Female wasps paralyze the stink bug with a sting and then drag the bug off to the nest, which will serve as fresh food for wasp larva.
While this information is promising, Lowenstein does warn that “it remains too soon to tell how well Astata manage BMSB,” Lowenstein said to Entomology Today. “Astata have specialized nesting requirements, which limit the types of places they are found. There are still gaps about the ideal habitat for Astata, and we can’t make recommendations about how to attract the wasp. It is possible that the wasp could nest in habitat adjacent to crops.”