Laboratory study of the lifecycle parameters of the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys Stål.) – An alien pest established in Bulgaria

Abstract

The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is a pest found on agricultural crops, first reported in Bulgaria in 2016. In 2018 in the region of Plovdiv it was found feeding on a variety of agricultural and ornamental plants, such as corn, tomato, apple, vinegrapes, raspberry, mulberry, and hibiscus. The rapid spread and the threat for many potential host plants in Bulgaria were the reasons for the current study. The life cycle parameters of the Bulgarian population of H. halys were studied in 2019. The progeny of the field-collected adults from the region of Plovdiv were reared at laboratory conditions at constant temperature of 25 ± 2°C, RH 60 - 70% and a photoperiod of 16:8 hours L:D. Under these conditions the embryonic development was completed in 5.10 ± 1.02 days; the 1st nymphal instar in 5.32 ± 1.23 days; the 2nd - in 9.35 ± 2.88 days; the 3rd - in 7.18 ± 2.55 days; the 4th - in 7.40 ± 1.89 days, and for the 5th nymphal instar – in 10.87 ± 2.63 days. The adults lived an average of 17.53 ± 9.34 days with a maximum life span of 44 days.