A Tale of Drifting Rabbit Turtles - History of Spread since 1998 in the U.S.

A Tale of Drifting Rabbit Turtles - History of Spread since 1998 in the U.S.

Discovered in Pennsylvania in 1998, the stink bug arrived from East Asia mixed in with cargo. At a time when the world was buoyed by the expansion of trade, shipping containers and packing materials carried not only the flow of wealth, but also living creatures. In the pulse of the economy linking Asia and the United States, this little insect put down roots in a new land.

With its shield-like body and mouth stinger, the stink bug pierced its stinger into fruit such as apples, peaches, and grapes, leaving scars. Commodity value is lost, and in 2010, $37 million in annual losses were recorded in orchards in the central United States. The marks, which appear to the consumer as mere specks, have shaken the livelihoods of farmers.

This proliferation reflects an era that transcends the activities of living organisms: In the late 1990s and early 2000s, everything crossed national borders, thanks to a combination of Chinese manufacturing boom, strong demand in the U.S. market, and the expansion of global logistics networks. The side effect lurking in the shadow of convenience is none other than the rapid spread of this insect.

Biological characteristics were also behind it. They are omnivorous, feeding on more than a hundred species of plants, flexible enough to reproduce in both cold and warm climates, and they invade houses in the fall and overwinter there. City dwellers also shared the rural affliction, frowning at the swarms of stinkbugs that covered their walls and ceilings.

Pesticide control has its limits, and in recent years attention has focused on biological control, in which parasitic bees, the Samurai Wasp, parasitize the eggs and reduce their numbers. However, it too poses other risks. Monitoring and protective nets have been introduced in orchards, and at home, steady steps are required to seal gaps in window frames.

Behind the prosperity promised by globalization lies this insect drift. Trade has created not only wealth, but also pests that cross borders, a price that has been imposed on human life. The journey of the stink bug is a microcosm of the contradictions the world faces.