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Abstract
Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are agricultural pests of increasing significance in the North Central Region of the United States, posing a threat to major crops such as soybean. Biological control can reduce the need for insecticides to manage these pests, but the parasitism of stink bugs by Tachinidae (Diptera) is poorly characterized in this region. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of parasitism of stink bugs by tachinids over 2 yr from nine states across the North Central Region. Parasitism was assessed by quantifying tachinid eggs on the integument of stink bug adults. Parasitism rates (i.e., percent of adult stink bugs with tachinid eggs) were compared across stink bug species, states, stink bug sex, and years. The mean percent parasitism of stink bugs by tachinids was about 6% across the region and did not differ among stink bug species. Mean percent parasitism was significantly higher in Missouri than in northern and western states. In addition, male stink bugs had significantly higher mean percent parasitism than females. Stink bug species commonly found in soybean in the region showed some parasitism and are therefore potentially vulnerable to oviposition by these parasitoids. This is the first study to characterize the level of parasitism of stink bugs by tachinids across the North Central Region.
Highlights
Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are agricultural pests of increasing significance in the North Central Region of the United States (Koch et al 2017)
Biological control can reduce the need for insecticides to manage these pests, but the parasitism of stink bugs by Tachinidae (Diptera) is poorly characterized in this region
The objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of parasitism of stink bugs by tachinids over 2 yr from nine states across the North Central Region
Summary
Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are agricultural pests of increasing significance in the North Central Region of the United States (Koch et al 2017). Previous research on stink bug natural enemies in the North Central Region has focused mainly on those affecting egg masses of H. halys (e.g., Pezzini et al 2018). Other tachinid species, such as Gymnosoma par (Walker), Gymnoclytia occidua (Walker), Euthera tentatrix Loew, Euclytia flava (Townsend), and Cylindromyia fumipennis (Bigot) (Diptera: Tachinidae), are known to parasitize native stink bugs and are present in the North Central Region (Aldrich et al 2006, Duncan 2017). Data on the parasitism of stink bugs by tachinids is limited in the North Central Region. This study was intended to quantify tachinid parasitism of stink bug species collected in soybean in the region. Results of this study will inform further research evaluating the impact of tachinids as potential biological control agents of stink bugs
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