In fall 2000, an on-farm sustainable agricultural research project was established for cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., in Tift County, Georgia. The objective of our 2-yr research project was to determine the impact of several cover crops on pest and predator insects in cotton. The five cover crop treatments included 1) cereal rye, Secale cereale L., a standard grass cover crop; 2) crimson clover, Trifolium incarnatum L., a standard legume cover crop; 3) a legume mixture of balansa clover, Trifolium michelianum Savi; crimson clover; and hairy vetch, Vicia villosa Roth; 4) a legume mixture + rye combination; and 5) no cover crop in conventionally tilled fields. Three main groups or species of pests were collected in cover crops and cotton: 1) the heliothines Heliothis virescens (F.) and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie); 2) the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois); and 3) stink bugs. The main stink bugs collected were the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.); the brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say); and the green stink bug, Acrosternum hilare (Say). Cotton aphids, Aphis gossypii Glover, were collected only on cotton. For both years of the study, the heliothines were the only pests that exceeded their economic threshold in cotton, and the number of times this threshold was exceeded in cotton was higher in control cotton than in crimson clover and rye cotton. Heliothine predators and aphidophagous lady beetles occurred in cover crops and cotton during both years of the experiment. Geocoris punctipes (Say), Orius insidiosus (Say), and red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren were relatively the most abundant heliothine predators observed. Lady beetles included the convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville; the sevenspotted lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata L.; spotted lady beetle, Coleomegilla maculata (DeGeer); and the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas). Density of G. punctipes was higher in cotton fields previously planted in crimson clover compared with control cotton fields for all combined sampling dates in 2001. Intercropping cotton in live strips of cover crop was probably responsible for the relay of G. punctipes onto cotton in these crimson clover fields. Density of O. insidiosus was not significantly different between cover crop and control cotton fields. Lady beetles seemed to relay from cover crops into cotton. Conservation of the habitat of fire ants during planting probably was responsible for the higher density of red imported fire ants observed in all conservation tillage cotton fields relative to control cotton fields. Reduction in the number of times in which economic thresholds for heliothines were exceeded in crimson clover and rye compared with control fields indicated that the buildup of predaceous fire ants and G. punctipes in these cover crops subsequently resulted in reduction in the level of heliothines in conservation tillage cotton with these cover crops compared with conventional tillage cotton without cov...

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Halyomorpha halys is an invasive, widespread stink bug for which only short-term solutions are currently available for pest control worldwide. The need for long-term management solutions for H. halys has driven studies on augmentative and classical biological control of this species, especially by its egg parasitoids. Numerous investigations in Asia, USA, and Europe on native and exotic egg parasitoids of H. halys, and the effects on non-target pentatomids, have improved the global knowledge of parasitoid-host relationships, uncovered new associations, and led to the discovery of new species. This trend continues with Acroclisoides sinicus, a pteromalid that was described in the 1980's from Asia. In this work we report recent findings of this species in North America and Europe. Moreover, we propose that Acroclisoides solus syn. nov., a species described originally from the USA, is conspecific with A. sinicus based on morphological and molecular analysis.

The objective of this on-farm study was to determine if peanuts harbor populations of stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) and their natural enemies in Georgia. Eight species of phytophagous stink bugs were found in peanuts over the 5-yr study. The predominant stink bug species were Nezara viridula (L.), Euschistus servus (Say), Euschistus quadrator (Rolston), and Oebalus pugnax pugnax (F.). The remaining 4 species, Acrosternum hilare (Say), Euschistus tristigmus (Say), Euschistus ictericus (L.), and Thyanta custator accerra McAtee, were found in relatively low numbers. All developmental stages of N. viridula, E. servus, E. quadrator, A. hilare, and O. p. pugnax were collected at various times in the study indicating that these 5 species of stink bugs were developing on this crop. Seasonal abundance of N. viridula and E. servus nymphs and adults provided further support that these 2 species of stink bugs developed on peanuts. At least 1 generation of N. viridula and E. servus occurred in peanuts each year, and generally some of the adults that developed on peanuts oviposited on peanuts producing another generation of nymphs in this crop. Because only adults of T. c. accerra, E. tristigmus, and E. ictericus were found in peanuts, these 3 stink bug species probably were not developing on this crop. Adult stink bugs were parasitized by the tachinid parasitoids Trichopoda pennipes (F.) and Cylindromyia spp. Stink bug eggs were parasitized by the scelionids, Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston), Trissolcus thyantae Ashmead, Trissolcus brochymenae (Ashmead), Telenomus podisi Ashmead, and Gryon obesum Masner, and an unknown encyrtid species. Geocoris punctipes (Say), Geocoris uliginosus (Say), Orius insidiosus (Say), Podisus maculiventris (Say), and Oxyopes salticus Hentz preyed on stink bugs in peanuts. Peanuts harbor populations of stink bugs and their natural enemies, and thus the role peanuts play in landscape ecology of stink bugs needs to be ascertained to better understand how to manage stink bug populations in landscapes in which peanuts are associated with other crops.

