Brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys

Brown marmorated stink bugs are invasive sucking insects that cause serious economic damage to a wide range of fruit, grain and vegetable crops. Serious infestations of this polyphagous pest have resulted in 25-90% crop losses in apple, peach, sweetcorn, pepper, tomato, maize and soya bean crops within the last decade. Halyomorpha halysis multivoltine, producing up to 5 generations per year. Damage thresholds for the insect are extremely low (7 per m row length / 5 per 15 sweep nets) as its feeding behaviour causes ‘cat-facing’ or seed failure, making crops unmarketable. To protect your crop and decide when treatments are needed, monitor this destructive pest using Black Impact Boards together with our Halyomorpha halys aggregation pheromone lures as part of an integrated pest management programme.

Biology

Adult: Adult males and females although variable in colour (shades of red, grey, light brown, copper, or black), generally possess brownish and mottled dorsal coloration. They are 12-17 mm in length, and 7-10 mm in humeral width. Their name ‘marmorated’ means variegated or veined, referring to features such as the mottled banding of the legs and antenna, and alternating light and dark bands on the outer edge of the abdomen.

Eggs: Eggs are 1.3 x 1.6 mm in size, smooth and pale in colour. They are found on the underside of leaves laid in masses of 20-30.

Nymphs: There are 5 nymphal instars. First instars posses no white markings and are black and reddish-orange in colour.

Brown marmorated stink bug adults emerge from their overwintering sites from the end of May with daylight length and temperature increase. They overwinter in many areas including the inside of houses and outbuildings, consequently making them a nuisance pest for home owners. Females lay their eggs on the underside of leaves. Once hatched the first instars stay close to their egg cases until their first moult then they disperse to feed. Adults enter diapause and overwinter from autumn.

Nature of Damage

The brown marmorated stink bug causes damage to its host crops by feeding. Their stylet mouthparts release a toxic saliva into the plant causing the host crop to deform, discolour and scar. Damage is likely to occur in flower buds and developing fruit.

Begin monitoring before the emergence of the first generation until the end of the season from the end of May to November in North Europe(this will vary with region), using aggregation pheromone traps to give early warning of the infestation and to help with decision-making. The pheromone lure contains an aggregation pheromone, which attracts male, female and nymphal Halyomorpha halys.

Application Guidelines

Russell IPM manufactures and supplies a pheromone lure and traps for theBrown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys. Black Impact Boards together with Halyomorpha halys pheromone lureswill give early warning of the infestation and alert the user to low population levels before they become serious.

Pheromones

The following notes are guidelines of general nature and meant to give the user a head start in implementing pheromone monitoring programme. Local conditions and practices can vary and can lead to customisation of the programme.

Lures

Remove the packaging and place one lure on each trap. Lures should be changed every 10 -12 weeks to get the most accurate results.

Lure Handling

Pheromone lures are a very sensitive tool. They can be affected by exposure to elevated heat and direct sunshine. Wear gloves to handle the lures as direct touching by hand may cause cross contamination leading to mixed catches in the trap. Some contaminants, such as nicotine, may have a repellent effect reducing trap catch.

Lure Storage

The lures can be stored for long periods (several years) in a freezer (at about -20˚C) if the pack is sealed. Alternatively, store in a cool dry place or refrigerate until use. Shelf life can vary from 3-36 months depending on the storage temperature. See technical data sheet for further details. Although the pheromone is not harmful to humans, lures should not be kept in a freezer or fridge where food is stored.

Trap Selection

Black Impact Boards are recommended for monitoring this insect. Using black traps reduces the attraction and catch of non-target insects to the traps.

Trap Density

For monitoring, use one trap every 30 metres around the border of crops and one trap per 1000 m²within target crops. Use one trap per site in urban areas or ports.

Trap Position

Remove lures from the package and attach to the black sticky trap. Place traps and lures about 2 metres above ground. They can be attached to tree branches or onto posts. Traps can be placed within crops and around the margins of crops and at ports where food is imported, or in urban areas.

Data and Interpretation

Monitoring data is used to inform pest management decisions, in combination with environmental and biological information. Record the number of Halyomorpha halys captured weekly or more frequently if possible. Captured Halyomorpha halysmay be removed on each sampling occasion which makes counting new arrivals easier.