Halyomorpha Halys Research Articles

INSECTICIDAL EFFECTIVENESS OF PRUNUS LAUROCERASUS LEAF AND SEED EXTRACTS ON HALYOMORPHA HALYS NYMPHS AND ADULTS

In this study, the toxicity of Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus L. (Rosaceae)) leaf and seed extracts at doses of 10, 15, and 20 mL/L against Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)) adults and nymphs (N1, N2, N3, N4, N5) at 24., 48., 72., and 96. hours were investigated under laboratory conditions. All experiments were performed separately for five nymphal stages and adults and repeated three times for each dose. Pure water + ethanol was used as a negative control, and the chemical Nimbecidine® (10%) was used as a positive control. At the 96 hours of treatment, Prunus laurocerasus leaf extracts caused mortality between 21.5% and 100%, while the seed extract caused mortality between 30.3% and 100%. The highest mortality rate occurred in the N1 and N2 instar nymphs (100%) at the 20 mL/L dose, and the lowest mortality rate occurred in the adult stage (21.5%) at the 10 mL/L dose. The productivity rates of seed extracts were higher than those of leaf extracts. In all treatments, mortality rates increased with increasing dose and time. In conclusion, the results showed that Prunus laurocerasus leaf and seed extracts had a highly toxic effect against five nymphal stages and adult H. halys. The most toxic LD50 values in leaf extract were kept as 0.45 and 3.64 mL/L for N1 stage nymphs and juveniles, while the lowest LD90 values were determined as 4.54 and 6.64 mL/L for N5 instar nymphs and adults, respectively. The seed extract yielded the lowest LD50 values of 0.29 and 1.84 mL/L for N1 instar nymphs and adults, and the lowest LD90 values of 2.89 and 3.15 mL/L for N5 instar nymphs and adults, respectively. The results indicate that leaf and seed extracts of P. laurocerasus have excellent potential for the control of Halyomorppha halys.

Testing low-risk bioactive compounds on Halyomorpha halys: an improved pipeline of analyses to investigate their effects on the bacterial endosymbiont Candidatus Pantoea carbekii.

The brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys has become an invasive insect pest of many crops. A promising control strategy to manage the proliferation of H. halys is based on the suppression of its obligate and vertically transmitted uncultivated symbiotic bacterium Candidatus Pantoea carbekii through surface-sterilization of H. halys eggs. Indeed, the application of antimicrobial formulations on the eggs of H. halys could cause mortality of endosymbiont and consequently of newly emerged nymphs. In this study, a microbial live/dead assay was applied directly on H. halys eggs to evaluate Ca. P. carbekii loss of viability after treatments with seven commercial formulations including fungicides (copper hydroxide, sulphur, sweet orange essential oil) and plant biostimulants (flavonoids and chestnut tannin extract) compared with two disinfectants for civil and industrial use (sodium hypochlorite/hydrated sodium/tetraborate decahydrate and peracetic acid/hydrogen peroxide). Impact of mode of application was also evaluated, as surface treatment of egg masses was performed through spraying and dipping in laboratory conditions. Antimicrobial activity data were finally complemented with observations of egg hatching and vitality of the nymphs. The optimization of live/dead staining is useful for evaluating Ca. P. carbekii mortality directly on eggs, providing a rapid and reliable culture-independent approach. Sodium hypochlorite, copper, sulphur, tannins and sweet orange essential oil showed an antimicrobial effect against Ca. P. carbekii and a H. halys egg hatching reduction and nymph's vitality. The antimicrobial and insecticidal effects of these commercial products should be further studied to assess their in-field efficiency as well as the impact of these substances on non-target organisms. The approach followed in this study could be considered a robust pipeline of analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of antimicrobial eco-friendly compounds in symbiotic control of H. halys. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Akt regulates the fertility of Coridius chinensis by insulin signaling pathway

