Supercooling capacity of redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood)

Prior to 2000, the redbanded stink bug (RBSB), Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood), had never been an economic threat to U.S. agriculture and had been found only in the states of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.  Since 2006, it has been the dominant stink bug species, comprising 60% of the total species found in Louisiana and Texas.  It had become an important pest in Arkansas and Mississippi and by 2009, this pest reached Tennessee and Missouri.  However, in 2010 and 2011, redbanded stink bug was found only in Louisiana and Texas.  Preliminary analysis concluded that low winter temperatures reduced redbanded stink bug survivorship.  In order to understand these sudden changes in range shift and to determine northern most range limits, thermal tolerance experiments were conducted.  In this study, we evaluated the supercooling point (SCP) of field collected adult RBSB as an index of its cold tolerance.  The monthly mean (±SE) SCP for redbanded stink bug was determined from May to November 2012.  SCP ranged from -19.7 ± 0.4⁰C (highest for July) to -23.1± 0.3⁰C (lowest for November).  There was significant decrease in SCP as the season progressed.