An Improved Trap for Monitoring Stink Bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Apple and Peach Orchards

Abstract

Capture of stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in apple orchards with yellow pyramid traps baited with Euschistus spp. (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) aggregation pheromone, methyl (2E,4Z)-decadienoate, was 4 fold greater when traps were topped with a 3.8-L jar with a 1.6 cm diameter opening and trimmed wire edging than with a 1.9-L jar with a 5 cm diameter opening with no wire edging. Stink bug capture in the 3.8-L jar top was unaffected by the presence or size of an insecticide ear tag, indicating that this improved design led to increased captures by reducing escape. Sixty-four percent fewer stink bugs escaped from 3.8-L jar tops with the improved capture mechanism than from the 1.9-L jar tops. Green stink bug, Acrosternum hilare (Say), was more susceptible to the presence of the insecticide ear tag than the brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say), with dusky stink bug, E. tristigmus (Say), exhibiting high mortality in traps with and without ear tags. Among baited and unbaited pyramid traps with different visual stimuli, fewer captures were recorded in black pyramid traps than in clear, yellow, green or white pyramid traps. Similar numbers of brown stink bugs were captured in yellow pyramid traps deployed on the ground between trees or on horizontal branches within trees in the orchard border row. Captures of dusky and green stink bugs were greater in the tree pyramid, especially from August to mid-October. Relationships between stink bug capture and injury will need to be determined before this trap can be incorporated as a decision-making tool in pest management programs.