Akt (also known as protein kinase B) belongs to the multifunctional serine/threonine kinase family and is an important component of the insulin signaling pathway that plays a key role in many biological processes such as cell growth, proliferation, and survival. However, few studies have reported the effect of Akt on reproduction in Hemiptera. In this study, we cloned and characterized the Akt gene from Coridius chinensis (CcAkt). The open reading frame of CcAkt has a length of 1,563 bp and encodes 520 amino acids. It has a conserved pleckstrin homology domain (PH), catalytic domain of serine/threonine protein kinases (S_TKc), and extension of Ser/Thr-type protein kinases (S_TK_X). Phylogenetic analysis showed that CcAkt and HhAkt of Halyomorpha halys had the highest similarity. Analysis of temporal and spatial expression patterns revealed that CcAkt is expressed throughout development and in various tissues of C. chinensis adults. CcAkt was highly expressed in the female adult and the fourth-instar nymph, as well as in the testis and ovary of C. chinensis. Injection of bovine insulin and methoprene induced the CcAkt expression, whereas that of 20-hydroxyecdysone significantly reduced the CcAkt expression. These three hormones, however, induced the expression of vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellogenin receptor (VgR). In unmated females, knockdown of CcAkt resulted in decreased expression of CcVg and CcVgR, stunted the development of the ovarioles, decreased the number of eggs and hatching rate. These findings from RNA interference experiment suggested that CcAkt may be involved in regulating the reproduction of C. chinensis.

Disentangling the worldwide invasion process of Halyomorpha halys through approximate Bayesian computation.

Halyomorpha halys is a polyphagous insect pest, which was first found outside its native regions in 1996, and since then it has rapidly spread worldwide causing damage to agriculture. Investigating the genetic diversity among H. halys populations is essential to understand the colonization history out of its native areas. Analyses based on mtDNA indicate multiple invasions from Asia to European and American continents, as well as serial invasions within invaded countries, but the colonization dynamics are still debated. Recently, genome-wide data (ddRAD) have been published to investigate the genomic structure of H. halys, proposing China as a putative source of multiple serial invasion events to Europe and the Americas. In this study we re-analyze published ddRAD sequences from worldwide populations of H. halys to better elucidate the colonization process. We assessed the genetic diversity in native populations identifying genetic differentiation between populations in China. Furthermore, we observed a complex pattern of population structure in the invaded countries, that may have originated from the occurrence of multiple independent colonization waves through time, from sub-populations present in the native range to Europe and the Americas. We tested alternative colonization hypotheses through Approximate Bayesian Computation comparison of demographic scenarios. Our results support multiple waves of migration from East China to invaded territories and the occurrence of European and American bridgehead effects. These results underline the importance of demographic inference through genome-wide data to investigate biological invasions, whose knowledge become fundamental to establish new strategies of management and control of invasive species.

A different approach to identifying thermal parameters for invasive species.

The brown marmorated stinkbug, Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a polyphagous invasive insect found in the eastern United States in 1998 but became a major agricultural pest in 2010. Environmental temperatures regulate the location of invasive species establishment in new locations. To determine those areas where an invasive species might establish it is essential to understand the metabolic response of all life stages to temperature. Differential scanning calorimetry is a useful tool to monitor living organisms' metabolism at different temperatures, providing vital information related to the ability of the species to survive in new environments. The information obtained from isothermal and scanning calorimetric experiments on all the life stages of H. halys indicates that the third instar is the most thermoresponsive stage and eggs and fifth instar are the least thermoresponsive, whereas the third instars exhibit a broad range of thermoresponsiveness as compared to all other developmental stages. The recorded values for lower, optimal, and upper developmental temperatures in this study were similar to those reported by other researchers using laboratory and field data to develop degree-day models. This method can help in the rapid development of degree day models to improve and synchronize control efforts for newly invasive species.

