Environmental effects on feeding patterns of brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), as determined by an electronic monitoring system

Brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is an emerging pest in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and Columbia Gorge, where high-value specialty crops including tree fruits, small fruits, and hazelnuts are produced. The cryptic nature of this and other pentatomid pests make sampling difficult in crops, and often damage is the primary indicator of infestation. Previous work with the pentatomid pest Nezara viridula indicates that feeding behavior is distinctly diel periodic. Determining feeding patterns and for H. halys will be critical for developing sampling protocols. These data may also lead to more efficacious management through improved timing of control measures that coincide with peak feeding activity and result in greater insecticide exposure. Our study investigated how feeding patterns are affected by temperature and photoperiod across the season. An electronic feeding monitor system was designed to record waveforms produced by up to 15 H. halys feeding simultaneously. Field-collected H. halys were monitored with this system over 48 hour periods in two environmental chambers. One chamber was programmed to mimic a double sine function representing temperatures over a warm day, and the other chamber a cool day for each month of the study based on 30-year mean temperatures. Climate controls were reprogrammed each month to mimic ambient photoperiods and temperatures. Halyomorpha halys were collected 2-3 times per week from host plants or the Willamette Valley using beat sheets. These insects were weighed and sex was determined before they were placed into the feeding system in either the morning or the evening hours. Feeding frequency, duration, and other patterns of feeding in these insects will be discussed along with future and alternative applications of this technology.