Oebalus pugnax, the rice stink bug, is a flying insect in the shield bug family Pentatomidae native to North America[1] that has become a major agricultural pest in the Southern United States.

This agricultural pest is known to attack cereal crops with small seeds,[3] particularly wheat, sorghum, and rice.

The insect is extremely mobile and is known to travel en masse in and out of fields quickly in search of more favorable foods.

[5] Non-food crop hosts of the rice stink bug include: Echinochloa crusgalli, Echinochloa colona, Digitaria sanguinalis, Panicum dicotomiflorum, Phalaris minor, Paspalum urvillei, and Sporobolus poiretti; the last two are the most common species that the bug prefers.

This type of damage can precipitate microorganism diseases and other crop losses, most notably discoloration, "pecky rice," and lower quality produce.