the.com/stinkbug
a tiny tank that defends itself by smelling like an existential crisis.
means A shield-shaped insect of the family Pentatomidae that releases a foul-smelling chemical from glands when threatened or squashed.
from A plain English compound, exactly what it says on the tin: "stink" (from Old English "stincan," to emit a smell) plus "bug" (an insect, a word of uncertain origin that surfaced in English around the 1600s). The name describes the creature's signature defense, and the bug's family name, Pentatomidae, comes from Greek roots meaning roughly "five sections," a nod to its segmented antennae.
- chemical name
- its stink includes the same aldehydes found in cilantro
- home invader
- swarms houses each fall seeking warm winter shelter
- shield shape
- belongs to the family Pentatomidae, meaning five-segmented
- crop foe
- invasive species costs farmers millions in fruit damage
- predator trick
- some birds wipe them on grass before eating
brown marmorated stinkbug — invasive species from asia that costs us agriculture $37 million annually in crop damage
red-shouldered stinkbug — north american species that feeds on soybeans and causes significant agricultural losses
green stinkbug — common pest across north america that attacks corn, soybeans, and various crops