The name "Pentatomidae" is from the Greek pente meaning "five" and tomos meaning "section", and refers to the five segments of their antennae.^[1] Pentatomids are generally called "shield bugs" in British English, or "stink bugs" in American English. However, the term shield bugs is also applied broadly to include several related families (e.g. Acanthosomatidae, Scutelleridae, and Cydnidae), or specifically only to refer to species in the family Acanthosomatidae.^{[1][3][4][5][6]} The term shield bug refers to the generalized body shape of adult bugs in these families which resembles a heraldic shield when viewed from above.

The American name "stink bug" is specific to the Pentatomidae, and refers to their ability to release a pungent defensive spray when threatened, disturbed, or crushed. The composition of this spray may vary between species, and even by sex or age,^[7] but generally includes aldehydes and alkanes. Descriptions of the smells vary widely, and include oily, dusty, woody and earthy, and like coriander.^[8][9] In some species, the liquid contains cyanide compounds and a rancid almond scent, used to protect themselves and discourage predators.^[8]

The term "stink bug" may also be a vernacular for unrelated insects such as pinacate beetles (in the genus Eleodes).^[10]

There are several subfamilies, of which the Aphylinae is often given family status, but is here retained as a subfamily, following Grazia et al. (2008).^[11] The subfamilies include:^[12]

• Aphylinae Bergroth, 1906 – Australia

1. Aphylus Bergroth, 1906
2. Neoaphylum Štys & Davidová-Vilímová, 2001

• Asopinae Spinola, 1850 - worldwide
  • Troilus Stål, 1868
• Cyrtocorinae Distant, 1880 - Americas

1. Ceratozygum Horváth, 1916
2. Cyphothyrea Horváth, 1916
3. Cyrtocoris White, 1842
4. Pseudocyrtocoris Jensen-Haarup, 1926

• Discocephalinae Fieber, 1860 - Americas
  • Discocephala Laporte, 1832
  • Ochlerus Spinola, 1837
• Edessinae Fieber, 1860 - Americas

• Pentatominae Leach, 1815 - worldwide ...
  • Bathycoelia Amyot & Serville, 1843
  • Pentatoma Olivier, 1789
• Phyllocephalinae Amyot & Serville, 1843
  • Cressona Dallas, 1851
  • Megarrhamphus Bergroth, 1891
  • Phyllocephala Laporte, 1833
  • Tetroda Amyot & Serville, 1843
• Podopinae Amyot & Serville, 1843
  • Graphosoma Laporte de Castelnau, 1833
  • Podops Laporte de Castelnau, 1833
• Serbaninae (monotypic)

1. Serbana borneensis Distant, 1906

• Stirotarsinae (monotypic)

1. Stirotarsus Bergroth, 1911

• incertae sedis

1. Antillosciocoris Thomas, 2005
2. Asopus Burmeister, 1834
3. Jostenicoris Arnold, 2011

All pentatomids have 5-segmented antennae, and 3 tarsal segments on each foot. They generally have a large triangular scutellum in the center of the back. The body shape of adult pentatomids is generally "shieldlike," when viewed from above, but this varies between species, and is not true for the immature nymphal stages. The forewings of stink bugs are called hemelytra, with the basal half thickened while the apex is membranous. At rest, the wings are laid across the back of the insect, with the membranous wingtips overlapping. The hindwings are entirely membranous.

Several stink bugs and shield bugs are considered agricultural pests, because they can grow into large populations that feed on crops, damaging production, and they are resistant to many pesticides. They are a threat to cotton, corn, sorghum, soybeans, native and ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, weeds, and many cultivated crops.^[13]

In Mexico, some species of stink bugs are called jumil, chinche de monte, xotlinilli, or chumil (e.g. Edessa mexicana). They are most often eaten in the states of Morelos and Guerrero. The flavor is sometimes said to resemble cinnamon, or sometimes a bitter medicinal flavor. Jumiles may be used for making sauces or as taco filling.^[14]

Since recent arrival in the U.S., populations of the brown marmorated stink bug have grown significantly. As of October 2014, brown marmorated stink bugs can be found in 41 out of 50 states within the U.S.^[15] In 2016 New Zealand's MPI put out an alert to prevent this invasive species from entering via imported cargo.^[16]

• List of Pentatomidae genera
• Chinavia hilaris, the green stink bug
• Alcaeorrhynchus grandis
• Cosmopepla lintneriana, the twice-stabbed stink bug
• Halyomorpha halys, the brown marmorated stink bug
• Oebalus pugnax, the rice stink bug
• Euthyrhynchus floridanus, the Florida predatory stink bug

European species within this family include:^[17]

•  
  Eurydema oleracea
•  
  Euthyrhynchus floridanus, nymph
•  
  Troilus luridus
•  
  Raphigaster nebulosa
•  
  Eurydema ornatum
•  
  Perillus, nymph

• When Twenty-Six Thousand Stinkbugs Invade Your Home by Kathryn Schulz. The New Yorker, March 12, 2018. Ed Yong called it a "pure delight."
• I.A.D. Robertson: The Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Sub-Saharan Africa : a database. Malindi, 2009
• Shieldbugs of Britain
• Stink Bugs of North America – photos and information
• Images of shield bugs
• I. A. D. Robertson: The Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Sub-Saharan Africa : a database. Malindi, 2009. Online version in Repository Naturalis Leiden