Diapause Termination in Invasive Populations of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Response to Photoperiod.

Understanding cues for diapause termination in insects can be valuable in predicting phenological events in their lifecycles. Once identified, such cues can be utilized as a biofix, the point at which the majority of individuals within a population begin to accumulate degree days. We investigated the impact of photoperiod on completion of reproductive diapause in the invasive eastern North American population of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), by exposing diapausing females to varying light regimes in otherwise identical environments. The critical photoperiod estimated to initiate reproductive development in at least 50% of the potential reproductive population was 13.0-13.5 h, with increasing photoperiods coinciding with increased probability of females reproducing, earlier time to first oviposition, and higher rates of fecundity. These data on the species' response to photoperiod are in agreement with previous modeling that predicted the twin constraints of photoperiod and temperature on H. halys reproduction prevents populations that undergo diapause from producing more than two generations annually anywhere within the continental U.S. However, the facultative nature of diapause in H. halys leaves open the possibility that sub-populations may not enter diapause in some conditions, potentially allowing for additional annual generations.

Experimental warming differentially affects vegetative and reproductive phenology of tundra plants.

Rapid climate warming is altering Arctic and alpine tundra ecosystem structure and function, including shifts in plant phenology. While the advancement of green up and flowering are well-documented, it remains unclear whether all phenophases, particularly those later in the season, will shift in unison or respond divergently to warming. Here, we present the largest synthesis to our knowledge of experimental warming effects on tundra plant phenology from the International Tundra Experiment. We examine the effect of warming on a suite of season-wide plant phenophases. Results challenge the expectation that all phenophases will advance in unison to warming. Instead, we find that experimental warming caused: (1) larger phenological shifts in reproductive versus vegetative phenophases and (2) advanced reproductive phenophases and green up but delayed leaf senescence which translated to a lengthening of the growing season by approximately 3%. Patterns were consistent across sites, plant species and over time. The advancement of reproductive seasons and lengthening of growing seasons may have significant consequences for trophic interactions and ecosystem function across the tundra.

Comparison of chemigation versus foliar insecticide use: management of lepidopteran larvae and stink bugs in North Carolina field tomatoes with environmental and farmworker benefits.

BACKGROUND: Commercial vegetable production in the United States of America (USA) often relies on foliar insecticide sprays for managing key insect pests. However, foliar applications of insecticides have a number of drawbacks to the health of consumers, farmworkers and the environment. Drip chemigation is the application of pesticides to the soil through trickle (drip) irrigation systems, and can overcome a number of the drawbacks typical of foliar insecticide applications. RESULTS: We conducted a two-year study in five commercial fields of staked tomatoes in western North Carolina to compare the efficacy, economics and environmental impact of drip chemigation versus foliar sprays. Drip chemigation significantly reduced insecticide inputs, utilized more selective and environmentally compatible insecticides, and reduced the time lost to reentry intervals, while maintaining comparable efficacy and economic returns. CONCLUSIONS: Drip chemigation was an effective tool for managing key insect pests, provided a broad range of human and environmental health benefits, and will likely become increasingly cost-effective in the future as insecticide patents expire and more insecticide options become available.

Impact of Temperature Storage Conditions of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Eggs on Parasitism by Anastatus reduvii (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae).

Brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys Stål, is an invasive species of Asian origin that is an important agricultural pest in the eastern United States. Sentinel egg masses are tools used to assess the impact of natural enemies on H. halys populations. To determine the effect of host egg age and storage conditions on their susceptibility to parasitism, H. halys eggs were stored at different temperatures for different lengths of time and then exposed to Anastatus reduvii (Howard), a native natural enemy of H. halys occurring in eastern North America. For eggs stored at 15, 20, and 25°C and then exposed to A. reduvii, the number of host eggs from which parasitoid offspring emerged declined with age of eggs. Control eggs (exposed to parasitoids without being stored) and those eggs stored for only 5.5 degree-days (DD) (=0.5 days) at 25°C yielded the highest percentage of parasitoids at 88.2 and 88.3%, respectively. For eggs stored at 20 and 25°C for 7.3 DD to about 36 DD, offspring emerged from about 58 to 73% of eggs, and total parasitism (emerged + unemerged parasitoids) ranged from about 70 to 80%. Parasitoid emergence was significantly lower for host eggs stored at 15°C for comparable times at 20 and 25°C. Stink bugs nymphs hatched from <0.6% of all eggs. Parasitoid-induced host egg abortion was an important component of egg mortality caused by A. reduvii, with underdeveloped stink bug nymphs, undifferentiated cell contents, and parasitoid host feeding occurring across all storage treatments.

