Confirmatory evaluation of eFUME for control of brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Abstract

The governments of Australia and New Zealand require a phytosanitary treatment to control adult brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), as overwintering aggregations have been intercepted in the importation pathway of various nonhorticultural consignments, including vehicles. The commercialized fumigant, eFUME, a 16.7% by mass dilution of ethyl formate in carbon dioxide, resulted in complete control of ca. 1,000 field-collected, naturally diapausing adult H. halys in each of 3 independent trials at 10 ± 0.5 °C (x¯ ± 2s) when ethyl formate levels in enclosure headspace were maintained steady-state at ca. 14.5 mg/liter for 4 h to yield Ct exposures ranging from 57.9 to 63.1 mg/liter h. Consistent with previous findings where greenhouse reared H. halys were controlled using laboratory formulations of this ethyl formate—carbon dioxide mixture, these confirmatory methods and results further inform technical and operational features of commercial practice.