The consperse stink bug, Euschistus conspersus Uhler, has emerged as an important pest of pome fruit production in north central Washington in the past decade. In an attempt to develop management tools for this pest, my research has focused upon quantifying the behavioral response of this insect to its aggregation pheromone, methyl (2E,4Z)-decadienoate, both in the field and laboratory. Using field experiments, the daily chronology of aggregation formation and mating activity was determined. This includes the initial sequence of recruitment to the aggregation, peak mating times, and the sex ratios of insects found in aggregations. Finally, I will describe laboratory experiments examining patterns of mate choice in E. conspersus. I will use these data to elucidate some of the possible adaptive functions of aggregation formation in this species, as well as speculating upon some practical management implications of these findings.
Species 1: Heteroptera Pentatomidae Euschistus conspersus (consperse stink bug)
Keywords: aggregation pheromone, mating behavior
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