Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs Research Articles

The impact and control of Brown marmorated stink bugs on Turkish hazelnut production

The Turkish hazelnut is a crucial commodity both in Turkey and globally, with Turkey accounting for approximately 70% of the world's hazelnut production. However, hazelnut harvesting faces significant challenges, one of which is the presence of stink bug pests such as the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB). This study utilized a mathematical model to examine the adverse impact of pests such as the brown marmorated stink bug [Halyomorpha halys (Stål, 1855) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)] and similar stink bug pests on hazelnut production. The findings revealed that between 2017 and 2022, hazelnut yields in Turkey suffered damage from stink bug pests like the brown marmorated stink bug, amounting to 106,820 tonnes annually and 640,920 tonnes cumulatively. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that the application of control measures, whether through biocontrols, traps, or chemicals, to increase the death rate of BMSB-type pests by 25% or 50%, or to decrease the egg ratio by 25% or 50%, has the potential to save up to 82,506 tonnes of hazelnut production from these pests annually. Overall, this study highlights the importance of managing pest infestations in agricultural production and the potential benefits of using control methods to mitigate their impact.

Evidence for Vector Transmission of the Blueberry Pathogen Exobasidium maculosum, Cause of Exobasidium Leaf and Fruit Spot

Exobasidium leaf and fruit spot of blueberry, caused by Exobasidium maculosum, results in significant yield losses if not properly managed. To determine if an arthropod is involved in transmission, we conducted arthropod exclusion and trapping studies at two field sites in Georgia from 2018 to 2020. In each field, 10 pairs of potted trap plants were placed under blueberry bushes for 2 weeks during the known infection window in early spring. In each pair, one potted plant was covered with exclusion nets before being taken to the field, and the other was left uncovered. The covered plants developed significantly fewer leaf spots (mean = 2) than the uncovered plants (mean = 128), indicating that an agent necessary for infection was excluded. To identify possible vectors, a variety of traps were used to collect arthropods in both fields during the known infection window. A total of 181 insects were selected from traps, then crushed and plated on potato dextrose agar to assess for growth of E. maculosum. A species-specific PCR assay was developed and conducted to test for E. maculosum. We recovered E. maculosum from one gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) and detected it in three additional insects by PCR. One could not be identified, and two were two long-legged flies (Diptera: Dolichopodidae). Bioassays with spotted-wing drosophila ( Drosophila suzukii) and brown marmorated stink bugs ( Halyomorpha halys) did not show transmission of the disease. Although we did not conclusively identify specific vectors, we provide evidence of vector involvement in transmission of E. maculosum. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .

Low Incidence of Avian Predation on the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), in Southeastern Orchard Systems.

In many agroecosystems, brown marmorated stink bugs (Halyomorpha halys) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are polyphagous pests that cause significant economic losses to numerous crops every year. Insectivorous birds may provide a means of sustainable predation of invasive pests, such as H. halys. In forest margins surrounding peach, pecan, and interplanted peach-pecan orchards, we monitored H. halys populations with pheromone-baited traps, mist-netted birds, and collected avian fecal samples for molecular gut content analysis. We screened 257 fecal samples from 19 bird species for the presence of H. halys DNA to determine whether birds provide the biological control of this pest. Overall, we found evidence that four birds from three species consumed H. halys, including Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalisis), Tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), and Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus). Halyomorpha halys captured in traps increased over time but did not vary by orchard type. Although incidence of predation was low, this may be an underestimate as a result of our current avian fecal sampling methodology. Because birds are members of the broader food web, future studies are needed to understand avian ecosystem services, especially in terms of pest control, including H. halys and other pest species.

First report of Colletotrichum fioriniae infections in brown marmorated stink bugs, Halyomorpha halys

An epizootic caused by fungal pathogens occurred among Halyomorpha halys, brown marmorated stink bugs, while they were overwintering, with infections also occurring after overwintering. We report that one of the two pathogens responsible was Colletotrichum fioriniae (Marcelino & Gouli) Pennycook; a species well known as a plant pathogen and endophyte and which has only previously been reported naturally infecting elongate hemlock scales, Fiorinia externa. To prove pathogenicity, H. halys adults challenged with conidia died from infections and the fungus subsequently produced conidia externally on cadavers.

Entomopathogens infecting brown marmorated stink bugs before, during, and after overwintering.

