Pentatomid bug - Antheminia remota
Photo by Erik Oberg

USA: Wyoming, Park County

Yellowstone NP, WASH N1

Pitfall Trap, 14-25 July 2018 E. Oberg

Antheminia remota

Putting Up a Stink – Pentatomid Bugs

This Antheminia remota and other members of the Pentatomidae insect family are known for the putrid chemicals that they produce when threatened. Although you may hold your nose at the smell of one of these insects, the chemicals produced by the so called “stink bugs” are their way of saying “back off”. Stored in abdominal glands, Pentatomidae are ready at a moment's notice to expel their caustic load in order to disgust predators. The type of smell varies greatly between species, with some emitting a “burning tire smell” and others stinking like “rotten almonds”. When encountering one of these insects, simply backing away can help avoid a nose full of stink. Original public domain image from Flickr