Predatory ability of generalist predators on eggs, young nymphs and adults of the invasive Halyomorpha halys in southern Europe

Abstract

Halyomorpha halys (Sta ˚l, 1855) is an invasive pest causing serious damage to agricultural crops in Europe and the USA. Very little is known about H. halys predators in Europe. This survey evaluated the potential of generalist predators/omnivorous species by means of predation bioassays in tridimensional arenas, where the predator had to locate H. halys prey items on the leaves of a bean plant. Eleven species of different taxa were tested and the prey items consisted in fresh eggmasses, 1st and 2nd instar nymphs. One species was also tested against adults. Some predators were species commercially available as biocontrol agents against plant pests, other predators were wild, captured in habitats shared with H. halys. All tested specimens were starved 24 h

Repellent activity of essential oils on adults of Halyomorpha halys (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in different physiological‐behavioural phases

“…Due to the high reproductive potential and overlapping of different instars and generations during summer (Costi et al., 2017), high mobility of all instars (Lee & Leskey, 2015; Lee et al., 2014; Wiman et al., 2015) and high polyphagy, management of H. halys is particularly challenging. Research is currently focusing on surveying natural antagonists in the invaded areas (Abram et al., 2017; Bulgarini et al., 2020; Costi et al., 2019; Shanovich et al., 2020) and on the potential of biocontrol strategies using native and exotic agents (Conti et al., 2020; Stahl et al., 2019). Approaches have been developed with the aim to reduce the use of insecticides, such as the behaviour‐based strategies Integrated Pest Management Crop Perimeter Restructuring (IPM‐CPR) (Blaauw et al., 2015), trap crop (Mathews et al., 2017) and ‘attract and kill’ (Morrison et al., 2019), or prevention by means of exclusion netting (Candian et al., 2020).…”

Preempting the Arrival of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys: Biological Control Options for Australia

“…In North America, eggs can be consumed by earwigs, katydids, crickets, grasshoppers, hemipterans (pentatomids and anthocorids), lacewings, and coccinellids [ 3 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 ], while nymphs and adults were preyed upon by wasps, wheel bugs, assassin bugs, and praying mantids [ 49 , 56 , 57 ], as well as members of several spider families [ 58 ]. Laboratory tests in Europe also showed predation by coccinellids, grasshoppers, earwigs, and hemipterans [ 59 ], and indicated that the generalist ant species Crematogaster scutellaris (Olivier) could potentially help control nymphal stages in Italy [ 60 ]. However, the impact of generalist predators on the overall H. halys populations in the field is unknown.…”

Searching for new predators of the invasive Halyomorpha halys: the role of the black garden ant Lasius niger

“…This is probably due to several factors, including the size and strength of the mouthparts of these ants, which may be too weak or too small to damage the eggs. In fact, among the potential predators tested, the ones able to consistently damage H. halys eggs are mainly tettigoniids and carabids, insects equipped with very strong and large mouthparts (Morrison et al., 2016; Bulgarini et al., 2021). Other possible explanations of the limited vulnerability of the eggs are as follows: (1) H. halys may deposit chemicals on the eggs to interfere with the ant predatory ability (Schatz & Hossaert‐McKey, 2010; Cerdá & Dejean, 2011); (2) the lack of chemical cues (chemical insignificance) eliciting ant interest towards eggs as food items; (3) the natural position of the egg mass (maintained during the experiments), which is typically on the underside of the leaf, might deter detection; and/or (4) efficient manipulation and ingestion by the predators.…”

“…In a laboratory study with solitary predators collected in northern Italy, eggs of H. halys were preyed on by Adalia bipunctata (L.) (Coccinellidae), Eupholidoptera chabrieri (Charpentier) (Tettigoniidae), and Nagusta goedelii (Kolenati) (Reduviidae); first instars were preyed on by E. chabrieri , Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) larvae (Chrysopidae), Himacerus mirmicoides (OG Costa) (Nabidae), N. goedelii , and Rhynocoris iracundus (Poda) (Reduviidae), and second instars were preyed on by E. chabrieri and R. iracundus . The latter species also preyed on H. halys adults (Bulgarini et al., 2021). From this study, the tettigoniid E. chabrieri and the reduviid R. iracundus appeared to be the most effective predators, each preying on at least three instars of H. halys (Bulgarini et al., 2021).…”

“…The latter species also preyed on H. halys adults (Bulgarini et al., 2021). From this study, the tettigoniid E. chabrieri and the reduviid R. iracundus appeared to be the most effective predators, each preying on at least three instars of H. halys (Bulgarini et al., 2021).…”