The microsporidian, Nosema maddoxi Becnel, Solter, Hajek, Huang, Sanscrainte & Estep, infects brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), populations in North America and Asia and causes decreased fitness in infected insects. This host overwinters as adults, often in aggregations in sheltered locations, and variable levels of mortality occur over the winter. We investigated pathogen prevalence in H. halys adults before, during, and after overwintering. Population level studies resulted in detection of N. maddoxi in H. halys in 6 new US states, but no difference in levels of infection by N. maddoxi in autumn versus the following spring. Halyomorpha halys that self-aggregated for overwintering in shelters deployed in the field were maintained under simulated winter conditions (4°C) for 5 months during the 2021-2022 winter and early spring, resulting in 34.6 ± 4.8% mortality. Over the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 winters, 13.4 ± 3.5% of surviving H. halys in shelters were infected with N. maddoxi, while N. maddoxi infections were found in 33.4 ± 10.8% of moribund and dead H. halys that accumulated in shelters. A second pathogen, Colletotrichum fioriniae Marcelino & Gouli, not previously reported from H. halys, was found among 46.7 ± 7.8% of the H. halys that died while overwintering, but levels of infection decreased after overwintering. These 2 pathogens occurred as co-infections in 11.1 ± 5.9% of the fungal-infected insects that died while overwintering. Increasing levels of N. maddoxi infection caused epizootics among H. halys reared in greenhouse cages after overwintering.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys Stål.) Attack Induces a Metabolic Response in Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) Fruit

The polyphagous brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys Stål.) is an important pest in many countries. Recently it was noticed that it can feed on and cause damage to strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.). The metabolic response of strawberries to brown marmorated stink bug attacks was studied. Brown marmorated stink bugs attacked strawberry fruit which had 18% lower total sugar content compared to that of the control treatment. However, organic acid content had no significant difference among the three treatments, with the exception of shikimic acid, which had the highest content in the attacked fruit. Thirty-one phenolic compounds were identified. Results showed a strong effect on secondary metabolites due to H. halys attacks. Halyomorpha halys treatment had 27% higher total analyzed phenolic content compared to the indirect Halyomorpha halys treatment. The brown marmorated stink bug significantly increased total ellagic acid derivatives (33.1% to 37% higher), hydroxycinnamic acids (22.3% higher) and anthocyanins’ (39% higher) contents. Fruit attacked by Halyomorpha halys also had higher catechin and epicatechin content than that of the control treatments. This pest had a significant influence on the plant’s secondary metabolism, and this improved our understanding of how a strawberry plant reacts to the attacks of this very important pest. H. halys-infested fruit are not suitable for commercial production, due to the production of off-flavors.

Attraction of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs, Halyomorpha halys, to Blooming Sunflower Semiochemicals.

The polyphagous invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, reportedly discriminates among phenological stages of host plants. To determine whether olfaction is involved in host plant stage discrimination, we selected (dwarf) sunflower, Helianthus annuus, as a model host plant species. When adult females of a still-air laboratory experiment were offered a choice of four potted sunflowers at distinct phenological stages (vegetative, pre-bloom, bloom, seeding), most females settled onto blooming plants but oviposited evenly on plants of all four stages. In moving-air two-choice olfactometer experiments, we then tested each plant stage versus filtered air and versus one another, for attraction of H. halys females. Blooming sunflowers performed best overall, but no one plant stage was most attractive in all experiments. Capturing and analyzing (by GC-MS) the headspace odorants of each plant stage revealed a marked increase of odorant abundance (e.g., monoterpenes) as plants transitioned from pre-bloom to bloom. Analyzing the headspace odorant blend of blooming sunflower by gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) revealed 13 odorants that consistently elicited responses from female H. halys antennae. An 11-component synthetic blend of these odorants attracted H. halys females in laboratory olfactometer experiments. Furthermore, in field settings, the synthetic blend enhanced the attractiveness of synthetic H. halys pheromone as a trap lure, particularly in spring (April to mid-June). A simpler yet fully effective sunflower semiochemical blend could be developed and coupled with synthetic H. halys aggregation pheromones to improve monitoring efforts or could improve the efficacy of modified attract-and-kill control tactics for H. halys.

Molecular Identification of Trissolcus japonicus, Parasitoid of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, by Species-Specific PCR.

