{"id":10637,"date":"2022-03-17T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-17T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/?p=10637"},"modified":"2022-03-15T13:48:37","modified_gmt":"2022-03-15T13:48:37","slug":"space-invaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/","title":{"rendered":"SPACE INVADERS"},"content":{"rendered":"

BY\u00a0KIERAN LINDSEY, PhD<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

The aliens are back.<\/h4>\n

Just when I thought they were through with me they reappeared, sliding silently through walls that appear solid (but the quantum physicists know better). Suddenly they are everywhere. Staring at me from the rim of a glass when I open the cupboard. Calmly observing me as I sleep from my sweetheart\u2019s framed photo on the bedside table. Waiting undetected in the tub until I fling back the shower curtain. Peering at me from behind the mini-blinds.<\/h4>\n

As you no doubt suspect, these are not your standard Hollywood issue Sci-Fi ETs. No large vacant eyes gazing out from an oversized cranium balanced precariously on a spindly neck and a child-sized humanoid form. Quite the opposite\u2014they have the build of a bouncer, with a broad, flat trunk and wide, sloping shoulders. The head is insignificant, practically an afterthought. Small, dark eyes scan from behind two banded antennae waving like the arms of a 1960s television robot warning Will Robinson of danger.<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

These aliens aren\u2019t otherworldly galactic hitchhikers, though. They\u2019re Earthlings. Opportunistic vagabonds who likely stowed away in packing crates shipped from the other side of our very own planet.<\/h4>\n

There are some native North American members of the Pentatomoidea clan, known more commonly as shield bugs for their triangular shape. Some species are quite beautiful; this particular variety is a real stinker.<\/h4>\n

Brown Marmorated Stinkbugs (BMSBs, Halyomorpha halys<\/em>) are about 1.7 cm (0.7 in) long, with alternating dark and light markings along the sides of the body. Despite the name they also come in shades of taupe, gray, and black. Glands on the underside of the thorax and the top of the abdomen release an acrid scent described by some as similar to coriander. Used as a defense mechanism, the odor response can be triggered by injury and nearly any kind of movement. As a result, some homeowners resort to using a dedicated vacuum to beam the beasties up into a sealed chamber where they and their stink can be contained until dispatched outdoors.<\/h4>\n

BMSBs were first noted on this continent in 1998 near Allentown, Pennsylvania. In less than 20 years they have fanned out across the landscape to over 40 U.S. states. Their population continues to grow dramatically, aided by prolific fecundity. In some parts of the Northern hemisphere they typically produce four generations per growing season but an early spring and extended summer can increase that number to six. The female deposits a cluster of approximately 25 eggs at weekly intervals. Red or orange tick-like nymphs emerge, experiencing five molts or instars<\/em> as they metamorphose into adults, at which point they will follow in their parents\u2019 footsteps and begin propagating, too.<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

While not classified as social insects, when temperatures drop something like hive-mind takes control and stinkbugs leave established encampments in orchards and agricultural fields. They march and fly by the thousands, Borg-like, toward hospitable interior environments where they will overwinter and ready for the next wave of colonization. This migration is largely undetected by the human population until our homes have become hostels for a six-legged horde.<\/h4>\n

Because they are an introduced species BMSBs have no natural predators in the U.S., although a 2012 study suggested some of our native wasps and birds are adapting to this new food source. That might sound like good news to the agricultural crowd but\u2014speaking only for myself here\u2014I\u2019ll choose stinkbugs over wasps as roommates any day.<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sure, sharing one\u2019s home with a couple hundred uninvited guests isn\u2019t anyone\u2019s idea of fun but BMSBs aren\u2019t a threat to my canine companion or me. Truth is, they aren\u2019t the slightest bit interested in mammals and have never asked to be taken to my human leader. It\u2019s my houseplants they want. The bird\u2019s nest fern, philodendron, and African violet have become their helpless research subjects, probed with a piercing proboscises for the fluid samples upon which the aliens feed.<\/h4>\n

Hundreds of hours playing video games in preparation for space invaders and all I can do to protect the leafy green inhabitants of my red brick realm is fire up my Dustbuster.<\/h4>\n

