northeast-flora-and-fauna

Meet Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus , a sand wasp without a commonly unused common name, though is sometimes called the Stink Bug Hunter because they'll hunt stink bugs. Their strategy is to find stink bug nymphs, paralyzes them, flies the stink bugs to a nest in the sand, and lays eggs on them; the stink bugs are food for the wasp's larvae. The adult wasps sustain themselves drinking nectar, so they not only help remove stink bugs but also help with pollination. The invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is on their menu - at least in their nymph stage - though it's not clear how effective they are at controlling stink bug populations. August 18, 2020 at Duke Farms

Here's a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug . It's in the family of true bugs called shield bugs or stink bugs . And it was yet another arthropod hanging out outside my door this summer. There's not a lot to like about these guys. They're invasive, can damage crops and native plants, and stink if you kill/move them. They prefer the fruits of plants to eat, though it sounds like almost any part of a plant will do in a pinch for these guys. They're native to places like Japan and Korea, though they've established a fairly thriving population in my area (New Jersey and Pennsylvania). August 5, 2020 at Sunny Slope Road