Preparing for invasion: How New Zealand is responding to the potential arrival of the brown marmorated stink bug

The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is an invasive species causing significant economic and social concern in the United States and now expanding in distribution in Europe. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in New Zealand has been aware of the threat of this pest for some time. There have been numerous border interceptions of BMSB in New Zealand, and MPI has been working to understand and manage all possible pathways of entry. Additionally MPI has been planning for how to respond to an incursion or establishment event. One of the challenges of working on this pest has been appropriately communicating the risk to the various stakeholder groups involved. I will talk about how the current scientific research underpins our management, surveillance, and communication decisions.