I know more are on the way.<\/h4>\n

Resistance is futile.<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n
\n

\u00a9<\/strong> <\/em>2015 Next-Door Nature. First published in Pest Control Technology News. No reprints without written permission from the author (I\u2019d love for you to share my work–just ask first). Thanks to these photographers for making their work available through a Creative Commons license (from top to bottom): Mike Lewinski<\/a><\/span>, Matthew Bellemare<\/span><\/a>, David R. Lance<\/span><\/a>, Melissa McMasters<\/span><\/a>, and Stapleton Photography<\/span><\/a>.<\/em><\/h4>\n

.<\/em><\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The aliens are back.
\nJust when I thought they were through with me they reappeared, sliding silently through walls that appear solid (but the quantum physicists know better). Suddenly they are everywhere. Staring at me from the rim of a glass when I open the cupboard. Calmly observing me as I sleep from my sweetheart\u2019s framed photo on the bedside table. These aliens aren\u2019t otherworldly galactic hitchhikers, though. They\u2019re Earthlings. Members of the Pentatomoidea clan (aka shield bugs).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10642,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"

BY KIERAN LINDSEY, PhD<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Have you ever listened to the mesmerizing serenade of field crickets (Gryllus<\/em> spp.) on a crisp autumn evening and wondered why they're doing that? I mean, the mercury's definitely headed south, the nights are going to become pretty chill, and those bugs'll be belly-up before too long. Yet they're standing on the stoop warbling impromptu a cappellas. What's up with that?<\/h4>\n

I'll give it to you straight:  crickets or Sinatra, it all comes down to Guys and Dolls<\/em>.<\/h4>\n

<\/h4>\n

First, there's An Affair to Remember<\/em>.<\/h4>\n

Ok, several affairs. What can I say? The Lady is a Tramp<\/em>.<\/h4>\n

A few weeks later the she cricket leaves her eggs to be fostered by soil or plant stems, then scurries away to die of exposure shortly thereafter. The guy(s) have long since split but suffer a similar fate.<\/h4>\n

The following spring their orphaned offspring hatch, molt, and become wingless nymphs \u2014  tiny versions of Mom and Pop(s). Summer is spent looking for rations and staying out of trouble, mostly. Then Autumn Leaves<\/em> mean it's time to go underground until things heat up again.<\/h4>\n

The Earth will make it's way half-way around the Sun and then the little ones will emerge again with a song in their hearts.<\/h4>\n

Well... not exactly.<\/h4>\n

Crickets don't really sing. The females are silent, and when males want to croon they don't clear their throats... they rub their wings together, kind of like snapping fingers. Very hip. So maybe it would be more accurate to say their wear their hearts on their sleeves. Except they don't have sleeves. Or arms. Or hearts.<\/h4>\n

Let's just say they do it their way.  I'm sure The Chairman would understand.<\/h4>\n

Speaking of Old Blue Eyes, Frank had plenty of hits and, early in his career, an impressive two-octave range. Male crickets aren't as vocally adept (because, as I just mentioned, they aren't using their voices) and their repertoire is limited to one Nice 'n' Easy<\/em> hit. Usually it's a single note, repeated as many times as necessary.  Crickets don't swing but they do have stamina, plus they mix up the tempo to suite the room (temperature).<\/h4>\n

And Jeepers Creepers<\/em>, there's something about a love song that sets the female heart a-flutter (even if she doesn't have an actual heart), especially In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning<\/em>.<\/h4>\n

Makes no difference whether she's a Sophisticated Lady<\/em> or The Girl Next Door<\/em>. She'll leave home and go Wandering<\/em> in search of a song she just can't resist, and in no time at all she'll be Taking a Chance on Love<\/em>.<\/h4>\n

Apparently, a dreamy tune counts for a lot more than looks because a gal cricket will completely ignore the fact that her suitor's ears are on his front legs.  She's Funny That Way.<\/em><\/h4>\n

Come to think of it, Frankie's ears were rather conspicuous, too, but the bobbysoxers still swooned.<\/h4>\n

<\/h4>\n\n
\n\n

\u00a9<\/strong> 2016 Next-Door Nature. Reprints welcomed with written permission from the author. Thanks to the following photographers for making their work available through the Creative Commons license: <\/em>public domain, Ken Schneider<\/span><\/a>, Back from the Brink<\/span><\/a>, Jimmy Smith<\/span><\/a>, and Back from the Brink<\/span><\/a>.<\/em><\/h4>\n

