This post is brought to you by Merry! After getting a handful of stink, he did everything he could think to do in order to draw my attention to the bug he'd just tried to catch without actually touching it again. He was acting like he'd found a wasp or bee, approaching something with cautioned curiosity, backing off, pausing occasionally to lick at his paw. When I saw what it was, I grabbed a plastic cup and a sheet of paper and captured it so I could transfer it to a magnifier box in order to make an identification. For once, I got it right: Brown Marmorated Stinkbug, Halyomorpha halys. "Marmorated" means "mottled" or "marbled," referring to the spotted colouration. To get both dorsal and ventral views, I chilled the observation box in the freezer for ten minutes to immobilize it. This is a non-native insect which, according to my field guide, is spreading rapidly throughout the Pacific Northwest. It feeds on fruits, vegetables and ornamentals. Had I known that beforehand, I probably wouldn't have released it when it began to be active again.
No comments:
Post a Comment