Simple SummaryThe brown marmorated stinkbug Halyomorpha halys, is an invasive pest that causes millions of dollars of crop damage each year in the US. A promising biocontrol agent for this pest is the samurai wasp, Trissolcus japonicus, which is a potential long term control method with few negative ecological impacts. However, the wasps’ small size of only 1 mm in length can make it difficult to identify morphologically. We developed a DNA-based approach to determine whether a wasp specimen is T. japonicus using conventional methods of DNA extraction, PCR, and gel electrophoresis. When tested against eight families of Hymenoptera, including three Trissolcus species, our method identified samurai wasp samples with 100% accuracy. Additionally, in silico analyses of various T. japonicus sequences provide evidence that the method will work throughout the US, Europe, and parts of Asia. We expect that this method will be a valuable tool for reliably identifying T. japonicus during distribution and recapture efforts to assess its survival, establishment, and dispersal for biocontrol purposes.The samurai wasp, Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead), has been proposed as a biocontrol agent against brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB), due to its ability to parasitize and kill BMSB eggs. However, the wasps’ small size makes it challenging for those untrained in morphological identification to determine the wasps’ species. To circumvent this problem, a molecular method was created to identify T. japonicus. The method uses species-specific primers, designed in this study, which target the variable region of the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase 1 (CO1) locus. After confirming successful DNA extraction from samples, the PCR amplification using our primers produced 227-bp PCR products for all T. japonicus specimens and no amplification in other microhymenoptera candidates. Additionally, DNA from BMSB-parasitized eggs gave positive PCR amplification, while the control BMSB samples showed no amplification. This indicates that PCR with our primers specifically and sensitively differentiates T. japonicus specimens from other similar wasp species and discriminates between T. japonicus-parasitized and non-parasitized BMSB eggs. Finally, an in silico analysis of CO1 sequences demonstrated that our primers match the sequences of four different haplotypes of T. japonicus, indicating that our diagnostic method could potentially be applied to analyze T. japonicus populations throughout North America, Europe, and parts of Asia.

Biopesticide and Parasitoid Effects on Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) Life Stage Density and Egg Parasitism in Soybean

Biopesticide and Parasitoid Effects on <i>Megacopta cribraria</i> (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) Life Stage Density and Egg Parasitism in Soybean

Cold tolerance, water balance, energetics, gas exchange, and diapause in overwintering brown marmorated stink bugs

Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is an emerging pest which established in Ontario, Canada, in 2012. Halyomporpha halys overwinters in anthropogenic structures as an adult. We investigated seasonal variation in the cold tolerance, water balance, and energetics of H. halys in southwestern Ontario. We also induced diapause in laboratory-reared animals with short daylength at permissive temperatures and compared cold tolerance, water balance, energetics, and metabolism and gas exchange between diapausing and non-diapausing individuals. Halyomorpha halys that overwintered outside in Ontario all died, but most of those that overwintered in sheltered habitats survived. We confirm that overwintering H. halys are chill-susceptible. Over winter, Ontario H. halys depressed their supercooling point to c. −15.4 °C, and 50% survived a 1 h exposure to −17.5 °C. They reduce water loss rates over winter, and do not appear to significantly consume lipid or carbohydrate reserves to a level that might cause starvation. Overall, it appears that H. halys is dependent on built structures and other buffered microhabitats to successfully overwinter in Ontario. Laboratory-reared diapausing H. halys have lower supercooling points than their non-diapausing counterparts, but LT50 is not enhanced by diapause induction. Diapausing H. halys survive desiccating conditions for 3–4 times longer than those not in diapause, through decreases in both respiratory and cuticular water loss. Diapausing H. halys do not appear to accumulate any more lipid or carbohydrate than those not in diapause, but do have lower metabolic rates, and are slightly more likely to exhibit discontinuous gas exchange.

The Competitive Mating of Irradiated Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs, Halyomorpha halys, for the Sterile Insect Technique.

The sterility of eggs and nymphs from gamma-irradiated male Halyomorpha halys was investigated to determine the potential for the sterile insect technique (SIT). Males irradiated at 0, 16, 24 and 32 Gy were placed with untreated virgin females, and egg sterility was determined, showing 54.3% at 16 Gy. The percentage of sterility from irradiation was 26 percent lower than previous results from the USA and the variance was very high. Competitive overflooding ratio trials between irradiated virgin males and fertile virgin males at a 5:1 ratio resulted in the expected egg sterility, indicating competitive performance by irradiated males. By July and August, older, irradiated overwintered males were significantly less competitive than similar, non-irradiated males. There is a need to revisit the irradiation delivery method to achieve proper precision around the paternal dose required for an expected >80% egg sterility and subsequent ~99% endpoint sterility estimated at adult emergence in the F1 phase. These results suggest that the mating competitiveness and competency of males after irradiation at 16 Gy is not limiting to the sterile insect technique for suppression. A wild harvest of overwintering males using the aggregation pheromone, followed by irradiation and male release, might replace rearing. Mass-collected, sterilized bugs could be transported from an area of high H. halys density and shipped for release to enable suppression or eradication elsewhere. This concept is under development but further work is needed now to understand the difference in results between the US and Italian irradiators and increase the reliability of dosimetry.

