Impact of brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Hemiptera Pentatomidae), on wheat, Triticum spp., yield and wheat seed germination

In 2007 and 2008, 4 treatment levels of adult brown stink bugs were placed in mesh cages over twenty wheat heads and allowed to feed. Treatment levels consisted of 0, 2, 4, and 6 adult brown stink bugs per cage and were replicated six times. Insects were introduced at two different wheat growth stages; milk stage and early dough stage. Adult brown stink bugs remained caged until wheat was ready for harvest (approx. 28 days for the milk stage and approx. 19 days for the early dough stage). Data collected from harvested wheat heads consisted of the total number of seed, total seed weight (g), total seed volume (ml), and seed weight per 200 seeds (g). Seeds were then placed into a deep freezer until wheat seed germination tests could be performed. Wheat seed germination test consisted of 100 seeds from each treatment for each growth stage and were replicated 4 times. Yield and germination data were subjected to ANOVA and means were separated by LSD (p=0.05). No yield differences were seen among any of the treatments for either the milk or dough stage wheat in 2007. However, in the wheat seed germination test significant differences were observed. Seed germination decreased among bug levels for both milk and dough stages. Data also showed that adult brown stink bugs had a greater impact on milk stage than the dough stage. Data from 2008 are currently being analyzed.