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The European earwig,Forficula auriculariaL. (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), is a well-known species that is cosmopolitan and present throughout Europe. Due to its omnivorous feeding behaviour, this species can act as a generalist predator, preying on several top fruit pests, but also as a pest causing shallow gouges or holes in stone and soft fruits such as apricots, strawberries, raspberries or blackberries. In Piedmont (NW Italy), significant fruit damage has been observed lately in apricot orchards where earwigs fed on ripening fruits and made a considerable part of the produce unmarketable. In this study, we sampled earwig populations in three apricot orchards in Piedmont and tested the effectiveness of glue barriers applied to the tree trunks in reducing both earwig density in the canopy and fruit damage. The arboreal glues Rampastop® and Vebicolla® were tested both in the field and laboratory trials. Glue barriers demonstrated to be effective control measures, significantly reducing earwig abundance in the canopy and fruit damage. Rampastop® gave better results on old trees with a very rough and cracked bark, since in that case Vebicolla® could not perfectly bond with the trunk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The Asian brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is an invasive crop pest introduced into Europe in the 2000s. Due to its high harmfulness, and the increased chemical use for its control in the invaded areas, research has focused on biological control. In North Italy, the native parasitoid Trissolcus kozlovi emerged from field-collected H. halys eggs and proved to successfully parasitize H. halys eggs in the laboratory. Therefore, since little is known on T. kozlovi, this study aimed at assessing its physiological host range on 12 bug species in the laboratory, as well as its potential as a biological control agent of H. halys in the field by releases in two hazelnut orchards. In the laboratory, among the tested bug species, only Nezara viridula was an unsuitable host. On all others, T. kozlovi was able to develop, even if at different levels, suggesting that it is as oligophagous as Trissolcus japonicus, with which it shares many similarities. In the field, T. kozlovi was found to parasitize H. halys eggs, but only immediately after field releases. Therefore, further field surveys are required to assess its favorably environmental conditions and its possible interaction with T. japonicus, currently present in Italy. Trissolcus kozlovi (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) emerged from field-laid eggs of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in North Italy, and it emerged in significantly higher numbers from fresh H. halys eggs compared to other native scelionids. Since few data on T. kozlovi are available, its host-specificity and some biological traits were investigated in laboratory tests, and its impact after augmentative releases was evaluated in two hazelnut orchards. Among the 12 tested bug species (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae, Scutelleridae), only Nezara viridula was an unsuitable host, while the highest offspring proportions were obtained from Arma custos, Pentatoma rufipes, and Peribalus strictus, followed by Acrosternum heegeri and Palomena prasina. Furthermore, when reared on P. strictus, T. kozlovi showed a high longevity as well as a high adaptation to H. halys eggs. In both hazelnut orchards, T. kozlovi emerged from H. halys eggs after field releases, but it was not found in the next two years. The physiological host range of T. kozlovi was quite similar to that of T. japonicus, and probably T. kozlovi has just begun to attack H. halys as a new host. This aspect needs to be further investigated, as well as its favorable environmental conditions, its distribution and also its possible interaction with T. japonicus, currently present in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Recently, in fruit orchards, some well-established Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs are losing their effectiveness and may be compromised by chemicals required to control new invasive pests. In this contest, exclusion nets represent an alternative sustainable control strategy. The use of a photoselective exclusion net was investigated in semi-field conditions as a tool to protect nectarine orchards against different pests in NW Italy. The presence and the abundance of key and new invasive pest populations, as well as the damage they caused on fruits, were evaluated. Moreover, any possible effect of the net on beneficial arthropods, postharvest rots and fruit quality and nutraceutical parameters were considered. The exclusion net significantly reduced pest populations allowing the production of healthier fruits due to a strong reduction of insecticide treatments. Moreover, no negative impact on postharvest rots, neither fruit quality nor nutraceutical properties were recorded. Over the past few years, there has been an increasing interest in the development of alternative pest control strategies to reduce environmental impact. In this contest, exclusion nets have been evaluated as a sustainable alternative to pesticides. In this study, the use of a photoselective exclusion net was investigated in semi-field conditions as a potential strategy to protect nectarine orchards from different pests (i.e., fruit moths, Halyomorpha halys and Drosophila suzukii) in NW Italy. The presence and abundance of pest populations inside and outside the net, as well as the damage they caused on fruits, were evaluated. Moreover, any possible effects of the net on beneficial arthropods, postharvest rots and fruit quality and nutraceutical parameters were considered. The exclusion net significantly reduced pest populations. At harvest, fruit damage caused by Grapholita molesta and H. halys in netted plots was reduced up to 90% and to 78%, respectively, compared with insecticide-treated plots. The exclusion net allowed the production of healthier fruits with a strong reduction of insecticide treatments (up to seven less) and of their related costs without any negative impact on postharvest rots, neither fruit quality nor nutraceutical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pre-harvest damage of wheat by sunn pests decreases flour quality. Mixolab ® is a recent instrument that can be used to accurately describe the technological behaviour of flour dough, since it is able to evaluate both protein and starch components at the same time. Two-year field experiments were carried out to study the effect of Eurygaster maura (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) feeding on the quality traits of common and durum wheat, recorded using different protocols, in comparison to the traditional sodium dodecyl sulphate sedimentation test (SSV). In 2012–13 growing season, a damage rate between 16% and 21% of damaged kernels led to a greater reduction in dough stability for common (−65%) than for durum wheat (−32%), while the protein strength was affected more by insect activity in durum wheat (−56%). In 2013–14 growing season, E. maura feeding (on average 32% of damaged kernels) reduced SSV by 5% and 66%, dough stability by 12% and 30%, and protein strength by 12% and 16%, for common and durum wheat, respectively. The increasing percentages of damaged kernels in both crops led to a clear decrease in dough stability and protein strength; a significant change in the rheological parameters was noticeable at a 2.5% level of damaged kernels. SSV resulted to be significantly correlated to Mixolab ® dough stability, the protein strength, the protein network wakening rate ( α ) and Change in Mixolab Consistency (CMC, “Wheatbug” protocol) for both common and durum wheat. Therefore, Mixolab ® can be considered a suitable tool for a quick detection of damage caused by sunn pests in common and durum wheat flour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]