In fall 2000, an on-farm sustainable agricultural research project was established for cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., in Tift County, Georgia. The objective of our 2-yr research project was to determine the impact of several cover crops on pest and predator insects in cotton. The five cover crop treatments included 1) cereal rye, Secale cereale L., a standard grass cover crop; 2) crimson clover, Trifolium incarnatum L., a standard legume cover crop; 3) a legume mixture of balansa clover, Trifolium michelianum Savi; crimson clover; and hairy vetch, Vicia villosa Roth; 4) a legume mixture + rye combination; and 5) no cover crop in conventionally tilled fields. Three main groups or species of pests were collected in cover crops and cotton: 1) the heliothines Heliothis virescens (F.) and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie); 2) the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois); and 3) stink bugs. The main stink bugs collected were the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.); the brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say); and the green stink bug, Acrosternum hilare (Say). Cotton aphids, Aphis gossypii Glover, were collected only on cotton. For both years of the study, the heliothines were the only pests that exceeded their economic threshold in cotton, and the number of times this threshold was exceeded in cotton was higher in control cotton than in crimson clover and rye cotton. Heliothine predators and aphidophagous lady beetles occurred in cover crops and cotton during both years of the experiment. Geocoris punctipes (Say), Orius insidiosus (Say), and red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren were relatively the most abundant heliothine predators observed. Lady beetles included the convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville; the sevenspotted lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata L.; spotted lady beetle, Coleomegilla maculata (DeGeer); and the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas). Density of G. punctipes was higher in cotton fields previously planted in crimson clover compared with control cotton fields for all combined sampling dates in 2001. Intercropping cotton in live strips of cover crop was probably responsible for the relay of G. punctipes onto cotton in these crimson clover fields. Density of O. insidiosus was not significantly different between cover crop and control cotton fields. Lady beetles seemed to relay from cover crops into cotton. Conservation of the habitat of fire ants during planting probably was responsible for the higher density of red imported fire ants observed in all conservation tillage cotton fields relative to control cotton fields. Reduction in the number of times in which economic thresholds for heliothines were exceeded in crimson clover and rye compared with control fields indicated that the buildup of predaceous fire ants and G. punctipes in these cover crops subsequently resulted in reduction in the level of heliothines in conservation tillage cotton with these cover crops compared with conventional tillage cotton without cov...

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A parasitoid wasp, Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston), was recorded parasitizing eggs of the invasive stink bug Halyomorpha halys (Stål) in the United States. This is the first record of this species parasitizing fresh and frozen eggs of H. halys in the United States. First record of Trissolcus basalis parasitizing Halyomorpha halys eggs in the United States.

Adult parasitoids of pest insects rely on floral resources for survival and reproduction, but can be food-deprived in intensively managed agricultural systems lacking these resources. Stink bugs are serious pests for crops in southwest Georgia. Provisioning nectar-producing plants for parasitoids of stink bugs potentially can enhance biocontrol of these pests. Knowledge of spatial and temporal availability and distribution of stink bugs in host plants is necessary for appropriate timing and placement of flowering plants in agroecosystems. Stink bugs move between closely associated host plants throughout the growing season in response to deteriorating suitability of their host plants. In peanut-cotton farmscapes, stink bugs develop in peanut, and subsequently the adults disperse into adjacent cotton. Parasitism of Nezara viridula (L.) adults by Trichopoda pennipes (F.) at the peanut-cotton interface was significantly higher in cotton with a strip of milkweed or buckwheat between the two crops than in cotton alone. Milkweed and buckwheat also provided nectar to a wide range of insect pollinators. Monarch butterflies fed on milkweed. When placed between peanut and cotton, a strip of soybean was an effective trap crop for cotton, reducing economic damage. Incorporation of buckwheat near soybean enhanced parasitism of Euschistus servus (Say) eggs by Telenomus podisi Ashmead in cotton. In conclusion, nectar provision enhances biocontrol of stink bugs, acts together with other management tactics for stink bug control, and aids in conservation of natural enemies, insect pollinators, and the monarch butterfly.