Exotic Venom-spurting Stinkbugs Invade Taiwan

Taiwan Environmental Information Center has reported that Keelung City has experienced an explosion of giant stink bugs this year. The bugs can spurt a skin-burning venom when disturbed. The exotic species, Tessaratoma papillosa, is believed to have traveled by ship from Kinmen in 2009. The bugs are commonly found in China. Since they arrived, they have been recorded all over the island except for Hualien and Taitung counties. The giant stink bugs are a pest in trees of the Sapindaceae