First detection of Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae) in southwestern France

We report the first detection of Trissolcus japonicus in southwestern France. A total of almost 3000 sentinel and 700 field-laid egg masses of Halyomorpha halys were exposed or collected in the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in 2022 and 2023. A total of 12 and 44 specimens of T. japonicus emerged from one and two egg masses in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Morphologic analysis confirmed the identification of this egg parasitoid, while molecular analysis of COI matched the haplotype of the French population to the population of T. japonicus released in Italy. Trissolcus japonicus may have arrived in Nouvelle-Aquitaine from introduction pathways similary to T. mitsukurii, detected in 2020, although these pathways cannot be clearly defined. The co-occurrence of these two major parasitoids of BMSB should now be surveyed as possible competition can arise. In the frame of the biological control program currently running in France against BMSB, the use of one or two parasitoid species is also considered.

First cases of contact injury following brown marmorated stink bug crush in Italy.

First cases of contact injury following brown marmorated stink bug crush in Italy.

Identification and phylogenetic of cysteine peptidase genes from the bamboo pest Hippotiscus dorsalis, based on RNA-seq and PacBio Iso-Seq

One of the insects that cause the most damage to Moso bamboos in the southern regions of China is Hippotiscus dorsalis (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). However, the study of molecular and growth development analysis is limited because its genetic resources are still in the blank stage. In order to improve our knowledge of the molecular traits of this insect pest, we first generated the transcriptome from H dorsalis using PacBio Iso-Seq. With an average length of 1495 bp, 207,663 nonredundant full-length reads were produced. Using five databases, we annotated 36,238 transcripts: Uniprot (24,388), GO (1160), NR (24,110), Pfam (9333), and KEGG (14,497). According to aligning of each transcript in the NR database, most of them (85.147 %) were annotated into the functional genes from Halyomorpha halys. In the meantime, we discovered 33,689 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), 4408 transcription factors (TFs), and 586 alternative splicing (AS) events, which involved in transcriptional regulation. Additionally, the candidate cathepsin genes from the bamboo pest were examined in order to comprehend how they adapted to their host. To sum up, our findings offer a fresh resource for comprehensive transcriptional data and insights into the genetics and gene expression of H dorsalis.

Retraction Note: Patterns of niche filling and expansion across the invaded ranges of Halyomorpha halys in North America and Europe

Retraction Note: Patterns of niche filling and expansion across the invaded ranges of Halyomorpha halys in North America and Europe

Species diversity of pests of the suborder of shield bugs (Heteroptera) in agrocenoses of the Lazarevsky district of Sochi, Krasnodar Territory, Russia

Aim. The aim of the work was to study the species diversity of pests of the suborder of shield bugs (Heteroptera) in agrocenoses of the Lazarevsky district of Sochi.This paper presents data on the distribution, abundance and density of Heptoptera pest populations in this location. Heteroptera were gathered twice a month during the growing season (April to October) and weekly in the autumn‐winter period (November to March). The choice of registration date during the growing season was determined by the appearance of the first phytophagous individuals after wintering. Identification of the identified phytophages was carried out in the laboratories of the station according to generally accepted methods.The paper presents data on the distribution, abundance and density of pest populations of the suborder of shield bugs (Heteroptera) in the Lazarevsky district of Sochi, Krasnodar Territory. As a result of this research, the species composition of the most common species of bedbugs in this area has been revealed. The most harmful species noted were: berry shield Dolycoris baccarum Linnaeus, 1758; ornate shield Eurydema ornata Linnaeus, 1758; Green shield Nezara viridula Linnaeus, 1758; ruled shield Graphosoma lineatum Linnaeus, 1758; brown‐marbled bug Halyomorpha halys Stål, 1855; oak lace‐maker Corythucha arcuata Say, 1832; sycamore lace‐maker Corythucha ciliata Say; pear lace‐maker Stephanitis pyri Fabricius and linden bug Oxycarenus lavaterae Fabricius, 1787.As a result of the research undertaken, an increase in the total number of bedbug populations, an expansion of trophic connections, an increase in aggressiveness and a change in the status of individual pest species were revealed.