Effects of Insecticides Used in Organic Agriculture on Anastatus reduvii (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) and Telenomus podisi (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), Egg Parasitoids of Pestivorous Stink Bugs.

Lethal and sublethal effects of insecticides used in organic agriculture were tested against Anastatus reduvii and Telenomus podisi, native North American hymenopteran egg parasitoids of the native Euschistus servus Say (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and the invasive Halyomorpha halys Stål. Entrust (spinosad), PyGanic (pyrethrin), Neemix (azadirachtin), and Azera (pyrethrin + azadirachtin) were tested at equivalent field rates of 1×, 0.5×, and 0.1×. Bioassays included insecticide exposure to parasitoids through residue on substrate, parasitized host eggs, and their food source. When exposed to dried residues, Entrust caused 100% mortality at the 0.5× rate to both species; PyGanic, Neemix, and Azera exhibited low toxicity. Exposure of parasitized host eggs to Entrust 1× during the egg stage of parasitoid development reduced parasitoid emergence compared to all other treatments in both species. Anastatus reduvii emergence was also reduced by PyGanic at 0.5× and 1×. Parasitoid emergence from host eggs exposed during the pupal stage was more variable than egg stage exposure; emergence of both species was reduced in 0.5× and 1× rates of PyGanic, and A. reduvii was reduced in the 0.5× rate of Entrust compared to controls. Longevity of emerged parasitoids surviving exposure within host eggs showed that Entrust was more deleterious than Neemix or PyGanic. When A. reduvii was fed insecticide-laced honey, all treatments except Neemix at 0.1× reduced adult longevity compared to the control. These studies demonstrated that insecticides commonly used in organic agriculture can negatively affect two common parasitoids of stink bugs; specifically, negative effects were most pronounced with Entrust, and variable with Neemix and Pyganic.

Phenology of brown marmorated stink bug described using female reproductive development.

Temperature-based degree-day models describe insect seasonality and to predict key phenological events. We expand on the use of a temperature-based process defining timing of reproduction through the incorporation of female reproductive physiology for the invasive pentatomid species Halyomorpha halys, the brown marmorated stink bug. A five-stage ranking system based on ovary development was able to distinguish between the reproductive statuses of field-collected females. Application of this ranking method described aspects of H. halys' seasonality, overwintering biology, and phenology across geographic locations. Female H. halys were collected in the US from NJ, WV, NC, OR, and two sites in PA in 2006-2008 (Allentown, PA only) and 2012-2014. Results identify that H. halys enters reproductive diapause in temperate locations in the fall and that a delay occurs in developmental maturity after diapause termination in the spring. Modification of the Snyder method to identify biofix determined 12.7-hr photoperiod as the best fit to define initiation of reproduction in the spring. Applying the biofix, we demonstrated significant differences between locations for the rate at which the overwintering generation transition into reproductive status and the factors contributing to this difference require further study. For example, after including abiotic variables influencing development such as temperature and photoperiod (critical diapause cue), reproduction occurred earlier in OR and for an extended period in NJ. This data describe a method to investigate insect seasonality by incorporating physiological development across multiple regions that can clarify phenology for insects with overlapping generations.

Behavioral Response of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) to Semiochemicals Deployed Inside and Outside Anthropogenic Structures During the Overwintering Period.

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), is an invasive species from Asia capable of causing severe agricultural damage. It can also be a nuisance pest when it enters and exits anthropogenic overwintering sites. In recent years, pheromone lures and traps for H. halys have been developed and used to monitor populations in field studies. To date, no study has investigated the applicability of these monitoring tools for use indoors by building residents during the overwintering period. Herein, we 1) assessed when in late winter (diapause) and spring (postdiapause) H. halys begins to respond to its pheromone (10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol), 2) evaluated whether pheromone-based tools can be used reliably for monitoring H. halys adults in unheated and heated buildings, and 3) elucidated the potential for indoor management using pheromone-baited traps. A 2-yr trapping study suggested that H. halys began to respond reliably to pheromone-baited traps after a critical photoperiod of 13.5 h in the spring. Captures before that point were not correlated with visual counts of bugs in buildings despite robust populations, suggesting currently available pheromone-baited traps were ineffective for surveillance of diapausing H. halys. Finally, because baited traps captured only 8-20% of the adult H. halys known to be present per location, they were not an effective indoor management tool for overwintering H. halys. Our study contributes important knowledge about the capacity of H. halys to perceive its pheromone during overwintering, and the ramifications thereof for building residents with nuisance problems.