ESA Annual Meetings Online Program
Feeding habits of the brown marmorated stink bug (Pentatomidae: Halyomorpha halys)
The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), has proven itself to be an unprecedented economic pest in U.S. agriculture as well as a great nuisance in people's homes. This invasive species is highly polyphagous and many crops are at risk for economic injury including apples, corn, grapes, green beans, and soybeans. Integrated pest management (IPM) programs are needed for long term sustainability in managing this species, but gathering foundational knowledge is still underway. Crucial to creating and implementing IPM is the ability to correctly distinguish damage and properly quantify it. To do this, field trials were conducted on sweet corn and apples in Rosemount, MN where a known number of adult H. halys were caged on two varieties of apple at two different growth stages each and one variety of sweet corn at one growth stage. After one week the insects were removed and the fruit and ears allowed to mature. The data gathered from the harvested apples and sweet corn show the preferred feeding locations and the ways which damage manifests over time. As its geographic range steadily increases, damage from H. halys will be observed with more frequency where previously it was unknown. The information presented here will aid growers, IPM scouts, and researchers in finding, diagnosing, and assessing this damage.
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