Unrevealing the Halyomorpha halys Damage Fingerprint on Hazelnut Metabolome by Multiomic Platforms and AI-Aided Strategies.

The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) poses a significant threat to hazelnut crops by affecting kernel development and causing quality defects, reducing the market value. While previous studies have identified bitter-tasting compounds in affected kernels, the impact of stink bug feeding on the hazelnut metabolome, particularly concerning aroma precursors, remains underexplored. This study aims to map the nonvolatile metabolome and volatilome of hazelnut samples obtained by caging H. halys on different cultivars in two locations to identify markers for diagnosing stink bug damage. Using a multiomic approach involving headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOF MS), and liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS), both raw and roasted hazelnuts are analyzed, with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools employed to explore data correlations. The study finds that the hazelnut metabolome and volatilome exhibit high chemical complexity with significant classes of compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and terpenes identified in both raw and roasted hazelnuts. Multivariate analysis indicates that the orchard location significantly impacts the metabolome, followed by damage type, with cultivar differences being less pronounced. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) models achieve high predictive accuracy for orchard location (99%) and damage type (≈80%), with the roasted volatilome showing the highest predictive accuracy. Correlation matrices reveal significant relationships between raw hazelnut metabolites and aroma compounds in roasted samples, suggesting potential markers for stink bug damage that could guide the quality assessment and mitigation strategies. Data fusion techniques further enhance classification performance, particularly in predicting damage type, underscoring the potential of integrating multiple data sets for comprehensive quality assessment.

Quantitative and qualitative damage caused by Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on soybean crop at different growth stages

The brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys, an invasive species native to East Asia, is now present and abundant on soybean throughout Europe where it has become a major pest damaging the crop. Because a better understanding of the impact of H. halys is crucial to implement effective and sustainable pest management, the present study aimed to assess the stages at which soybean is most susceptible to H. halys attacks, and the qualitative and quantitative alterations caused by its feeding on soybean seeds. Therefore, soybean plants were exposed to stink bug adults for 2 weeks at different development stages and were examined at harvest for damage. Stay-green syndrome occurred most severely as a result of H. halys attacks at soybean development stages R4-R5. In the same period, the bug feeding activity significantly reduced the number of seeds per pod, thus indicating a higher damage rate at the R4-R5 stage when soybean surveillance should be intensified in order to properly target pest management strategies. The lower number of seeds per pod corresponded to an increase in the seed weight due to plant compensation mechanisms, leading to grain yields that did not differ in relation to the time of attack or the rate of damaged seeds. However, while not causing overall a loss of weight production, H. halys attacks were shown to cause qualitative damage to soybean seeds, especially by altering protein content and mobilizing several primary metabolites from storage macromolecules, which will have to be considered depending on the intended use of the production.

Evaluation of chemical compounds as repellents of the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys [Stål

Evaluation of chemical compounds as repellents of the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys [Stål

Impact of Aggregation Pheromone Traps on Spatial Distribution of Halyomorpha halys Damage in Apple Orchards.

Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is an invasive pest causing significant damage to tree crops. Our study examined the impact of newly designed aggregation pheromone-baited 'mini-sailboat' (MSB) traps for controlling H. halys and its effect on the spatial distribution of fruit damage. Four replicates of four traps, with a total of 16 MSB traps, were placed along a 1.3 km border of apple orchards, concentrating the traps on one side of the orchards. A fruit damage assessment for incidence and severity was conducted at increasing distances from the orchard border where the traps were placed, encompassing 107 assessment points. Our study showed that deploying MSB traps along the orchard border significantly increased fruit damage within the first 45 m compared to control plots without traps. However, beyond the first 45 m from the border, there was a significant reduction in damage incidence. In the treated plots, 50% of the damage occurred within 26 m of the traps, while in control plots, within 85 m. Shifting the fruit damage pattern means restricting the pests lingering in a narrow strip near the MSB traps, which paves the way for improved techniques to restructure the crop perimeter.