Live Traps for Adult Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs.

Surveillance for detection of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is reliant on sticky panels with aggregation pheromone, which are low cost, but very inefficient (est. 3%). Trapping for adults was conducted in Italy with novel live (or lethal) traps consisting of aggregation pheromone-baited cylinders with a wind vane, with the upwind end covered by mesh and the downwind end sealed by a removable entry-only mesh cone, admitting the attracted bugs. The novel traps caught up to 15-times more adult H. halys than identically-baited sticky panels in two weeks of daily checking (n = 6 replicates) (the new live traps were, in Run 1, 5-, 9-, 15-, 13-, 4-, 12-, 2-fold; and in Run 2, 7-, 1-, 3-, 7-, 6-, 6-, and 5-fold better than sticky traps, daily). The maximum catch of the new traps was 96 live adults in one trap in 24 h and the average improvement was ~7-fold compared with sticky panels. The rotating live traps, which exploit a mesh funnel facing the plume downwind that proved useful for collecting adults, could also be used to kill bugs. We expect that commercially-available traps could replace the crude prototypes we constructed quickly from local materials, at low cost, as long as the principles of a suitable plume structure were observed, as we discuss. The traps could be useful for the sterile insect technique, supporting rearing colonies, or to kill bugs.

Responses of Overwintering Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) to Dead Conspecifics.

Overwintering brown marmorated stink bugs (Halyomorpha halys) (Stål) are a notable domestic nuisance. In addition to disruptive activity, dead individuals remain in homes, sometimes in large numbers. To better understand the effects of these remains on overwintering behavior, adult H. halys were subjected to several experiments to test their responses to dead conspecifics. In non-tactile tests of individuals exposed to groups of dead conspecifics, H. halys did not respond to 1-yr-old desiccated dead conspecifics, but avoided corpses that were freshly killed. In tactile tests of individuals exposed to groups of dead conspecifics, H. halys joined those corpse aggregations significantly more often than not, and preferred corpses to cotton when given a choice. In tests of exposure of overwintering individuals to fresh dead conspecifics over the course of a winter, no necrophagy or evidence of survival advantage was observed, but overall females had higher survival rates than males.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Contents: Introduction - Synonymy - Distribution - Description - Life Cycle - Economic Importance - Hosts - Management - Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs in Florida - Selected References&#x0D; This revision is also published on the Featured Creatures website at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/bean/brown_marmorated_stink_bug.htm

Evaluation of Foliar Insecticides for the Control of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs in Tomatoes, 2016

Evaluation of Foliar Insecticides for the Control of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs in Tomatoes, 2016

Identification of Soybean Host Plant Resistance to Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs in Maturity Group III Plant Introductions.

Halyomorpha halys (Stål; Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), is a polyphagous nonnative insect first found in the United States in 1996. As of 2017, BMSB has been detected in 43 states and is a severe agricultural pest in mid-Atlantic states. On soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr (Fabales: Fabaceae), damage from BMSB infestation ranges from puncture marks with seed discoloration and deformities to seed and pod abortion. Host plant resistance has been used for managing pest populations and mitigating soybean yield losses caused by neotropical stink bugs (Eushistus heros, Nezara viridula, and Piezodorus guildinii) in Brazil and on the U.S. Gulf Coast. We evaluated maturity group III plant introductions (PIs) for resistance to BMSB damage. In 2014, field cage choice tests of 106 PIs revealed a range of both BMSB damage incidence and severity. In field choice tests, PIs 085665 and 097139 showed the lowest incidence of BMSB damage and seed weight loss due to BMSB, while PIs 243532, 243540, and 567252 had the highest. In whole plant no-choice tests, PIs 085665 and 097139 also had high levels of resistance. However, PI 085665 had a higher incidence of damage but lower seed weight loss than PI 097139, which may suggest bimodal resistance. Moreover, PIs 085665 and 097139 are from Japan and North Korea, respectively, two geographically isolated countries where BMSB is native. Thus, further characterization of host plant resistance to BMSB in each of these lines may elucidate distinct mechanisms that could be synergistic if stacked in breeding lines.

Irradiation biology of male brown marmorated stink bugs: is there scope for the sterile insect technique?

