Invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys)

Prepared by Dr. Chris Maier, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

Selected Headlines

“Stink Bugs Taking Area Homes by Swarm”

“Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Runs Amok”

“Stink Bug Numbers Explode Along East Coast”

“Move Over Bedbugs: Stink Bugs Have Landed”

“Stink Bug Destroys Half of Pennsylvania’s Peach Crop”

“Invasive Species Brown Marmormated Stink Bug Threatens U.S. Food Crops”

Origin: Eastern Asia

Initial Detection: Pennsylvania in 2001, but probably present since 1996

Distribution in U.S.: 33 states, including most eastern states

Hosts: More than 70 plants in U.S., and 200- 300 worldwide

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Stink Bugs: Pentatomidae

• Five-segmented antennae

• Forewings are hemelytra, with basal half thickened and the apex membranous

• Piercing-sucking mouthparts

• When disturbed, release foul-smelling substance from glands on the thorax

• Of the 55 species in Connecticut, 16 are predators and 39 are herbivores

Life Stages

2 3 4 5 ♂ ♀

Development

Biological Characteristics and Potential Problems

• One generation per year

• Feeding by adults concentrated in late May- early June and in August-September

• Highly mobile adults

• Potentially a serious pest of fruit, legume, nut, and vegetable crops

• Nuisance pest in dwellings as adults seek overwintering sites in September and October

Aggregations in September-October

Distribution in the United States

Distribution in Connecticut Towns

Damage

Crops Damaged

AppleAsian pearGrapeHazelnutNectarinePeachPearPecanPlumRaspberry

CucumberEggplantField cornGreen pepperOkraPole beanSoybeanString beanSunflowerSweet cornTomato

Kinds of Fruit Damage

Aborted young fruit

Catfacing/deformation

External feeding scars

Internal brown coloration below feeding sites

Potential disease transmission

Apple Damage

Peach Injury

Corn Damage

Bean Damage

TomatoInjury

PepperDamage

Soybean Injury

Nut Damage

Monitoring

Methyl 2,4,6-decatrienoate

Control Insecticidal control

• Initial lab tests suggest that certain pyrethroids and neonicotinoids may have the most promise

• Disruptive to natural enemies, undermine IPM programs

• Repeated use fosters outbreaks of secondary pests

• In field, bugs knocked down by pyrethroids sometimes recovered (add endosulfan?)

• Very hazardous to bees

Biological control with parasitic wasps, 3 species from Asia(Trissolcus spp.)Impact native pentatomids?

Cultural controlDiversionary or trap crop withhighly preferred host plantsDesign a system minimal impact onpollinators

Kim A. Hoelmer, USDA, Newark

BSBM at NE IPM Center• BMSB Pest Alert• Trapping Research Report

George Hamilton• Working Group (68 members)

LeadersTracy Leskey – USDA ARSGeorge Hamilton – Rutgers

• Stink bug summitsJune 2010November 2010

Possible Insecticides for Stink Bugs

• Bifenture, Brigade, Fanfare (best in lab tests, registered for pears)

• Danitol (other stink bugs on label; <2 applications/year)• Taiga Z, Warrior II, λ-Cyhalothrin (good in lab tests)• Actara (good in lab tests, registered for stink bugs on peach)

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• Aza-Direct, Azatin, and Neemix (frequent applications)• Avaunt (not registered for stink bugs)• Beleaf (not registered for stink bugs, but good on plant bugs)• Proaxis • Provado (suppression only)• Surround (frequent applications)• Thionex (mainly on stone fruits for catfacing insects)

What Next?