Edge effects of invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, infestation and damage in almond orchards

Edge effects of invasive brown marmorated stink bug, <i>Halyomorpha halys</i>, infestation and damage in almond orchards

Parasitic behaviour and developmental morphology of Anastatus japonicus reared on the factitious host Antheraea pernyi.

The egg parasitoid Anastatus japonicus is a key natural enemy in the biological control of various agricultural and forestry pests. It is particularly used against the brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys and the emerging defoliator pest Caligula japonica in East Asia. It has been proved that the eggs of Antheraea pernyi can be used as a factitious host for the mass production of A. japonicus. This study systematically documented the parasitic behaviour and developmental morphology exhibited by A. japonicus on the eggs of A. pernyi. The parasitic behaviour of A. japonicus encompassed ten steps including searching, antennation, locating, digging, probing, detecting, oviposition, host-feeding, grooming, and resting. Oviposition, in particular, was observed to occur in three stages, with the parasitoids releasing eggs during the second stage when the body remained relatively static. Among all the steps of parasitic behaviour, probing accounted for the longest time, constituting 33.1% of the whole time. It was followed by digging (19.3%), oviposition (18.5%), antennation (9.6%), detecting (7.4%), and the remaining steps, each occupying less than 5.0% of the total event time. The pre-emergence of adult A. japonicus involves four stages: egg (0 to 2nd day), larva (3rd to 9th day), pre-pupa (10th to 13th day), pupa (14th to 22nd day), and subsequent development into an adult. Typically, it takes 25.60 ± 0.30 days to develop from an egg to an adult at 25℃. This information increases the understanding of the biology of A. japonicus and may provide a reference for optimising reproductive devices.

Effect of the Localized Insecticides Spray Technique to Control Halyomorpha halys in Actinidia chinensis Orchards.

Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) cultivation is expanding worldwide, with China, New Zealand, and Italy being the major producing countries. Halyomorpha halys, the brown marmorated stink bug, is raising serious concerns to kiwifruit cultivation both in China and Italy. This study aimed at improving the chemical control efficacy against this pest by comparing two insecticide spray techniques (a conventional ray atomizer and a trumpet-modified atomizer adapted for localized spray application) in kiwifruit. In fact, kiwifruit is often grown with a 'pergola' training system, which may reduce the effectiveness of insecticide penetration into the canopy. Experiments were performed in naturally infested orchards of both Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis 'Jintao' and A. chinensis var. deliciosa 'Hayward'. Furthermore, mesh cages containing H. halys adults were deployed within orchards to assess the insects' mortality at 1, 3, 7, and 10 days after an insecticide application with two spray techniques during two consecutive seasons. In the cultivar 'Jintao', the two systems performed similarly, while in the cultivar 'Hayward', an overall significantly higher insect mortality was recorded with the trumpet atomizer (94-100%) compared to the conventional atomizer (59-78%). Crop damage was also evaluated on both cultivars, simulating the grower insecticide applications with the two spray techniques. At harvest, no difference emerged between the spray techniques, which provided a significantly better protection compared to the untreated control (12-17% compared to 33-47% of injured fruits). Further investigations in this direction are needed also considering the restriction of insecticidal active substances ongoing in the European Union and the need to maximize the efficacy of the available tools.

