Halyomorpha halys, or as it is more commonly known the stink bug, is an invading species from Asia that can cause widespread damage to agricultural crops across North America. (Credit: David R. Lance, USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine program, Wikimedia Commons)
A new study shows that dogs can help us understand ecology of the brown marmorated stink bug. The stink bug is an invasive agricultural pest that was first spotted in Canada in 2012 and has since spread throughout Ontario.
Two Labrador retrievers were trained to recognize the smell of the bugs and locate the dead trees in which they spend the winter with over 84 per cent accuracy. This will allow us to gain insights into the ecology of the stink bug and stop the damage they do to crops.
Original research paper published in the journal PLOS One on April 9, 2014.
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