Wild host utilization of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and implications for its establishment in the southern United States

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is a major economic pest of tree fruit, vegetable, and field crops in the mid-Atlantic growing region.  It has been detected in the piedmont of Virginia and North Carolina.  However, early establishment of newly colonized areas depends on the suitability of wild hosts for development and survival before damage occurs in agricultural crops.  In order to determine the potential for this insect to threaten agriculture in the southeast, wild plant surveys were conducted in 2011 and 2012.  The attractiveness and seasonal utilization of these plants at vartious stages of development will be discussed and compared with the sequence of host plant use in the Mid-Atlantic area.