Field evaluation of symbiont-targeted control of Halyomorpha halys in hazelnut crop

Halyomorpha halys has emerged as one of the most damaging pests for hazelnut production. Due to the continuous reduction of available options for chemical control, alternative strategies are required. A promising and sustainable alternative is the use of symbiont-targeted control. Treatment of the egg surface with a biocomplex containing copper, zinc, and citric acid has been shown to effectively prevent the acquisition of the endosymbiont ‘Candidatus Pantoea carbekii’ by H. halys nymphs, resulting in high nymph mortality under laboratory conditions. The aim of this work was to assess the field efficacy of treatments targeting the H. halys symbiont in hazelnut orchards to optimize spray applications. Treatments with the anti-symbiont biocomplex were performed in an orchard infested with H. halys during 2022 and 2023. To assess product efficacy, H. halys egg masses were glued on cardboard tags and hung on different positions of plants canopy before the treatments. The wetting percentage of egg masses according to the position of the egg on the plant canopy was measured; eggs were then reared to evaluate nymphal mortality after hatching. Symbiont acquisition was measured by quantitative PCR. A preliminary test to set the spraying conditions revealed that a higher fan speed induced higher mortality of the newborns from treated egg masses, although it did not affect the wetting rate of cardboards. In addition, cardboard tags hung in the central part of the canopy and those closer to the sprayer showed the highest egg coverage, whereas those in the peripheral row were less covered. However, nymphal mortality was not correlated with the percentage of cardboard tags coverage, although it was correlated with symbiont acquisition. A significant reduction in the percentage of damaged hazelnuts was observed in the treated plot compared to an untreated control, confirming the efficacy of symbiont-targeted control in hazelnut orchards.

What's on the menu? A novel molecular gut content analysis to investigate the feeding behavior of phytophagous insects.

The relationship between phytophagous insects and plants is a central aspect of food webs and ecosystem functioning. The introduction of new species into an environment can have significant impacts on the food web of a native ecosystem. In many cases, there is a lack of knowledge on the biology and feeding behavior of invasive species prior their introduction and in the invaded regions. Gut content analyses of insects have provided valuable information on the host spectrum of insects. However, current approaches are time-consuming and costly. Here, we describe a new molecular gut content analysis (GCA) approach using the Oxford Nanopore (ONT) Flongle sequencing platform to characterize the plant DNA present in the gut of the highly polyphagous insect species Halyomorpha halys. We demonstrate that this technique efficiently amplifies and correctly identifies plant DNA in a mock community. We performed a feeding experiment to determine the sensitivity of this approach and to assess how long the plant DNA can be detected. All plants used in the feeding experiment were correctly identified and detected after 56 days. Surprisingly, we also detected various plant genera that were not included in the feeding experiment and thus were likely ingested months before the experiment. Our study suggests that the GCA using the ONT Flongle sequencing platform represents a rapid and cost-efficient diagnosis of the dietary preferences, host range, and the diversity of consumed plant species of pest insects with high precision.

The hawk eye scan: Halyomorpha halys detection relying on aerial tele photos and neural networks

This paper faces the challenge of monitoring the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (H.halys) (Halyomorpha halys) within orchards, utilizing drones, and computer vision. H.halys is an invasive species originating from East Asia, that is extremely polyphagous and poses a significant threat to various crops. Our first contribution is a drone navigation protocol, which ensures risk-free drone flights in cluttered orchard environments, preserving image quality and avoiding obstacles. We then create a pioneering H.halys dataset consisting of aerial telephotos captured in the field autonomously by the drone. The dataset allows the development and evaluation for the first time of multiple ML models for H.halys detection in the field. We trained YOLOv5, YOLOv8, RetinaNet, and Faster-RCNN models using different learning methodologies, exploiting different percentages of images without the bug, and using different slicing procedures for the images. The Medium YOLOv5 model trained with all images containing a bug detects the largest number of H.halys on the testing set and overall performs the best, while RetinaNet and Faster-RCNN provide the best trade-off between precision and recall. Models vary in their ability to handle occluded H.halys and bug-free images, which are common since the presence of the bug cannot be predicted before capturing a photo. These results show promising potential for automating H.halys monitoring, despite the image complexity and the early dataset stage. Our work marks a significant step towards enhancing smart agriculture practices due to the simplicity of the data acquisition process and the off-the-shelf hardware selection.