Abstract
The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), is an invasive species from Asia. This polyphagous, stink bug species has posed a serious production challenge in several crop species in the areas where established. The insect has spread to all the mainland states in the U.S. in about one and half decades after its first detection in Pennsylvania. The types of crops reported to have been infested by this stink bug have increased with its spread to new geographic locations. In this study, we report the first evidence of H. halys infestation in almond fruit in California. In Stanislaus County, an adult brown marmorated stink bug in an almond orchard was first observed in May 2017. The stink bug feeding on almond fruits caused excessive gumming to the developing fruits, and damage to the kernels along with typical necrotic feeding signs on the shell (endocarp) and hull (exocarp and pericarp) of the fruit at harvest. The infestation and damage by H. halys on almond warrants further research to develop Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies for this pest.
Highlights
The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), an invasive species native to East Asia, is a serious agricultural pest in the continental United States.H. halys was first reported in Allentown, Pennsylvania in the 1990s [1] and it wreaked havoc on several crops resulting in ~37 million U.S dollars damage to the apple industry alone in 2010 in theMid-Atlantic States [2]
It appears that when H. halys spreads to new locations, it first establishes in urban and residential areas where traffic and people unintentionally assist in spreading this insect
H. halys is a new pest for almonds, the potential economic damage is assumed to be very high with the precedents from other crop damage reported in other parts of the U.S, and the world
Summary
The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), an invasive species native to East Asia, is a serious agricultural pest in the continental United States.H. halys was first reported in Allentown, Pennsylvania in the 1990s [1] and it wreaked havoc on several crops resulting in ~37 million U.S dollars damage to the apple industry alone in 2010 in theMid-Atlantic States [2]. The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), an invasive species native to East Asia, is a serious agricultural pest in the continental United States. H. halys is a serious nuisance in residential areas since adults migrate to residential buildings and other human-made structures to overwinter, though they apparently can overwinter in dry and dead trees [5,6]. It appears that when H. halys spreads to new locations, it first establishes in urban and residential areas where traffic and people unintentionally assist in spreading this insect. The abundance of diverse food sources in urban and residential areas supports the survival and establishment of H. halys which eventually spread to agricultural areas as the population increases
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
