Temporal trends in stink bug populations with implications for cotton planting date

Phytophagous stink bug are economically important pests of annual and perennial crops in the southeastern United States. These pests utilize a wide variety of nonagronomic and agronomic hosts over the growing season before overwintering as adults. Data show that reproduction of bivoltine species such as the brown stink bug and green stink bug are governed by day length and are therefore predictable. In contrast, reproduction of the southern green stink bug, a multivoltine species, is continuous throughout the growing year. Replicated cotton plots were established with four staggered planting dates ranging from early May to late June. In 2011, when there were few southern green stink bugs present, a marked decrease in stink bug induced boll damage was observed in early planted cotton. Southern green stink bug populations were much healthier in 2012 and contrasts in internal boll damage were documented.