Yellow-spotted stink bug
First recorded in Japan before 1775 at an isolated trading post on Dejima, this stink bug did not spread widely across the country until the early 2000s.
| Where | Orchards, gardens and fruit trees |
|---|---|
| Size | 18 to 23 mm body length |
| When | April to November |
This is the largest stink bug found in Japan, blackish brown with a line of small creamy yellow spots down the head and thorax and bold black and yellow blocks along the edges of its folded wings.
It feeds on the sap of many fruit trees including pear, apple and cherry, and adults spend winter sheltering in bark crevices or building gaps before reappearing in spring.
Traits
Habitat
Farmland
Colour
Brown, Yellow, Black
Active
Day
To people
Mild
Its defensive spray can mildly irritate skin or sting the eyes, so it is best moved with a tissue rather than bare hands.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Similar mottled brown shield shape and size, but told apart by the lack of the Yellow-spotted stink bug's bold cream coloured spots on the head and thorax.
Questions
Is the Yellow-spotted stink bug dangerous to people?
Mild. Its defensive spray can mildly irritate skin or sting the eyes, so it is best moved with a tissue rather than bare hands.
When can you see the Yellow-spotted stink bug?
The Yellow-spotted stink bug can be seen from April to November, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by leaf0605, CC0, iNaturalist Licence
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True bugs›Shield bugs›Erthesina
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.