Sampling Rice Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in and Around Rice Fields

Abstract

Several sampling methods were used to determine the number of rice stink bugs, Oebalus pugnax (F.) in rice, Oryza sativa L., fields and grassy margins. Significantly more adult stink bugs were swept in fields of ‘Wells’ than ‘Francis’, ‘Cypress’, or ‘Bengal’. Sweep net sampling in the cooler parts of the day (0900 and 1900 hours CDT) captured significantly more rice stink bugs than in the heat of the day at 1330 hours CDT. In 2002, yellow pyramid traps were set out before rice heading. These traps captured more rice stink bugs from 5 June (before rice heading) to 12 July (75% rice heading) than during rice heading from 12 to 22 July. Significantly more rice stink bugs were visually counted on grass panicles and swept from grassy hosts in margins adjacent to rice fields from 28 June to 12 July than recorded after 12 July. During rice heading, rice stink bugs were dispersing into rice fields as noted by significantly greater counts of rice stink bugs per 10 sweeps in the rice field than at other rice growth periods sampled. After harvest, pyramid trap catches increased in late September to >20 bugs per trap but dropped to below 1 bug per trap after 3 October and to 0 by 1 November. In 2003, counts of rice stink bugs during the preheading, rice heading, and postheading periods from traps, sweep net samples of the field margins, and rice fields were similar to that in 2002. Pest sampling and management options are discussed.