Purpose: Brown marmorated stink bugs, Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), are regularly intercepted, but there are few eradication tools. Currently, no sterile insect technique program exists for Hemiptera.Materials and methods: Adult males were irradiated at 4–60 Gy, mated and their progeny reared for two generations, with mortality assessed at F1 egg, F1 adult and F2 egg stages.Results: The F1 eggs showed a dose response to irradiation between 4 and 36 Gy, with 97% sterility at 16 Gy, and higher doses producing complete egg mortality. Only rare F1 survivors had progeny, but the F2 generation showed identical responses between maternal and paternal lines; most egg batches showed either very low or very high mortality. Irradiation with 16 Gy resulted in 98.5% sterility, cumulative over F1 and F2.Conclusions: Lack of a dose response at the F2 generation precludes the use of irradiation-induced inherited sterility. The conventional sterile insect technique appears possible by irradiation of males from ∼12 to 16 Gy. The effect of radiation dose on females is not known, thus we cannot conclude whether bi-sex release is feasible so for now the release of males only is recommended. More work is needed on the competitive fitness of irradiated males, and logistics such as mass rearing or field collection, in order to determine the feasibility of the approach.

Laboratory and Field Investigation of Biological Control for Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae))

Conservation biological control manipulates habitat characteristics to enhance natural enemy populations and ultimately reduce pest density. These practices can be most effective early in the growing season when pest populations are low. Early season predator impacts on these pests can include both direct consumption of herbivores and non-consumptive effects such as superfluous killing, both of which provide pest suppression. We combined laboratory feeding trials, and a field cage experiment with molecular gut-content analysis to explore the effects of striped lynx spiders (Oxyopes salticus Hentz) on brown marmorated stink bugs (Halyomorpha halys (Stal)). The laboratory feeding trials revealed that lynx spiders did attack stink bugs but that stink bug DNA had a short DNA detectability half-life within lynx spider guts. To simulate field conditions where these two species could interact in both early and late season, we manipulated the density and relative abundance of stink bug nymphs and adults in the presence and absence of lynx spiders. There was no effect of treatment on recovery of either adult stink bugs or nymphs. Although dead stink bugs were recovered, we found no evidence of consumption through molecular gut-content analysis. Contrary to expectations that generalist predators would have the greatest impact on pests early in the growing season, our results suggest that lynx spiders are unlikely to exert substantial early season control. Biological control might be most effective when utilizing multiple predator species as part of a complex of natural enemies, so spiders acting in concert with other generalist predators could be capable of suppressing pest populations.

Chirosurveillance: The use of native bats to detect invasive agricultural pests

Invasive insect pests cost the agricultural industry billions of dollars annually in crop losses. Timely detection of pests is critical for management efficiency. Innovative pest detection strategies, such as environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques, combined with efficient predators, maximize sampling resolution across space and time and may improve surveillance. We tested the hypothesis that temperate insectivorous bats can be important sentinels of agricultural insect pest surveillance. Specifically, we used a new high-sensitivity molecular assay for invasive brown marmorated stink bugs (Halyomorpha halys) to examine the extent to which big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) detect agricultural pests in the landscape. We documented consistent seasonal predation of stink bugs by big brown bats. Importantly, bats detected brown marmorated stink bugs 3–4 weeks earlier than the current standard monitoring tool, blacklight traps, across all sites. We highlight here the previously unrecognized potential ecosystem service of bats as agents of pest surveillance (or chirosurveillance). Additional studies examining interactions between other bat and insect pest species, coupled with comparisons of detectability among various conventional monitoring methods, are needed to verify the patterns extracted from this study. Ultimately, robust economic analyses will be needed to assess the cost-effectiveness of chirosurveillance as a standard strategy for integrated pest management.

Influence of Winemaking Processing Steps on the Amounts of (E)-2-Decenal and Tridecane as Off-Odorants Caused by Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys).

Brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB) release stress compounds, tridecane and (E)-2-decenal, that affect final wine quality. This study focuses on determining the effect of wine processing on (E)-2-decenal and tridecane release in both red and white wines. Wines were produced by adding live BMSB to grape clusters at densities of 0, 0.3, 1, and 3 bugs/cluster. Compound concentrations were measured using headspace solid phase microextraction with multidimensional gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. For red wines, the highest levels of stress compounds were found using 3 BMSB/cluster [tridecane, 614 μg/L; (E)-2-decenal, 2.0 μg/L]. Pressing was found to be the critical process point for stress compound release, and additional pressing processes, press types, and press fractions were investigated. BMSB taint for white wines was not found to be problematic with respect to wine quality. An action control of 3 BMSB/cluster is recommended as this was related to the known consumption rejection threshold for (E)-2-decenal.