.<\/em><\/h4>\n

 <\/em><\/h4>","_et_gb_content_width":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":0,"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[428,16],"tags":[59,18,24,25,616,617,64,91,23,618,41,42,43,294,9,10,31,12,619,32,14,15,57],"class_list":["post-10637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-invertebrates","category-wildlife","tag-animal-behavior","tag-backyard-wildlife","tag-behavior","tag-biology","tag-bmsbs","tag-brown-marmorated-stinkbugs","tag-ecology","tag-environment","tag-flora-and-fauna","tag-halyomorpha-halys","tag-hidden-nature","tag-hidden-wilderness","tag-hidden-wildlife","tag-invertebrates","tag-lafayette-park","tag-lafayette-square","tag-natural-history","tag-nature","tag-pentatomidae","tag-suburban-wildlife","tag-urban-wildlife","tag-watchable-wildlife","tag-wildlife-watching"],"yoast_head":"\nSPACE INVADERS - Lafayette Park Conservancy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SPACE INVADERS - Lafayette Park Conservancy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The aliens are back. Just when I thought they were through with me they reappeared, sliding silently through walls that appear solid (but the quantum physicists know better). Suddenly they are everywhere. Staring at me from the rim of a glass when I open the cupboard. Calmly observing me as I sleep from my sweetheart\u2019s framed photo on the bedside table. These aliens aren\u2019t otherworldly galactic hitchhikers, though. They\u2019re Earthlings. Members of the Pentatomoidea clan (aka shield bugs).\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Lafayette Park Conservancy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-17T07:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-03-15T13:48:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/bm-stinkbug-by-mike-lewinski-ccl-by-2.0.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1361\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kieran Lindsey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kieran Lindsey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/\",\"name\":\"SPACE INVADERS - Lafayette Park Conservancy\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-17T07:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-03-15T13:48:37+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/#\/schema\/person\/2cba4be97295c0df84ef191866513038\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"SPACE INVADERS\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/\",\"name\":\"Lafayette Park Conservancy\",\"description\":\"Oldest Urban Park West of the Mississippi\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/#\/schema\/person\/2cba4be97295c0df84ef191866513038\",\"name\":\"Kieran Lindsey\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/709fa3f0f7f4fb352a687ea886ec2d0d9925cea24e7fd75e630a82a339d94fe9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/709fa3f0f7f4fb352a687ea886ec2d0d9925cea24e7fd75e630a82a339d94fe9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kieran Lindsey\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/author\/kieran-lindsey\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"SPACE INVADERS - Lafayette Park Conservancy","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"SPACE INVADERS - Lafayette Park Conservancy","og_description":"The aliens are back. Just when I thought they were through with me they reappeared, sliding silently through walls that appear solid (but the quantum physicists know better). Suddenly they are everywhere. Staring at me from the rim of a glass when I open the cupboard. Calmly observing me as I sleep from my sweetheart\u2019s framed photo on the bedside table. These aliens aren\u2019t otherworldly galactic hitchhikers, though. They\u2019re Earthlings. Members of the Pentatomoidea clan (aka shield bugs).","og_url":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/","og_site_name":"Lafayette Park Conservancy","article_published_time":"2022-03-17T07:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-03-15T13:48:37+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2048,"height":1361,"url":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/bm-stinkbug-by-mike-lewinski-ccl-by-2.0.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kieran Lindsey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kieran Lindsey","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/","url":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/","name":"SPACE INVADERS - Lafayette Park Conservancy","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-03-17T07:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2022-03-15T13:48:37+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/#\/schema\/person\/2cba4be97295c0df84ef191866513038"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/space-invaders\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"SPACE INVADERS"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/","name":"Lafayette Park Conservancy","description":"Oldest Urban Park West of the Mississippi","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/#\/schema\/person\/2cba4be97295c0df84ef191866513038","name":"Kieran Lindsey","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/709fa3f0f7f4fb352a687ea886ec2d0d9925cea24e7fd75e630a82a339d94fe9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/709fa3f0f7f4fb352a687ea886ec2d0d9925cea24e7fd75e630a82a339d94fe9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kieran Lindsey"},"url":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/author\/kieran-lindsey\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10637"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10637\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10649,"href":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10637\/revisions\/10649"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}