Impact of the Invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug,Halyomorpha halys(Stål), in Mid-Atlantic Tree Fruit Orchards in the United States: Case Studies of Commercial Management

Abstract

Four commercial orchards in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States were surveyed weekly in 2010 and 2011 for the presence of brown marmorated stink bug and the injury caused to both apple and peaches. Among tested sampling techniques, pyramid traps baited with the aggregation pheromone ofPlautia staliScott, methyl-(2E,4E,6Z)-decatrienoate, yielded the most brown marmorated stink bug adults and nymphs, followed by visual observations. Brown marmorated stink bugs began to feed on apples and peaches soon after fruit set and continued to feed on fruit throughout the growing season. Injury to apple was relatively inconsequential until after mid-June, whereas feeding on peaches resulted in immediate economic injury as the surface became distorted, dented, discolored, and the flesh beneath turned brown. Significantly more apples were injured and with greater severity in 2010 than in 2011. Likewise, percent injury on the exterior portion of each apple plot was significantly greater than injury reported from the interior in both years. Growers increased the number of insecticide applications nearly 4-fold from 2010 to 2011. In addition to the increased number of targeted insecticide applications, growers also reduced the interval between treatments in 2011. A metric was created to compare the relative intensity of each grower's commercial management program between seasons and amongst each other.

Pest Status of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha Halys in the USA

“…Damage to tree fruit in the USA was first detected in Allentown, PA and Pittstown, NJ (Nielsen & Hamilton 2009b). In orchards where BMSB is established, it quickly becomes the predominant stink bug species and, unlike native stink bugs, is a season-long pest (Nielsen & Hamilton 2009b, Leskey et al 2012b-2009, increasing BMSB populations in WV and MD caused lateseason problems to fruit crops (Leskey & Hamilton 2010a). In southern PA and VA, BMSB was not a recognized pest until the 2010 season.…”

Characterization ofHalyomorpha halys(brown marmorated stink bug) biogenic volatile organic compound emissions and their role in secondary organic aerosol formation

“…Thought to have been brought over in shipping crates from China, Korea, or Japan, the brown marmorated stink bug began to infiltrate crops in Allentown, Pennsylvania, as early as 1996 and has since spread to at least 33 states in the contiguous United States (Welty et al, 2008;Leskey et al, 2012a). During a population explosion in 2010, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia documented large H. halys populations and severe crop damage (Leskey et al, 2012b), and established populations have even been observed as far north as Canada (Fogain and Graff, 2011). Established populations of this pest have also been discovered in Switzerland and Canada.…”

“…Kuhlar et al found as many as 20 adult or nymph H. halys on a single ear of sweet corn (Kuhar et al, 2012). With the passing of the Food Quality and Protection Act in 1996, broadspectrum insecticides, which previously were successful in combating native stink bug populations, have been regulated such that they are not effective in controlling H. halys (Leskey et al, 2012b). While researchers are still investigating alternatives, H. halys populations may continue to rise as sharply as they did in 2010.…”

Deltamethrin-Incorporated Nets as an Integrated Pest Management Tool for the Invasive Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

“…Herein, we report on the toxicity of a commercially available deltamethrin-incorporated LLIN, ZeroFly screen (VestergaardFrandsen, Washington, DC), on an important invasive pest in the United States and Europe, the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stå l) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) (Leskey et al 2012b, Rice et al 2014, and explore strategies for the use of the ZeroFly nets in stink bug IPM.…”