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

Abstract

In recent years, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae, Cappaeini) has become an invasive pest in North America and Europe, where it caused extensive damage to agriculture, resulting in great economic losses. Evaluating the potential of native predators in the invaded areas, ants might represent good candidates thanks to their biology, ecology, and behavior. In Italy, H. halys proved to be the top key pest in pear orchards, where the black garden ant, Lasius niger (L.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Lasiini), is the most abundant ant species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predatory ability of L. niger on the eggs and on all the juvenile instars of H. halys under laboratory conditions. The results indicate that L. niger significantly reduces the survival of the second and third nymphal instars by 56 and 58%, respectively, but it is unable to reduce the egg hatching and the survival of the first, fourth, and fifth instars. Our preliminary results obtained in laboratory conditions suggest a possible role of the ant L. niger in controlling H. halys invasion mainly acting on the smaller and more mobile nymphal stages. The effective role of this species as potential biocontrol agents of H. halys in fruit orchards in association with other ant species as well as with other predatory insects is discussed.

Weather impacts on interactions between nesting birds, nest-dwelling ectoparasites and ants

“…in soil, within or under fallen dead wood, in patches of moss, or among fallen tree-leaves 53 , 77 , 78 . All of the ant species found in the Wood Warbler nests are predators of other arthropods 77 , 79 , 80 .…”

Identification of predatory arthropods of the invasive Halyomorpha halys through molecular gut content analysis

“…Additionally, ant species were excluded from this study, as some worker ants may have caught H. halys and brought it to the nest without eating it. This would result in a negative sample, giving erroneous results, although it has been shown that some species of ants can successfully exploit H. halys as prey in laboratory tests (Bulgarini et al, 2021; Castracani et al, 2017).…”

“…For example, in the United States, eggs were eaten by some Orthoptera (Tettigoniidae, Gryllidae, Acrididae), Neuroptera (Chrysopidae), Dermaptera (Forficulidae), Coleoptera (Coccinellidae, Carabidae) and Araneae (Salticidae) (Abram et al, 2014; Morrison et al, 2016; Poley et al, 2018; Pote & Nielsen, 2017); young nymphs (N1‐N2) were consumed by Hemiptera (Nabidae, Reduviidae, Pentatomidae) (Arellano et al, 2019; Pote & Nielsen, 2017); older nymphs (N3‐N5) were consumed by Hemiptera (Pentatomidae) and Hymenoptera (Crabonidae) (Arellano et al, 2019; Biddinger et al, 2017), and adults were consumed by Hemiptera (Pentatomidae) and Aranea (Agelenidae, Pholcidae, Theridiidae) (Arellano et al, 2019; Morrison et al, 2017). The outcome of similar studies carried out in Europe, and precisely in Italy, is that the eggs were consumed by Coleoptera (Coccinellidae), Orthoptera (Tettigoniidae) and Hemiptera (Reduviidae) (Bulgarini et al, 2020), young nymphs were consumed by Orthoptera (Tettigoniidae), Neuroptera (Chrysopidae), Hemiptera (Nabidae, Reduviidae) (Bulgarini et al, 2020) and by the ants Crematogaster scutellaris (Olivier, 1792) (Castracani et al, 2017) and Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) (Bulgarini et al, 2021), older nymphs were consumed by C. scutellaris (Castracani et al, 2017), and adults were consumed by Rhynocoris iracundus (Poda, 1761) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) (Bulgarini et al, 2020).…”

Interactions between egg parasitoids and predatory ants for the biocontrol of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys

“…Furthermore, in 2020, T. japonicus was selected by the Italian Ministry of Environment and the Protection of the Land and Sea as a candidate for classical biocontrol of the invasive pest (MATTM, 2020) and thousands of these parasitoids were released in the northern Italian regions for 3 years, leading to one of the largest biocontrol projects ever attempted in Italy and Europe. Meanwhile, laboratory studies conducted to verify the potential of generalist antagonists showed that ants are among the most efficient predators of H. halys (Bulgarini, Badra, et al, 2021; Bulgarini, Castracani et al, 2021; Castracani et al, 2017). Specifically, experiments with the two European ants most frequently encountered in agroecosystems, Crematogaster scutellaris (Olivier) and Lasius niger (Linnaeus), demonstrated their ability to kill H. halys nymphs without damaging eggs or adult stink bugs (Bulgarini, Castracani, et al, 2021; Castracani et al, 2017).…”