A request for stinkbugs

[Aiona]

I was hoping to find a couple of dead stink bugs this winter, but apparently they don't travel this far west or cannot live at this altitude and dryness. So, I'm hoping there may be some Basenotes members who *do* live in the more humid Southern parts of the U.S., and who'd be willing to send me a few dead stinkbugs they might have found lying around the house.

Please private message if you have some.

[Redneck Perfumisto]

I'll keep my eyes open for one. We did get one dead stinkbug, but it got eaten by a live conenose I put in the same jar. Very dumb move on my part.

I see you're thinking the same thing as me.

[Domingo]

A wine writer might describe their unique bouquet -- which they emit when scared or squashed -- as a nose of intense bitter apple with hints of underripe banana peel.

"I suppose it's a musky, acrid, sharp, fruity, bitter smell. If bitter could smell," said Farrell.

"Sniff one in cupped hands for the delicate scent of rancid, oily marzipan or moldy almond aroma," a naturalist suggested on a BBC website.

Sounds interesting. LOL Good luck with your search.

[Aiona]

"Sniff one in cupped hands for the delicate scent of rancid, oily marzipan or moldy almond aroma," a naturalist suggested on a BBC website.

I agree with the sour/bitter apple and banana smells. But I have yet to smell a stinkbug that smelled of marzipan or almond. Wow! I wonder if that is a particular species I haven't encountered yet. I'm trying to reason why that would be an evolutionarily favorable scent for a little bug, and can only guess that it's because bitter almond in high concentrations can be poisonous.

[Angeldust]

[QUOTE=Aiona;1445224 because bitter almond in high concentrations can be poisonous.[/QUOTE]

That depends on the source chemical of the aroma.

Benzaldehyde for example is not overly toxic (read- not toxic)
While, Hydrogen Cyanide is rather remarkably toxic (read- death)

I'd be surprised, considering the toxicity of Cyanide and Cyano- compounds to learn that they would be being biologically synthesised by bugs- but Im always happy to be proven wrong!

[scentsitivity]

We have had a stink bug population surge here in northeastern Maryland. In fact, it made the title page of our local newspaper one day! Every now and then I see them in our house in the midst of winter. If I find some, I shall PM you.

[Asha]

Are stink bugs and fireflies the same? I never had a definitive answer on that one.

[Redneck Perfumisto]

That depends on the source chemical of the aroma.

Benzaldehyde for example is not overly toxic (read- not toxic)
While, Hydrogen Cyanide is rather remarkably toxic (read- death)

I'd be surprised, considering the toxicity of Cyanide and Cyano- compounds to learn that they would be being biologically synthesised by bugs- but Im always happy to be proven wrong!

Alright - that's the science spirit! I thought the same thing, and was flabbergasted to learn that many millipedes emit both benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide as a defense mechanism. That info is even on Wikipedia now. Wow. Seems so strange.

Are stink bugs and fireflies the same? I never had a definitive answer on that one.

No - they're in completely different orders. Stink bugs are true bugs, with sucking mouthparts, whereas fireflies are beetles. Stink bugs and shield bugs (closest) are related to cone-noses (assassin bugs), milkweed bugs, waterbugs (not water beetles), etc.

As you can tell, I was one of those kids with cigar boxes of mounted bugs, and many jars of live ones.

[Aiona]

Are stink bugs and fireflies the same? I never had a definitive answer on that one.

Yup, Redneck is right. They are completely different. And they smell different too. Fireflies have a musty smell, like a mildewy bathroom smell. Stink bugs. . . well. . . they stink. Very pungent fruity smell.

[Aiona]

I received the stinkbug today, scentsitivity. Thank you. I'll take a picture of it soon, but I thought it was interesting that this one is black. The stinkbugs I'm used to seeing were grey with dark grey markings. But the shape is the same as the grey stinkbugs. I haven't smelled it yet. You wrapped it up *VERY* well.

Again, many thanks!

[Aiona]

Are stink bugs and fireflies the same? I never had a definitive answer on that one.

Definitely different bugs entirely. Aside from differences in their smell, stinkbugs do not light up (spontaneously).

I wish I had a picture of a firefly, but they do not come this far west for some reason.

I thought stinkbugs also did not come this far west, but last fall, I did find one on my porch. I have been reluctant to make a tincture of the dead stinkbug that scentsitivity sent, because my last attempt at a vanilla tincture was so unbelievable horrible. I figure, if I can't even make a decent vanilla tincture, I should try again with something less precious before I even try to make one with my limited raw materials.





No stinkbugs were harmed in the making of these photographs.

This cuddly stinkbug was free to make more stinkbugs, although it was the only one I've ever seen in this area. So how it will make other stinkbugs, I have no idea.

[sehrgut]

Of interest:

The chemical volatiles (semiochemicals) produced by neotropical stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

They're a cornucopia of familiar and less-familiar aromachemicals! Now I want to make Eau de Stinkbug too!

[Redneck Perfumisto]

Of interest:

The chemical volatiles (semiochemicals) produced by neotropical stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

They're a cornucopia of familiar and less-familiar aromachemicals! Now I want to make Eau de Stinkbug too!

Very cool! Thanks for the awesome article!

[kbe]

This cuddly stinkbug was free to make more stinkbugs, although it was the only one I've ever seen in this area. So how it will make other stinkbugs, I have no idea.

By Pharthenogenesis I would assume..

[Quarry]

Aaah! Stinkbugs. We were overrun last summer. This year I yanked leaves covered with eggs in hopes of reducing their numbers. They have spoiled some green fragrances for me.

[sehrgut]

Aaah! Stinkbugs. We were overrun last summer. This year I yanked leaves covered with eggs in hopes of reducing their numbers. They have spoiled some green fragrances for me.

Now you know what to do: save them and freeze them for your fellow basenoters! I want some too!

[Aiona]

Of interest:

The chemical volatiles (semiochemicals) produced by neotropical stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

They're a cornucopia of familiar and less-familiar aromachemicals!

The only ones I recognized were linalool and limonene. Fascinating! Thank you for posting this!

[sehrgut]

All the terpenoids, most of the aldehydes, and at least several of the esters listed I recognised . . . It looks like stinkbug-stink may be more "badly matched perfume notes" than anything truly unpleasant in and of itself . . . which amuseth me.