Fate of brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) egg masses exposed to common generalist predators in the laboratory and in organic vegetable plots

The invasive brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is now widely established in agricultural systems throughout the mid-Atlantic USA.  Researchers have begun evaluating the response of naturally occurring biological control agents feeding on BMSB, and egg parasitism rates for specific parasitoids are being documented for a variety of agricultural systems.  However, there is little evidence of the direct effects of specific predator taxa on BMSB eggs.  This study systematically documents the effects of generalist predators commonly found in agricultural systems in the mid-Atlantic USA on BMSB eggs.  We collected fresh egg masses from a laboratory colony and photographed them before and after 48 h exposure to individual predators that were starved or satiated in a petri dish assay.  We also placed sentinel egg masses in organic vegetable plots, with and without mesh predator exclusion cages, and re-examined egg masses after 48 h of field exposure.  Our preliminary results highlight the importance of generalist predators as mortality-inflicting agents of BMSB in organic vegetable production.