Search

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys, (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) a highly polyphagous invasive pest from Asia, has become a major agricultural pest in the United States. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine nymph and adult BMSB preference for bell peppers of different colours (red, yellow, green, and orange). Peppers were presented to BMSB using a Dual Choice Arena Test (DCAT) with and without a standard (cowpea pod). The experiments were video recorded using the Noldus ObserverXT video system. A 4-arm olfactometer was used to determine plant volatile involvement in observed preferences. The Pierce Bicinchoninic Acid Protein assay was used to measure total protein concentration of the peppers. Results on preference measured by a Preference Index (PI, range 0–2), showed that nymphs and adults preferred peppers (PI ≥ 1.1) over cowpea pod. In a pairwise DCAT with all possible combinations, orange-coloured pepper was preferred over all the other peppers. Olfactometer test indicated that H. halys were more attracted to red and yellow peppers. Orange peppers showed the highest protein concentration whilst green peppers showed the least protein concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory colonies are necessary to conduct year-round research on the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), a severe agricultural and nuisance pest in the USA. When adults are collected in the fall to either start or supplement colonies, they require a period of cold storage before they resume sexual development and egg production. There is a lack of understanding of how to collect and store diapause-triggered adults in the laboratory. A series of experiments in 2013-2015 assessed survival and fecundity of stink bugs collected from different locations and stored under different temperatures and durations. We found that a minimum of 7 weeks is necessary to break diapause and that a substantial proportion of adults can survive when stored at constant 9 °C, even for periods longer than needed to terminate diapause. Adults survived significantly better at 6 and 9 °C than at 3 °C in storage for 7 weeks. Longer durations up to 34 weeks in storage reduced adult survival and significantly affected survival rates, timing of first egg laying, and overall fecundity. Location where adults were collected at overwintering sites in the fall had a significant impact on survival in cold storage and colony performance. Adults collected from soybean fields in mid-September and fed in the laboratory for 2 weeks before storage had lower survival than adults collected in October at aggregation sites and stored immediately. The food sources available to H. halys adults at collection locations for nutrition and sequestration of sufficient energy reserves going into diapause are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its introduction from Asia, the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), has become a pest of many agricultural crops in the USA. Insect predators utilize H. halys as prey; however, the chemical cues used by them in prey location are largely unknown. Here, we hypothesized that tridecane, an H. halys-associated volatile, acts as a kairomone for the predaceous minute pirate bug, Orius insidiosus (Say). We conducted laboratory, greenhouse, and field experiments to: (1) assess the attraction of adult O. insidiosus to H. halys-damaged bean pods and tridecane in cage studies, and its effect on egg predation; (2) video record the behavioral response of O. insidiosus males and females to tridecane in a four-arm olfactometer; and (3) test whether Orius spp. are attracted to tridecane-baited sticky traps in peach, blueberry, and sunflower fields, and its effect on egg predation. In the greenhouse, O. insidiosus was attracted to H. halys-damaged pods and artificial plants baited with tridecane in the presence of prey (sentinel eggs); however, this attraction rarely led to increased egg predation. Although both O. insidiosus males and females spent more time in the arm of the olfactometer with tridecane, males were more responsive at a lower concentration than females. Similarly, Orius spp. were more attracted to tridecane-baited than unbaited traps in the field; however, there was no effect on egg predation. Altogether, while O. insidiosus is attracted to tridecane, this attraction did not always lead to higher predation, suggesting that this kairomone likely acts as an arrestant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) is a highly destructive invasive pest of annual and perennial crops in the eastern United States and is an increasing threat to agriculture in the Pacific Northwest. Flight mills were used to examine flight capacity of H. halys in order to better understand its invasive characteristics. Specifically, we examined generational, sexual, and phenotypical effects on flight distance, frequency, velocity, and diel flight patterns of field-collected H. halys from two seasons. There was a clear dichotomy in total flight distance for insects that flew 5 km or less and those that flew more than 5 km in 24 h. The tendency for long distance flight of H. halys changed over the course of a given season, peaking at the end of the growing season. Summer generation H. halys flew farther and faster than overwintered adults, but not as frequently. Males and females had similar numbers of flights, but females went farther. Pre-flight weight of insects was correlated flight activity of adults in terms of speed, frequency, and distance. Overwintered H. halys lost a greater proportion of their pre-flight body weight during the assay than did the summer generation adults. Despite many limitations extrapolating flight mill data to the field, this study nonetheless provided evidence that H. halys has the capacity for long distance flight, particularly in the summer generation. The nutritional status and fat reserves of overwintered versus summer generation adults are discussed as potential explanations for the flight patterns found in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]