Hi:
I live in Overland Park, KS and came across this critter in the living room, of all places! I assume that the oncoming cold of winter is driving many bugs to seek food and warmth inside. This guy seemed harmless enough. I released him back outside in the garden.
Can you tell me what this bug is?
Thanks!
John Derry
Overland Park, KS
Dear John,
You just released a species of Stink Bug into your yard. They are true bugs, and as such, have sucking mouth parts which they use to extract the life giving juices from plants. Because of this habit of feeding, they are considered injurious and are garden pests, consuming a wide variety of edible and ornamental cultivated plants. They are sometimes attracted to lights, which could explain its presence in your home. The Stink Bugs (Family Pentatomidae) secrete a noxious odor from glands on the thorax, hence their common name.
Thanks for the informative reply…now I gotta go get a flashlight and git that sucker!
-john