reviewed sources: Khobi municipality and Pitsunda in EPPO, western Georgian outbreak areas highlighted by NFA, and the 2019-2020 western Georgian hazelnut-orchard survey. NCDC also mentions eastern Georgia, but that source does not provide a region or locality list precise enough for regional map colouring. Reptiles.ge field photo records are shown separately: Chiatura, Kutaisi, Lagodekhi, Kvareli, Akhmeta, Mtskheta, and Old Tbilisi. These are first-party photo-backed records on the page; place, date, and author are visible in the gallery and in the point layer on the map. They are not used to colour a whole region and do not imply even distribution across that region. The sources used here do not establish a reliable elevation range for Georgia.
Diet
Brown marmorated stink bug is a polyphagous plant feeder. Adults and nymphs pierce plant tissues with sucking mouthparts and feed from leaves, shoots, fruit, seeds, and other soft plant parts. Georgian official material lists hazelnut, pome and stone fruits, berries, vegetables, sunflower, and maize, with examples including peach, nectarine, apple, pear, raspberry, tomato, and pepper. International risk analysis also treats it as a pest with a very broad host range. Feeding often leaves depressed, discoloured, or corky damage on fruit. This is an agricultural damage issue, not a biting or attacking behaviour toward people.
Life cycle
In Georgia, National Food Agency material places feeding from late April-May through late autumn. Eggs are laid in clusters on the underside of leaves; nymphs hatch after a few days, pass through five instars, and then become adults. NCDC material notes observations of two full generations in western Georgia. That is a western Georgian observation and should not be read as an exact calendar for every microclimate in the country. In autumn, adults seek dry, protected overwintering places. They may enter houses, attics, window and door gaps, wall cracks, tree hollows, and leaf litter. When disturbed or crushed, they release a strong odour.
Control and management
For brown marmorated stink bug, the practical frame is monitoring and management. NFA material describes state monitoring, trap use, actions planned around outbreak areas, and public information work; in a private garden, the first step is regular observation. Kharabadze 2022 reviews the Georgian context for distribution, biology, and management. In orchards and hazelnut plantations, control should be based on actual pest presence and life stage. NFA material especially links chemical action with the nymph stage, but any product should be registered, label-compliant, used with protective equipment, and aligned with official agricultural advice.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Brown marmorated stink bug.
Yes. EPPO treats it as present in Georgia and dates the first records to 2016, from Khobi municipality and Pitsunda. NCDC guidance states that by the end of 2017 it had also appeared in eastern Georgia.
Official and peer-reviewed sources most clearly name western Georgian records at regional level. This page's gallery also includes Reptiles.ge field photo records from Chiatura, Kutaisi, Lagodekhi, Kvareli, Akhmeta, Mtskheta, and Old Tbilisi. Those points confirm individual places, not even distribution across entire regions.
Look for a 12-17 mm shield-shaped body, brown marbled pattern, pale bands on the antennae, and alternating pale-dark marks along the abdomen edge. Brown colour alone is not enough.
No. NCDC guidance states that it does not bite people or pets and does not spread human or animal diseases.
Adults search for dry protected overwintering sites in autumn. That is why they may enter attics, window and door gaps, and other cracks.
Hazelnut damage has been especially important in Georgia. It can also damage fruit trees, berries, vegetables, maize, and sunflower.
Do not crush it. Remove it without direct handling and place it in soapy water, or use a vacuum that can be cleaned afterward. Use pesticides only according to official label and safety directions.
References
Sources
References
Sources
- EPPO Global Database — Halyomorpha halys (HALYHA)
- EPPO Global Database — Distribution details in Georgia
- სურსათის ეროვნული სააგენტო — აზიური ფაროსანა
- სურსათის ეროვნული სააგენტო 2026 — აზიური ფაროსანას საწინააღმდეგო ღონისძიებების I ეტაპი
- NCDC Georgia — აზიური ფაროსანა და რეკომენდაციები შენობების დასაცავად
- Georgian Biodiversity Database / Ilia State University — Halyomorpha halys
- iNaturalist — Halyomorpha halys observations in Georgia
- Japoshvili et al. 2022 — Surveys for Halyomorpha halys in Georgia
- Kharabadze 2022 — Review of Halyomorpha halys in Georgia: Distribution, biology and management
- MPI New Zealand 2012 — Risk analysis of Halyomorpha halys
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
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